Les Bordes, France

Golf World Magazine has released it’s 2019 ranking of the Top 100 golf courses in Europe, and with a new panel and methodology there are some curious results. Apparently the magazine expanded its judging panel significantly in 2019, and appointed what are described as “country experts” to oversee each individual country’s courses.

Perhaps as a result there are plenty of newcomers to the list, and from former golfing backwaters like Russia and Georgia. Curiously, the top ranked course from each country – Tibilisi Hills from Georgia and Pestovo from Russia – outranks Sotogrande (Old), Hardelot (Les Pins), Praia D’El Rey and Lofoten Links – not to mention Oitavos Dunes which comes in at #56 having been a long-standing World Top 100 course according to the American GOLF Magazine panel.

Troia