The World's Top Courses in 1908

I find it interesting to track the progress of courses and how they are ranked over time. Previously, I have posted regarding the top 100 courses in 1939. Click here to read this post.

I just purchased a copy of the new golf club history, The Evolution of the Links at the Royal County Down Golf Club, which is one of the most spectacular golf club histories I have ever read. It's expensive, but I recommend it highly.

The book was written by Richard Latham and he has a sidebar in the book regarding a ranking he stumbled across as he was doing his research for the book. Contained within a 1908 edition of Golf Illustrated he found a ranking of the top courses which was compiled by the most prominent golfers in the world. The rankings were fairly broad-based, comprising the opinions of 230 professional and 314 amateur golfers.

The list is below:

1. The Old Course at St. Andrews
2. Prestwick
3. Sandwich (also known as Royal St. George's)
4. Deal
5. Hoylake (also known as Royal Liverpool)
6. North Berwick
7. Sunningdale
8. Westward Ho!
9. Portmarnock
10. Formby
11. Royal County Down (known as Newcastle then)
12. Rye
13. Portrush (now known as Royal Portrush)
14. Lahinch
15. Carnoustie
16. Luffness New
17. Woking
18. Gullane
19. Huntercombe
20. Brancaster (now know as Royal West Norfolk)
21. Littlestone
22. Lytham and St. Annes
23. Dollymount (now known as Royal Dublin)
24. Machrahanish
25. Walton Heath
26. Harlech (now known as Royal St. David's)
27. Muirfield

Obviously, their conception of the 'world' in 1908 did not include the New World or Australia/New Zealand.

I've had the privilege of playing sixteen of the courses on the list and don't really take exception to the ranking, which I find even today quite respectable. Before the Muirfield fans get up in arms, remember that the course we know today evolved considerably from the course as it was in 1908.

At the risk of repeating myself, both Prestwick and North Berwick were at the time, and I still believe are today, two of the best golf courses in the world.