Ratings & Definitions

Where2Golf Course Ratings:

Where2Golf has applied a rating to each golf course visited, based on the personal experiences and views of the Where2Golf team. The course ratings range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course. The ratings are based on our personal assessment of three things:

  • Quality of the golf course design and layout.  
  • Course condition and presentation. 
  • Scenic attraction of what you see beyond the course. 

The quality of the clubhouse, practice ground and associated facilities beyond the golf course are not factored into the ratings. In each rating category we highlight the top courses with a “plus” sign. In our view a 4+ course offers something in addition to a standard 4-star course, in terms of course design, conditioning or scenery beyond the course.

  • 5-PLUS: In the world’s elite - has few peers; one of our top-rated 5s!
  • 5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
  • 4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
  • 4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
  • 3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
  • 3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
  • 2-star: Reasonably okay course - if better courses not available.
  • Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
  • Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
  • Stay & Play Golf Resorts: Golf Clubs and resorts with onsite accommodation

Course type: Something about the course itself. For example:  

  • Links: a course by the sea and usually laid out amongst sand dunes. 
  • Cliff top: much of the course is set above the sea on the top of cliffs. 
  • Open parkland: inland course, with not too many trees lining the holes. 
  • Tree-lined parkland: inland course, with many tree-lined holes. 
  • Heathland: inland course, typically on sandy soil with heather or gorse lining the holes. 
  • Desert-style: inland course, occupying desert terrain, with desert shrubland lining the holes. 

Course surroundings: Something about what lies beyond the course:

  • Residential: proximity to residential housing or a suburban area.
  • Rural countryside: away from housing in a natural environment of farmland or ranchland.
  • Seaside/oceanside: adjacent to the sea, although this may not guarantee sea views! 
  • Lakeside/riverside: a sizeable lake or river provides an additional feature to the course. 
  • Desert: desert scrubland or shrubland lies beyond the course. 
  • Forest/woodland: most of the course is situated in forest or a wooded area. 

Walking the course: Something about the physical effort needed to get round the course. 

  • No effort to walk: relatively flat terrain; perhaps a few gentle gradients to climb. 
  • A few slopes to climb: some gradients could feel a bit like hard work. 
  • Several slopes to climb: some steeper or longer climbs on the way round. 
  • Tough going: hilly and/or long distances from greens to tee. Golf cart generally advisable.

Hotels:

Hotel ratings shown in the Where2Stay section are taken from published hotel guides; they are not the assessment of the Where2Golf team. In line with providing details of the best golf courses, we have attempted to provide details on some of the better hotels in the neighbourhood of the courses.

  • 5-star: excellent standard, luxury hotel. 
  • 4-star: very good all-round standard. 
  • 3-star: covers a wide-range, but should be of good quality.
  • 2-star: could be a bit basic in some areas.

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Tournaments

Tournament of Champions: the PGA Tour’s calendar-year starts, as it has done since 1999, with this iconic event in Hawaii. The field is drawn from players who won a PGA Tour event in 2022, or were amongst the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup final standings (Jan 6-9).

Desert Swing: the European (DP World) Tour launches into 2023 with three events in its UAE “Desert Swing”. Up first is the Abu Dhabi Championship (Jan 19-22), followed by the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan 26-29) and the Ras Al Kaimah Championship (Feb 2-5).

Who's Who

Kathy Whitworth: the end of 2022 saw the passing of LPGA Tour legend Kathy Whitworth. Her 88 LPGA Tour victories is more than achieved by any other golfer on either the LPGA or PGA Tours. Amongst her victories were six major championship titles.

Barry Lane: the golfing world was also saddened by the passing of Barry Lane, one of the European Tour and European Senior Tours most popular players. Enjoying success on both Tours, Lane was know for his excellent ball-striking and amiable personality.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Costa Cruise & Golf

Costa’s "Cruise & Golf" allows golfers and their families to combine a unique golfing experience with the relaxation and fun of a cruise on board Costa Smeralda. Golf enthusiasts are offered a choice from 23 top-quality golf clubs; their chosen courses are played during the ship’s port calls in Italy, France and Spain. While the golfers are driving the fairways, accompanying non-golfers are able to enjoy the amenities and activities on-board, or explore wonderful places on day excursions organised by Costa. Read more ...

Popular videos

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Pebble Beach Golf Links

Ryder Cup 2023 at Marco Simone

Woking Golf Club