That links golf reigns supreme in Ireland is confirmed in the latest Golf Monthly course rankings for the UK & Ireland which includes twenty-one Irish venues with all but four being seaside gems.

Royal County Down is No. 1 on the charts with Royal Portrush eighth, and The European Club is identified as No. 1 in the Republic of Ireland and third on the entire island.

The European Club is ranked 19th overall followed by another modern classic, Waterville, at 20th.

The list identifies a major shift on the golf quality scale in Ireland with nine of the twenty-one who make the Top-100 being what could be termed moderns and Pat Ruddy should take a bow as the master of links design with his imprint on no fewer than six of these.

GOLF MONTHLY (the oldest golf magazine in the World) golf course rankings 2021

(Irish venues in capitals)

1. ROYAL COUNTY DOWN

2. St. Andrews Old

3. Muirfield

4. Trump Turnberry

5. Carnoustie

6. Royal Dornoch

7. Royal Birkdale

8. ROYAL PORTRUSH

9. Sunningdale Old

10. Sunningdale New

11. Royal St. George’s

12. Royal Liverpool

13. Royal Lytham & St Annes

14. Trump Aberdeen

15. Kingsbarns

16. Royal Aberdeen

17. Royal Troon

18. Woodhall Spa

19. THE EUROPEAN CLUB

20. WATERVILLE.

Other Irish rankings

23. The Golf Course at Adare Manor

25. Ballybunion

26. Lahinch

27. Portmarnock

33. Old Head of Kinsale

43. Trump Doonbeg

46. Rosapenna Sandy Hills

48. Tralee

59. County Louth

68. Ballyliffin Glashedy

72. The Island

82. Druid’s Glen

88. Mount Juliet

90. County Sligo

95. Enniscrone

97. Portstewart

99. Ballyliffin Old.