This demanding course has re-established itself as a venue on the British Open circuit, most recently in 2007, won by Padraig Harrington. Many professionals have proclaimed Carnoustie as the toughest test in all of Britain.

The heavy rough of the Kings Course will prove to be your downfall if you stray from the lush fairways. The Kings, and Monarchs course designed by Jack Nicklaus, are among the most beautiful inland courses in the world, offering dramatic views in all directions. They are part of the spectacular Gleneagles resort hotel and spa.

Founded in 1882, the club is a complex of three excellent links courses built between 1882 and 1910. Number one course is the most traditional of the courses, but in the view of many, #2 course offers the best and most varied challenge. Located adjacent to Muirfield these links are not overshadowed by their famous neighbor. All three courses have dramatic views over Lammermuir Hill, the Firth of Forth and Aberlady nature reserve.

One of the great links courses in Scotland, the Old Course is a challenging test of golfing ability. With the wind to contend with, and deep rough interspersed with gorse and broom, accurate shot making is essential. It is on the regular rotation for the British Open, the last time in 2004 won by Todd Hamilton in a four-hole playoff over Ernie Ells. A second championship course at Troon is the Portland Course.

Golf has been played at St Andrews for almost 600 years. While it is The Old Course that springs to mind when one talks about St Andrews, there is a lot more to the St Andrews Links. There are, in fact, six other courses. The New Course (laid out by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1895) and The Jubilee Course are both longer than The Old Course and, in the eyes of many, more difficult than The Old Course itself. The Eden and Strathtyrum, are shorter and more suited to the high handicapper. The Balgove is a short 9-hole course, great for practicing your short game.

The Castle Course opened in the summer of 2008. It follows the coastline east of St Andrews, two miles from the town center. Course architect, David McLay Kidd (designer of Brandon Dunes), has created a typical Scottish golf experience, named “Course of the Year” by Travel & Leisure Golf.

The Ailsa Course, which lies on the Ayrshire coast, with the foreboding Ailsa Rock looming out to sea, is considered one of the most spectacular seaside courses in the world, rivaling Pebble Beach and Cypress Point. It’s a regular Open venue, the most recent a memorable championship in 2009 with Stewart Cink edging Tom Watson a play-off.  It is ranked by many as the number one course in Scotland and one of the top ten in the world.  Visitors to Turnberry also enjoy the spectacular Kintyre Course.

Ballybunion Golf Club consists of probably the best two combined courses in Ireland. Founded in 1893, the Old Course, ranked by many as the best course in Ireland and in the world’s top 25, was designed by Simpson McKenna, while the Cashen Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. At Ballybunion, the duneland above the beach is immense, rising in great ridges and peaks, leaving deep valleys and thrusting perhaps 50 feet or more above the beach, giving valleys for fairways, tops for tees and the possibility of having greens and tees on the cliff edge.

Ireland’s most northerly course has 36 holes to savor—two outstanding and contrasting links courses: the classic Old Links and the magnificent new Glashedy Links. It was once considered the ultimate hidden gem, but now is considered one of Ireland’s best.

Carne Golf Links lies in magnificent unspoiled sand dunes overlooking Blacksod Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean near Belmullet Co. Mayo in the west of Ireland. Carne was the last links course to be designed by the late Eddie Hackett and it is now believed by many who have played it to his greatest challenge.

Seven years in the making on what must be one of the world’s truly remarkable and natural sites. The rocky vistas, 100 meters above the surf, oversee the final resting place of the Lusitania, the Cunard passenger liner torpedoed in the Irish Sea by a German U-boat in 1915. This extraordinary course—which opened in early June 1997–is reached from a narrow neck of land which slays out on to a peninsula where site rises high above dramatic cliffs on all sides, commanding the most spectacular views from virtually every part of the course.

Portmarnock Golf Club is located on a small peninsula which extends itself just briefly southward into the Irish Sea north of Dublin. Surrounded by water on three sides and laid out in a serpentine fashion, no two successive holes play in the same direction. Unlike many links courses which play nine out and nine home, Portmarnock demands a continual discernment of wind direction. Only open space and long views of the distant scenery meet the eye.  It is considered by many to be one of the top two courses in Ireland and among the world’s top 50.

