The traditional links courses find spots of honor on this ranking of the best classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland.
Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2023 rankings of the Top 50 classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built before 1960 – as determined by Golfweek’s Best raters.
The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each layout is ranked against others in Great Britain and Ireland to produce the final rankings.
It’s tough to reach consensus on some year-end awards, but Woods crossing the Swilcan Bridge was a slam dunk.
For good reason, the moment of the year in golf drew several nominations at the Golfweek editorial summit earlier this month. But once Tiger Woods crossing the Swilcan Burn Bridge was proposed the debate was over. It’s tough on some of these year-end awards to reach consensus, but there was unanimity as everyone nodded in agreement and we quickly moved on to the next category. Such was the goosebumps-on-goosebumps moment that was Tiger Woods potentially saying farewell to his competitive days at the Old Course at St. Andrews in the 150th British Open.
All that was missing from this moment was it happened on Friday afternoon with Woods missing the cut badly rather than being feted on Sunday. Woods, who won three Claret Jugs among his 15 major championship victories and two of them at St. Andrews, in 2000 and 2005, skipped the U.S. Open in order to allow his surgically repaired right leg and the rest of his ailing body to heal enough so he could even play. This was the one tournament Woods had circled on his calendar to play in 2022 and he wasn’t about to miss it.
And so it didn’t really matter that he was 9 over and destined to miss the cut by a long shot. Fans had arrived early that morning and assembled around the 18th hole. They waited for Woods to approach the famed Swilcan Bridge that leads players over the burn, which meanders across the first and 18th holes, and onto the 18th fairway.
Playing competitors Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa as well as Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava hovered behind as Woods approached the bridge alone, the stage set for the monumental moment. Here is where Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson before him took turns bidding adieu to the Old Grey Toon. Woods slowed his walk and lifted his white Nike cap in appreciation but never truly broke stride for the long ceremonial stop that many expected. Did that signal that Woods expected to have at least one more spin around the Old Course down the road? Not even he knows.
“I don’t know if I ever get back to playing St. Andrews in a British Open, but to be able to experience that maybe one last time at this level was very special to me,” he said afterward. “That was my favorite golf course in the whole world, and if that was it, that was it, to be able to possibly finish up my career there, I don’t know. That’s one of the reasons why I was kind of emotional because I don’t know if I’ll ever play St. Andrews again. I’ll play Open Championships in the future but I don’t know if I’ll be around when it comes back there again.”
Tiger Woods tips his hat to the crowd after teeing off on the 18th hole during the second round of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews Old Course. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
As Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio wrote, “There were tears in his eyes, weight in his heart.”
“It’s very emotional for me,’’ Woods said. “I had a few tears. The warmth and the ovation at 18, it got to me. I’m not one who gets very teary-eyed very often about anything.’’
Woods speculated that the Open likely won’t return to St. Andrews until 2030 when he’d be 53 years old.
“I don’t know if I will be physically able to play by then,’’ he said. “So, to me, it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St. Andrews.’’
Fans weren’t the only ones to shower Woods with applause as he walked the 18th fairway. Rory McIlroy played nearby on the first fairway and tipped his cap to the golfer who inspired him to take up the game. And when Woods reached the 18th green, Justin Thomas had just teed off and did likewise.
“It was just incredible,” Woods said. “The nods I was getting from guys as they were going out and I was coming in, just the respect, that was pretty neat. And from a players’ fraternity level, it’s neat to see that and feel that.”
Fitzpatrick said the scene “gave me goosebumps,’’ adding, “It’s something that will live with me forever.’’
And with all of us. That’s why it was the moment of the year.
Kathryn Newton once skipped a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier after landing the leading role in “Paranormal Activity.”
She grew up on a golf course in Florida and became a standout player on her high school team.
In 2012, she was all set for a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, according to a 2015 Golf Digest story.
But Kathryn Newton was also a budding actress and when she scored the leading role in the fourth installment of the “Paranormal Activity” movie franchise, she put away the clubs to chase her acting career.
Her next major role is playing Cassie Lang, the daughter of Antman, played by Paul Rudd, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is set for a February release.
Three weeks ago, however, Newton was back on the golf course, at the Old Course at St. Andrews, specifically, to participate in the pro-am ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Kathryn Newton at premiere of “Halloween Ends” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Oct. 11, 2022. (Photo: Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
Newton was paired with English golfer Matt Wallace, and the pair finished 118th out of 167 teams.
