What was your best golf experience of 2024?

The thing that makes golf so special is its existence in the outdoor world.

The greatest architects have pieced together land, rock, sand and grass to create the most mesmerising landscapes and, luckily for the NCG team, we’ve been privileged enough to experience them.

From the Caribbean to Madeira, from Royal West Norfolk to Augusta National. The NCG team prides itself on growing a wealth of knowledge about courses and venues by going to see them for ourselves.

Then, of course, there is the professional game. NCG covered countless tournaments in 2024 across the globe and many of the most memorable moments come when being able to speak to and be in the presence of the world’s best players.

So we put it to the team. What was your best golf experience of 2024, one of the last 12 months that will stick with you forever?

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Best golf experiences of 2024

Steve Carroll

Attending the Masters. Yes, it’s hillier than you think, and, yes, the paths are sprayed green and the food is unbelievably cheap. But all those well-worn cliches aside, going to Augusta National is everything you’d hope it would be and much more. TV doesn’t do it justice. It’s far more beautiful and the memories of one week in April will last for a lifetime.

Dan Murphy

My most fascinating golf experience involved a trip to Royston, on the border of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, on NCG Top 100s course rankings duty. I had never been before and I am so glad I have seen it. It is a golf course that defies convention. For a start, the clubhouse is hundreds of yards away from the 1^st tee.

The opening hole more or less scales a mountain, but once you reach the top then you start to understand why it was worth the journey. There are some extraordinary holes played over some extraordinary terrain. Not every hole is great, but some of the par 3s are absolutely jaw-dropping. I love courses that are one-offs and Royston is assuredly that

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Matt Chivers

I still can’t believe that I got to play Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic in 2024. We didn’t manage to play 18 holes and the rain absolutely poured down on the first four, but it was more than spectacular. The coastal holes were like video game holes. The fairways were integrated into the rocks that were being splashed by the ocean waves.

Driving my buggy by Pete Dye’s burial spot and just walking around the clubhouse. I remember seeing Teeth of the Dog on an episode of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf years ago when I was about 12, and not for one minute did I think I’d ever play there. It is something that will stay with me and it shows how special this sport is that it can make people feel like that.

Paul Miller

Playing at Royal West Norfolk (Brancaster) in early October was a fantastic experience. We were lucky with beautiful weather – sunny skies, no rain, and the perfect opportunity to wear shorts and sunglasses! There’s no better course in England when the sun is shining.

To get to the Clubhouse and 1^st tee early in the morning we had to walk the coastal path due to the high tide, a truly unique preparation for our round!

The front nine features quirky and spectacular holes, especially numbers 3 and 8. The return offers stunning sea views.

After lunch, we enjoyed another 18 holes in foursomes – the perfect post-lunch format.

The exceptional weather continued, with breathtaking sky and sea vistas as daylight faded. If you get the chance to play Royal West Norfolk, don’t hesitate!

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Matt Coles

My best golf experience came early in the year, as I got to go to Madeira on a press trip. Not only that, but I was able to take my partner, and we spent a weekend soaking in the Portuguese sunshine. 36 holes of golf at the Palheiro Resort later, including playing alongside the resort’s chief, and former Premier League footballer Jay Bothroyd, and it is very much a weekend I look back on with fond memories.

Max McVittie

Working at my first Open Championship. I have been lucky enough to attend a few Open Championships as a spectator but this year I got the opportunity to step inside the ropes with the National Club Golfer. Being able to bring you some equipment coverage from one of the biggest events of the year was a joy and something I will never forget.

It has been an aspiration of mine to be able to attend professional tournaments as part of the media and there aren’t many bigger than the Open Championship. I was never good enough to play professional golf, but I managed to do the second-best thing and write about it. It was a week that certainly ranks as one of the best I have had in golf, which was topped off by a worthy winner and some fantastic play. 

Mike Robertson

Personally – going on an epic trip to tick off three new courses: The Sacred Nine at Royal Worlington, Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton. All three were brilliant. Special mention for this year’s Open, which was great to attend, despite the weather.

If we are talking professional golf. Although the outcome wasn’t what I wanted, this year’s US Open was a brilliant watch. A perfect venue, that delivered a perfect final day.

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What was among your best golf experiences in 2024? Tell us on X!