We've tasked 18 golf course enthusiasts with creating our England's top 100 rankings. Let's meet them

The 17 experts tasked with ranking the best golf courses in England were…

Dan Murphy

Occupation: Editor of NCG Top 100s and chairman of the panel

Handicap: 1

Home club: Alwoodley

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Royal County Down – it’s in a class of its own to me and ticks every box

What makes a great course in four words? Design, turf, consistency, options

Tom Irwin

Occupation: Director, Sports Publications (publishers of NCG Top 100s)

Handicap: 0

Home club: Alwoodley

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Skibo Castle – the high life in the Highlands, perfection

What makes a great course in four words: Firm, flat, fun, fiendish

Steve Carroll

Occupation: NCG’s club golf editor

Handicap: 8

Home clubs: York (Strensall), Sandburn Hall

Favourite GB&I course outside England: North Berwick West Links – Disneyland for golfers with iconic holes and sensational views

What makes a great course in four words: Fun, firm, variety, challenge

Sean Arble

Occupation: Local Government

Handicap: 14

Home clubs: Burnham & Berrow and North Berwick.

Favourite GB&I course outside England: St Andrews New: Far better than the consolation prize to the Old

What makes a great course in four words: Routing, soil, turf and greens

Jim Banting

Occupation: Golf journalist and author

Handicap:  0

Home club(s): West Sussex

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Royal County Down – visually spectacular, tough, unyielding but pure genius

What makes a great course? Elegant, sophisticated, utterly unforgettable

Ed Battye

Occupation: Owner and manager of Golf Empire

Handicap: 3

Home club: Woodsome Hall

Favourite GB&I course outside England: The Old Course – ground zero for golf, strategically superior

What makes a great course in four words: Options, firm-turfed, uniqueness, cadence

Dave Cannon

Occupation: Getty Images Photographer

Handicap: 9

Home club(s): Royal Liverpool, Old Head, The European

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Turnberry – views, beauty, challenge, tests every club, magnificent, fair

What makes a great course in four words? Landscape, fairness, greens, variety

Niall Flanagan

Occupation: Golf Consultant/Business Owner

Handicap: 9

Home club: Sunningdale Heath

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Loch Lomond – when the sun comes out Weiskopf’s work is pure magic

What makes a great course in four words? Landscape, definition, design, playability

Neil Gray

Occupation: Marketing Consultant

Handicap: 7

Home club: Centurion

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Loch Lomond – just a great layout and the most beautiful landscape anywhere

What makes a great course in four words? Setting, turf, design, greens

Ben Hunter

Occupation: Golf club management

Handicap: 8.6

Home clubs: Liphook, Brora

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Royal Porthcawl – a challenging course with mesmerising views on every hole.

What makes a great course in four words? Fair, strategic, maintained, fun

Dove Jones

Occupation: International golf communications specialist

Handicap: 12

Home clubs: Royal Liverpool, Crail

Courses played in 2022 shortlist (out of 164) as at start of 2021: TBC

Favourite GB&I course outside England: New Ailsa shot for shot; North Berwick for quirky challenging fun

What makes a great course in four words? Strategy, fairness, condition, variety

John Mcloughlin

Occupation: Course manager at Wallasey

Handicap: 0

Home club: West Lancs

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Royal County Down – fits into the landscape flawlessly

What makes a great course in four words? Design compliments natural surroundings

George Oldham

Occupation: Writer

Handicap: 17

Home club: Troon Welbeck

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Turnberry – incomparable setting and challenge of great historic holes

What makes a great course in four words? Setting, challenge, condition, history

Josh Poysden

Occupation: Cricketer

Handicap: 6

Home clubs: Seaton Carew

Favourite GB&I course outside England: North Berwick – quirky, playable, beautiful and, most of all, fun

What makes a great course in four words? Fun, interesting, memorable shots

Peter Rudd

Occupation: Telecom company owner and director

Handicap: 6

Home clubs: Woodbridge

Courses played in 2022 shortlist (out of 164) as at start of 2021: 101

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Kingsbarns – setting, design, fairness

What makes a great course in four words? Setting, design, fairness, turf

Steve Watton

Occupation: Company director

Handicap: 0

Home club: Churchill & Blakedown, Enville

Courses played in 2022 shortlist (out of 164) as at start of 2021: 100

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Royal Dornoch – simply spellbinding and wonderfully varied with a unique and special aura

What makes a great course in four words? Beautiful, natural & thought-provoking

Greg Webber

Occupation: Pharmacist

Handicap: 6

Home club: Muswell Hill

Favourite GB&I course outside England: Carnoustie – brutal but brilliant

What makes a great course in four words? Interesting, fair, memorable, accessible

NCG Top 100s: The best golf courses in England

Visit the NCG Top 100s homepage for all this and much, much more.

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Dan Murphy

Dan loves links golf, which doesn't mean he is very good at it. He is a four-handicapper at Alwoodley. A qualified journalist and senior editor with 25 years’ experience, he was the long-time editor of NCG. His passion is golf courses and he is the founding editor of NCG Top 100s course rankings. He loves nothing more than discovering and highlighting courses that are worthy of greater recognition.

Handicap: 4

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