“Acting’s way easier than golf,” Newton told CNN’s The Jazzy Golfer, at the event. “I (don’t) say that lightly because I have respect for my acting and my fellow actors. When I see the pros out here today, I feel like they’re magicians or something.”
Regularly scoring in the 70s when she played a lot, she once shot 69, but said: “I’m pretty blown away by the pros and I think I’m going to stick to acting.”
That’s not to say she doesn’t have thoughts of ‘What if’.
“Oh yes, and then I think, ‘Thank goodness I’m not,'” she told CNN, but was then asked would she rather win an Oscar or a major.
How a group of women in an R&A program built a foundation to help the golf community in war-torn Ukraine.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February a group of young players in the Ukrainian Golf Federation’s development program was relocated across Europe.
For the first time since they were forced to flee their war-torn country, seven kids reconnected in Scotland at the Project Ukraine golf camp last week, which was organized by a group of women in the R&A’s Women in Golf Leadership Development Program.
The women were inspired by Veronika Rastvortseva, a colleague of theirs who gave an emotional account of what her family experienced in Ukraine while participating in an online workshop. From there Project Ukraine was founded to support the golf community in Ukraine.
“We’ve all watched the horrors unfold in Ukraine and we were compelled to help after listening to our colleague Veronika Rasvortseva describe what was going on around her in the early days of the invasion,” said Project Ukraine’s Toni Zverblis. “Thankfully, she managed to move her family out of the country but has been working tirelessly from her temporary home in Belgium on this project since then. She has helped the group liaise with the Ukrainian Golf Federation and the families whom we are supporting.”
The camp at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf & Spa featured golf clinics, health and mental skills sessions as well as Rules of Golf workshops. Last Saturday, a match was held against players from the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, a junior golf program in Scotland. On Sunday the camp attended the final day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews where they were interviewed on Sky Sports and even met the likes of Rory McIlroy, Adrian Meronk and event winner Ryan Fox.
“I have no doubt this experience has changed their lives. The support they have had during this camp from the Project Ukraine team is enormous. I can’t describe how important it has been for these kids to be back together like a family, getting them back to the tee to play golf, and to just sit and chat in the lobby and share what they have been through over the past months,” said Rastvortseva, who attended the camp with her two daughters.
“Our goal was that the camp provided hope and inspiration,” said Zverblis. “We want to ensure that these young golfers’ dreams and ambitions are kept alive despite the devastation they face at home in Ukraine.”
“Their dreams have come true – they met Rory McIlroy and shook his hand. They had a welcome message from Tommy Fleetwood – it’s a dream for any junior. Unfortunately, all these kids have trauma – but for us, it was so important to keep them away from that for a short time,” added Rastvortseva. “It’s hoped that Project Ukraine will continue to be able to help other families and junior golfers because there are many others that need our assistance. They need support with education and getting them back out onto the golf course regularly. They need to remember those emotions that they felt when they were able to play golf in their home county, which unfortunately they haven’t been able to do for a long time.
“When these kids grow up in a few years they will understand even more how this camp has impacted their pathway. It’s inspiring.”
“To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warne.”
Ryan Fox didn’t just win for the second time of 2022 on the DP World Tour on Sunday, but he did so at the Home of Golf.
In front of his family visiting from New Zealand, the 35-year-old claimed the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by one shot at the Old Course at St. Andrews. After the final putt dropped, Fox was quick to mention someone who wasn’t there to celebrate his third win on tour.
“It means a lot,” said Fox after the round. “To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warne.”
The Dunhill Links features both an individual and team championship and is held across three iconic courses in Scotland: Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Fox and Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, who died in March, finished second in the team championship last year.
“He meant a lot to me and this event and was a great mate. It’s a terrible shame he’s not here,” added Fox, who said he felt his friend’s presence down the stretch. “Obviously I was pretty nervy the last three holes. I didn’t hit very good shots, to be honest, down the 16th, 17th and 18th. He was definitely helping out.”
After starting the final round four shots back, Fox took the lead through seven holes and was three holes clear with just as many to play. A late blemish on the 17th and par on the 18th secured the one-shot win at 15 under over Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren, T-2 at 14 under. Rory McIlroy, a three-time runner-up at the event, finished T-4 at 13 under with Antoine Rozner.
Shinkwin and Alex Acquavella won the team championship at 37 under.