If Northern Ireland had a signature course then Royal County Down Golf Club would be it. It’s nestled in the huge sand dunes beside the town of Newcastle in view of the Mountains of Mourne. It is considered one of the top golf courses in the world by many. The legendary Tom Morris laid out this course in 1889 and this was probably the first links course with two loops of nine starting and finishing at the clubhouse. The course has five blind tee shots and several partially obscured approach shots, which makes it a formidable a challenge to play.

One of three ‘Royal’ courses in Northern Ireland, Portrush is on everybody’s short-list of top Irish courses, a great test of any golfer’s shot-making and nerve. It is famous not only for its magnificent turf and superb golf holes but also for its lovely setting. Royal Portrush’s Dunluce Course is laid out in a marvelous stretch of natural golfing country, through a tangle of sandhills, with the sweeping contours of dunes lending infinite variety to the game. The Valley Course lies between the East Strand and the Dunluce Course.

The original course was designed in 1896, but was redesigned by Arnold Palmer in 1989, the first course designed by him in Europe. It is a course with two distinct halves. The front nine is on more open flat land, set on cliff tops and any of the greens on the outward nine enjoy settings on the edge of the sea and the beauty of the setting is a recurring theme. The back nine is set amongst majestic dune country involving many demanding shots.

Ireland’s Ring of Kerry is the setting for many great courses, and the most highly regarded is Waterville in the south-west. Like the more famous Ballybunion, it is exposed to the winds from the Atlantic to present an outstanding challenge. The back nine holes, amongst the hills and sand dunes, are as tough as you will find

The fairways of this classic links course twist through valleys between high sand hills. It has been the venue for many British Opens, including Arnold Palmer’s first win in 1961 and the more recent 2008 Open won by Padraig Harrington. It is considered by many as the best course in England and among the world’s top 10.

Another great links course near Royal St George’s in Sandwich Bay, once summed up by Bernard Darwin as ‘truly great’. Founded in 1892, the club received its royal status in 1908 when the Prince of Wales became president. It has hosted two British Opens – 1909 and 1920.

Lying beside the estuary of the River Dee at Hoylake, Royal Liverpool is one of the sternest tests of links golf, made even more challenging by winds which sweep in from the Welsh hills. At first glance, the flat stretch of land with banks or “cops” to define the out of bounds and sandhills in the distance seems unimpressive, yet it is true championship quality. It has hosted the Open Championship 10 times and is scheduled again in 2014.

Host of many British Open championships, it is the classic links course. It’s often ranked as one of the top two courses in England and among the world’s top 25.   If you saw the 2011 Open, you may recall the cavernous bunkers on hole number four on this great seaside course. Recently, it hosted the memorable 2011 Open, its 14th.  Play it and experience what the top professionals did in July 2011.

Built to host The Ryder Cup in 2010, it is the first course to be built specifically for golf’s greatest team tournament. It boasts exceptional views from natural banks overlooking the course that runs beside the beautiful River Usk. Celtic Manor is also the home to two other excellent courses: Roman Road and The Montgomery.

In a spectacular setting, this unique 26 hole championship golf course has a view of the sea from every tee. Eight holes played on the well-photographed ‘Point’ are sometimes described as the Pebble Beach of North Wales.

This is another top ten Welch course in a gorgeous setting. With its lofty sand dunes hugging the south Wales coast, P&K is situated in a wonderful stretch of golfing country with panoramic views from the course over the Bristol Channel, the Gower Peninsula, Sker Farm, and the magnificent Welsh Mountains.

Another golf course not to be missed, it is ranked as one the top 100 courses in the world. Although it’s the top ranked course in Wales, it is off the beaten path and still relatively unknown. Golfers will enjoy the combination of pure links golf, and then subtle British heathland golf. The sea is never out of sight.

Established in 1894, this championship links course is ranked one of the top two courses in Wales. Not many golf courses can claim to be in the shadow of an ancient castle like Royal St David’s at Harlech, where the bent and fescue fairways are watched over by this historical stone bastion built by Edward I.