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Top 100 GB&I

NCG Top 100s GB&I: Meet the panel

Meet the eight golf course enthusiasts who have contributed to this list of GB&I's Top 100 Golf Courses
 

Our list of the very best golf courses in GB&I was created by the following eight golfers. While they had differing views on the various courses we considered, what they do have in common is a genuine love of the game and a deep knowledge, honed over years and decades, of the game. Here’s some brief background information on who they are and what they bring to the panel.

Dan Murphy, chairman

Occupation: Editor of NCG

Handicap: 3

Home club: Alwoodley

About: Dan is the editor of NCG, the content director at Sports Publications and has played every course on this list multiple times.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: The obvious answer is Dundonald, at No 101. For me, Ferndown is my favourite in Dorset so that would be in. From left field, The Annesley, the second course at RCD, is very close.

 

Chris Bertram

Home club:

Occupation: NCG Top 100s editor

Handicap: 11

About: Chris has been involved in golf course rankings for a decade and has played almost every course of significance across Europe.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: I’d rather play Royal Ashdown Forest, New Zealand and possibly Ferndown before some in the list. But the most unlucky is Broadstone, which sits on more interesting terrain than most heathlands.

 

Sean Arble

Home club(s): Burnham & Berrow & Tantallon (North Berwick)

Handicap: 12

Occupation: Local government

About: Sean describes himself as “an American ex-pat who enjoys playing the back alley courses of GB&I”.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: Kington, Castlerock, Goswick and Littlestone would all be in my personal list.

• What our panel really think of our list of the best golf courses in GB&I

 

Jim Banting

Home club: West Sussex

Occupation: Golf journalist and author

Handicap: 2

About: Jim describes himself as “a nomadic golfer who believes few courses can rest on their laurels”.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: It was very nearly Hindhead, at No 100. Known for its sweeping valleys and swift greens, every time I have played it I leave with an immediate thirst to go back. So many memorable holes.

 

Ed Battye

Home club: Woodsome Hall

Occupation: Owner of golfempire.co.uk

Handicap: 3

About: Ed says he enjoys “visiting new courses and returning to the best ones which almost exclusively involve firm turf, natural movement in the land and lots of strategic options”.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: Askernish offers beautifully raw golf distilled to its origins; a mix of simplistic brilliance and crazy genius.

 

Nick Dungay

Home club: West Sussex

Occupation: Marketing director

Handicap: 11

About: Nick says he has played over 400 courses around the world and developed a strong interest in golf architecture.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: New Zealand is short, strategic and harder than the scorecard would suggest.  Woburn (Dukes) is a design which sympathetically uses the natural contours of the site to create holes of lasting interest.

 

Dove Jones

Home clubs: Royal Liverpool, Crail Golf Society

Occupation: International Golf PR/Marketing/Communication

Handicap: 12ish

About: Dove describes herself as: “An American that adores golf in GB&I and until I figure out being an ex-pat I’ll keep being over here every chance I get”.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: St Andrews’ (Jubilee) is a better design than many on the list.

• What our panel really think of our list of the best golf courses in GB&I

 

Peter Rudd

Home clubs: Woodbridge, Thorpeness

Occupation: Company director

Handicap: 7

About: Peter describes himself as “a dedicated golfer with a special passion for links courses and agronomics”.

Unluckiest courses not to make the Top 100: Overall, Blairgowrie (Rosemount) is an excellent inland course. Look out for the JCB Club in future lists – it contains some seriously good holes and will only get better as it matures.

Do you agree with our list? Tweet us @NCGTop100s.

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