If you’re traveling internationally and looking to get in a round abroad, you may want to consider a rental set.
You thought the British Open ending the men’s major championship season was a bummer? Wait until you see this.
Domestic travel is bad enough these days in the United States with severely understaffed airlines leading to frequent flight delays, cancellations and of course, lost luggage. On the international scale it’s even worse, and one picture showed just how backed up high-traffic airports can be.
Just days after Cameron Smith won the British Open in epic fashion at the Old Course at St. Andrews, a pile of golf bags currently sits in the Edinburgh Airport, which is just 50 miles from the Home of Golf.
There’s a comfort that comes with playing with your own clubs, but if you’re traveling internationally this year and looking to get a round or two in abroad, you may want to consider a rental set.
It pays to play well in major championships, just ask Cameron Smith.
It pays to play well in professional golf tournaments, especially at major championships. Just ask this week’s winner, Cameron Smith.
The 28-year-old Aussie shot an 8-under 64 at the Old Course at St. Andrews in the final round of the 150th playing of the Open Championship to overcome a four-shot deficit and earn a one-shot win over Cameron Young to claim his first major title. Smith finished at 20 under to earn the top prize of $2.5 million, with Young taking home $1.46 million. Not a bad consolation prize.
Check out how much money each professional player made this week at the Open at St. Andrews (remember, no cash for the amateurs).
Smith made six birdies on his back nine to win his first major championship.
The 150th playing of the oldest major championship at the Home of Golf doesn’t need any extra hype, but Sunday’s final round of the 2022 British Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews got better and better as the day went on.
The round started with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tied atop the leaderboard at 16 under but ended with Cameron Smith picking up the win to hoist the Claret Jug and earn the title of Champion Golfer at the Year. The 28-year-old Aussie shot an 8-under 64, his second 64 of the week, on Sunday to win the first major championship of his career. Smith also claimed the Players Championship earlier this year at TPC Sawgrass.
Now a six-time PGA Tour winner, Smith made a late charge thanks to six birdies on his back nine, five in a row on Nos. 10-14 with the final coming on the 18th to take a one-shot lead at 20 under.
The British Open winner gets to take possession of a replica of the Claret Jug for 12 months.
The 2022 British Open marks the 150th playing of the historic event.
There was only one venue where they could stage this tournament and that, of course, is the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. It’s the 30th time St. Andrews, dubbed the Home of Golf, has hosted the oldest major championship in golf.
The winner on Sunday will bank a check for $2,500,000 but more importantly, he will be proclaimed the Champion Golfer of the Year, and will have his name engraved on the bottom of the trophy.
The winner gets to take possession of a replica for the next 12 months. How and what they will do with it once they leave St. Andrews is anybody’s guess.
Check out some photos of past Open Championship winners celebrating with the Claret Jug.
Binging Billions and turning off the phone are among the plans before the pair tees off on Sunday.
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – There’s a lot of time to kill between the conclusion of the third round and the tee time for the co-leaders in the 150th British Open at the Old Course.
After the round, both Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland were asked how they would pass the time until 2:55 p.m. local time (9:55 a.m. ET) and try to avoid letting their mind wander to what could be a historic day.
“There’s no rugby to watch tomorrow morning,” McIlroy said. “I watched two rugby matches this morning, which was great. Got a little emotional when Ireland won, actually. It was an unbelievable achievement for them.
“Yeah, put the phone away. The tee times here are late. So I’ve been sort of taking a little midmorning nap the last couple of days. Just try to do the same thing again. I usually get to the golf course three hours before and do a gym session and get some treatment, physio and lunch and everything else. I get my day in pretty well with just keeping myself busy. And certainly phone away and just sort of get into my routine.”
On Friday, then-36-hole leader Cameron Smith said he was going to binge “Peaky Blinders.” That didn’t work out so well as Smith stumbled to a 73 and enters the final round four strokes back.
Hovland planned to watch Showtime’s Billions. “I’m pretty good at doing nothing,” he said. “I find that time flies by when you’re just sitting on the couch on your phone, watching shows.”
Both players said competing in the final group with a shot to be named Champion Golfer of the Year was a dream scenario.
“Just to be here is very special, but to have a chance to win one is — yeah, I have to pinch myself,” Hovland added. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back tomorrow.”
“It’s unbelievably cool to have a chance to win The Open at St Andrews,” McIlroy said. “It’s what dreams are made of. And I’m going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow.”
