1
Europe 
St Andrews
Fife · Scotland★ 4.9
The Old Course, the home of golf, played for 600 years. Enter the daily ballot for a tee time, or walk it free on Sundays.
SignatureOld Course
Green fee£££
SeasonMay–Sep
The courses worth building a trip around, from windswept links to cliffside fairways. Ranked by prestige and playability, with the season and the signature hole.
A great course is its own destination. We ranked the rounds golf travelers dream about, with how to get on and when the weather actually cooperates.
Europe The Old Course, the home of golf, played for 600 years. Enter the daily ballot for a tee time, or walk it free on Sundays.
Americas Cliffside fairways over the Pacific and the most photographed finishing stretch in the game.
Americas A Donald Ross masterpiece of crowned, tricky greens, and a repeat US Open host.
Europe The 'Costa del Golf', 70-plus courses along a sunny coast, led by the legendary Valderrama.
Americas Two acclaimed links on the wild Atlantic, Cabot Links and the clifftop Cabot Cliffs.
Europe Mountains-to-sea links routinely ranked the best on Earth, blind shots and gorse-lined fairways.
Americas Four (soon five) true links on a wild Pacific bluff, walking-only, caddie-carried golf.
Asia Japan’s most celebrated resort course, with cliff-top holes looking out over Sagami Bay.
Oceania The sand-belt masterpiece, fast, firm and strategic, with the famous Composite Course for events.
Caribbean Pete Dye’s “Teeth of the Dog” bites the Caribbean, seven holes hard against the sea.
A fully-researched destination (mapped, filmed and ready to book) in your inbox every Thursday.