Golf World has released a brand-new ranking that recognises resorts in Continental Europe and the UK & Ireland where exceptional golf meets equally exceptional hospitality.
The inaugural Golf World Top 100 Luxe Resorts Europe was compiled by Chris Bertram, Golf World Top 100 Courses and Resorts Editor, alongside an expert panel, who marked the resorts out of maximum score of 100 using criteria that judged venues on a combination of four criteria – Course (35 marks); Accommodation (35), Amenities (20), and Setting (10).
The top billing for the inaugural ranking was shared between a former and a future Ryder Cup venue in Gleneagles and Adare Manor, both of which scored 95 points out of a possible 100.
Adare Manor, venue for the 2027 Ryder Cup, scored a maximum 35 points for its accommodation offering, while Gleneagles, host of the Ryder Cup in 2014, only dropped one point from the maximum for both its course and its accommodation, while both scored 8/10 for their setting.
Rounding out the top 10, in ranking order, with scores of 92-89, are Castiglion del Bosco, Finca Cortesin, Verdura, Camiral, Costa Navarino, Terre Blanche, Turnberry and Sotogrande.
Castiglion del Bosco, located on a wine estate in Tuscany, scored the maximum points for its accommodation, as did Finca Cortesin in Spain and Turnberry in Scotland.
Other notable entries include Old Head in Kinsale, which ranked 18th with 87 points, but scored a maximum 10 points for its setting, while San Domenico in Italy, which placed 15th, scored top marks for its accommodation offering.
Trump Doonbeg (25th) and Trump Aberdeen (32nd) both scored 34/35 for their course offering, but dropped points when it came to amenities, with both registering 11/20 in that category.
Commenting on the launch of the new ranking, Chris Bertram said: “Top 100 Luxe Resorts Europe is seeking to recognise the resorts with a touch of extra class. Where the golf is important – and note that it is still the joint-most influential category in the marks – but where the accommodation and general ambiance is as big a consideration.”
“Because I’m imagining less golf will be played on the sort of breaks this Top 100 is intended to inform, the ‘Courses’ mark refers only to the best course at each resort. Additional holes had no impact, and thus that is very good news for single-course resorts who feel hard done by in the usual resort rankings, when having multiple courses is rewarded.”
He added: “While we have in the past featured resorts only in Continental Europe, this Luxe listing also features Great Britain and Ireland as I wanted the resorts to have a ‘luxe’ feel all the way down to 100. Combining these regions means that some big names either miss out altogether or are ranked in the 80s and 90s.”
Golf World Top 100 Luxe Resorts Europe is featured in the latest edition of Today’s Golfer magazine, which is available in the shops now.