published: Apr 2, 2026

updated: Apr 17, 2026

NCG Top 100s: Scotland – Our Panel’s Favourite Non-Scottish Courses

Matt Coles

2025 was the year of visiting Scottish courses for our panellists, but what are their favourite non-Scottish layouts?

15th hole at Royal St David's | Source: Royal St David's

2025 was a year that saw our panellists travelling around Scotland, but what are their favourite non-Scottish golf courses?

Like Scotland, there are some stunning links courses across England, Wales and Ireland, some of which our panellists have mentioned.

There were plenty of mentions for courses and resorts further afield as well, with venues in Europe and even around the world also getting their nominations!

What have our panellists gone for, then? And do you agree? Check out their favourite non-Scottish golfing venues below…

A view from behind the green on the 415 yards par 4, 7th hole 'Battery' at the Silloth on Solway Golf Club | Source: David Cannon/Getty Images — **A view from behind the green on the 415 yards par 4, 7th hole ‘Battery’ at the Silloth on Solway Golf Club | Source: David Cannon/Getty Images**

What are our panellists’ favourite non-Scottish courses?

Unsurprisingly, there were many choices within the United Kingdom. A certain Open Championship venue came up, along with plenty of venues in and around the English capital…

Ed Battye: Royal St. George’s. The ultimate in championship challenge and endlessly intriguing quirk.

Steve Watton: Royal St. George’s

Jim Banting: Sunningdale Old

Andi White: New Zealand

David Fox: Hankley Common

**15th hole at Hankley Common | Source: Hankley Common**

There were also others in England, from Cornwall all the way to Cumberland.

Craig Redston: Parkstone is the closest thing to a religious experience for me.

Chris Myatt: Rye Golf Club – It makes the most of its dunes with holes routed along, over, between, to and from them.

Hugh Masson: St. Enodoc. Rugged, yet pristine. A strong test in beautiful surroundings.

Charles Abraham: Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) – A heathland course of great variety and a fabulous test of strategic golf all year round.

Phil Bedford: Perranporth

Paul Watson: Saunton (East) – a links that never fails to excite. The par 4 first epitomises the tough test ahead all the way to the 18th.

Neil White: Silloth – I adore links courses and this was love at first sight. Played it once before applying to be a member.

Stu Bennett: Formby – challenging off the tee, fair with a variety of stunning holes that test every part of your game on fantastic turf.

**8th hole at Formby GC | Source: Formby**

There were also plenty of choices in both Wales and Ireland, with new and old courses receiving mentions!

Jim Marshall: I love Royal St. David’s for its stunning views, historic charm, and challenging yet fair links layout

David Elliott: Royal St. Davids

Craig Morrison: County Sligo. Why? Yeats. Colt. Ruddy. To be on the Rosses is to be in great company

Chris Griffiths: Portmarnock

Ian Woods: Royal Portrush’s Dunluce. Never tire of playing it, and thrilled to have watched two Opens there

Greg Webber: Royal Porthcawl

Peter Rudd: Waterville, stunning setting with one of the best finishes in golf

Lewis Marr: Waterville, Ireland

**8th hole at Waterville | Source: Waterville**

What about further afield? Some of our panellists also have favourites in North America and Australia.

Dove Jones: Banff Springs

Oliver Baker: Valley Club of Montecito

Michael Verity: Royal Adelaide

David Walker: California Golf Club of San Francisco – a quality golf course with welcoming members

Michael Atkinson: Alister MacKenzie’s Cypress Point in Monterey, California. The most magnificent Pacific Ocean setting. Simply stunning

RELATED: What is the best hole in Scotland? – COMING SOON
RELATED: What is the best golfing view in Scotland?

**LIV Golf at Royal Adelaide | Source: Getty Images**

Listen to the NCG Top 100s Podcast

NOW READ: Where do our panellists want to visit next in Scotland?
NOW READ: What are our panellists’ highlights from their travels around Scotland?

Have you played at any of the venues our panellists have mentioned? What would you say is your favourite non-Scottish course? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!

About the author

Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.

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