TOP 100 CONTINENTAL EUROPE
54 Neguri (▲ 13)
53 Kongsvinger (▲ 6)
52 Golf du Medoc (Vignes) (
Design 20.7 Setting 13.3 Playability 13.8 Holes 7.7 Presentation 14.6 Consistency 7.5 TOTAL 77.6
Design 20.2 Setting 13.1 Playability 13.0 Holes 8.1 Presentation 15.4 Consistency 8.0 TOTAL 77.8
Design 20.3 Setting 13.9 Playability 13.0 Holes 8.0 Presentation 15.3 Consistency 7.5 TOTAL 78.0
AE Brilliant, compact routing which flows really well makes it a perennial favourite. Intriguing green complexes and a very tough set of par 5s. H-JW Javier Arana designed only good courses in his short life. GW VERDICT A lot of affection for this clever coastal course on the outskirts of Bilbao.
PB Beautiful, challenging and exciting course with a very high aesthetic value. Wide variety of good holes and at least 15 of them any course would be proud of calling their signature. BL Follows land among the pine forest very well. GW VERDICT Entered the list as a surprise in 2013 but has risen in both rankings since then.
PG Lovely – just keep off the fruit of the vignes until you’ve finished! CB In my top 50. High-class sand-based golf. GW VERDICT A high new entry in 2015, it maintains that position two years on. Simply, don’t visit Golf du Médoc (which is highly recommended) and miss its ‘second’ course.
51 Seignosse ( ▼ 5)
Biarritz, France. Robert von Hagge.
50 Puerto de Hierro (Arriba) (▲20) Madrid, Spain. Simpson, Colt, Phillips.
49 Ravenstein (Old) ( ▼ 14)
Design 21.0 Setting 13.6 Playability 12.0 Holes 8.2 Presentation 15.4 Consistency 8.0 TOTAL 78.2
Design 21.4 Setting 12.7 Playability 14.0 Holes 7.8 Presentation 14.8 Consistency 7.6 TOTAL 78.3
Design 19.1 Setting 15.8 Playability 14.1 Holes 7.5 Presentation 14.7 Consistency 7.1 TOTAL 78.3
PG Who said golf was meant to be fair? XC Some splendid holes at this challenging course in dense forest. JB Good variety of holes, and tough. PB One of my favorite parklands in Europe. GW VERDICT Well designed, tough, and spacious with several seriously exciting holes.
AE Fabulous routing, great par 3s and an excellent set of greens on an undulating site. GW VERDICT The most private club in Spain is home to an historic and cerebral woodland course touched by masterful designers Simpson, Colt and Phillips. This is a widely-touted rise. Could easily be joined by sister course the Abajo.
XC King Leopold II’s wonderful playgarden. H-JW Delightful parkland course in the exclusive Brussels suburb of Tervuren. GW VERDICT A real treat to play this exclusive clever parkland with tremendous architectural history. A little overgrown now and didn’t excite the panel sufficiently to avoid a fall though.
48 Royal Bled (▲ 17)
47 Royal Park (Trent Jones) ( ▼ 7)
46 Son Gual ( ▼ 4)
Design 17.5 Setting 17.6 Playability 14.0 Holes 7.2 Presentation 14.9 Consistency 7.1 TOTAL 78.3
Design 18.1 Setting 16.0 Playability 12.5 Holes 7.4 Presentation 17.2 Consistency 7.1 TOTAL 78.3
Design 18.0 Setting 15.2 Playability 12.5 Holes 7.4 Presentation 18.4 Consistency 7.0 TOTAL 78.5
H-JW Stunning views of the Julian Alps. CB Recent heavy investment has transformed it into one of the continent’s elite again. GW VERDICT A significant rise after a thorough renovation, the top 30 is not beyond it as it settles down. A full assessment of Royal Bled will appear in the magazine in the next few months.
BL The holes are interesting and varied with nice ones near the lakes around the clubhouse. CB Italian Open venue is every inch the modern championship course. Immaculate and testing. GW VERDICT Really strong modern course that has phases of open parkland as well as tighter woodland, hence its moniker I Roveri, ‘the oaks’.
H-JW Visitors can expect an atmospheric and technical challenge. Outstanding maintenance. CB At few venues in Europe do you think a Tour event could be staged as easily tomorrow if it had to than here. GW VERDICT A robust championship course characterised by water and sand.
Bilbao, Spain. Javier Arana.
Bled, Slovenia. Donald Harradine, Swan.
26 Golf World Top 100 Continental Europe
Granli, Norway. Peter Nordwall.
Turin, Italy. Trent Jones Snr.
Bordeaux, France. Rod Whitman.
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Brussels, Belgium. Tom Dunn, Tom Simpson.
Majorca, Spain. Thomas Himmel.