Courses not all they seem

Lack of exposure and lack of yardage may be factors, but, overall, one is forced to conclude that lists of leading courses are largely arbitrary. If proof were needed, it is to be found in the latest offering from Golf World of Britain and Ireland's 100 best courses.

Four Irish links courses - Donegal, Enniscrone, Ballybunion Cashen and Tralee - have gone from the list, so reducing the country's overall representation to only 18, which is highly questionable.

But the staging of the British Amateur and the Senior British Open in successive years was clearly beneficial to Royal Co Down, along with the awarding of the 2002 American Express Championship to Mount Juliet.

Designer Peter McEvoy, writing in Golf World, observed: "Many courses which used to be considered as good, have had to be remodelled to upgrade themselves. The game has changed so much."

Condition should also be a key element. So, given The K Club's profile as the venue for the 2005 Ryder Cup and the annual Smurfit European Open, one assumes that its modest rise from 98th to 89th can be attributed to negative perceptions about the greens. But, if this were true, Loch Lomond, with its obvious drainage problems, wouldn't be at number three.

Fota Island, an absentee altogether, may be expected to make the list after it stages next year's Murphy's Irish Open. But the absence of the Old Head of Kinsale is quite ridiculous, as is the non-appearance of Adare Manor, which was in beautiful condition for last month's staging of the Women's World Cup. On the other hand, the Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin is a welcome newcomer at 64th.

During the Irish Open at Ballybunion, a group of British golf writers travelled up to Tralee and, after being treated royally by the club, were glowing in praise of the Barrow stretch. One can only assume that none of them was on the Golf World panel.

Incidentally, the nine Irish panellists were: Jack Lynch (chairman, Munster Branch GUI), Michael McCummiskey (PGA Irish Region), Paddy Murphy (president, GUI), Michael O'Donoghue (chairman, Connacht Branch), Ronan Rafferty, Pat Ruddy, Lindsay Shanks (chairman, Ulster Branch), Theresa Thompson (secretary ILGU) and Joe Carr.

The top-10 are: 1 Muirfield; 2 Royal Co Down (up two places); 3 Loch Lomond; 4 Turnberry; 5 Royal Birkdale; 6 Ballybunion Old (no change); 7 Portmarnock (up four); 8 St Andrews; 9 Royal Dornoch; 10 Royal Portrush (down two). Next best-placed Irish courses are - 21 Waterville (no change); 27 Co Louth (down two); 28 The European Club (up 14) and 35 Mount Juliet (up eight).