Cabot Links in Nova Scotia garners ‘Top 100’ honour from Golf Digest

The Globe and Mail
January 9, 2014

Golf Digest has expanded its “Top 100” list to include courses worldwide, only that didn’t change anything at the top.

Pine Valley claimed the No. 1 ranking in the inaugural “World 100 Greatest Courses” list that appears in the February issues available in print next week. The magazine had the top three courses in America (Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Augusta National), with Royal County Down in Northern Ireland at No. 4.

Shinnecock Hills was at No. 5.

The ranking was determined by 846 people from the magazine’s U.S. Course Ranking panel, from panelists that work with Golf Digest’s 27 international editions and other selected golfers.

Forty courses from the top 100 were in America. Golf Digest said America has 46 per cent of all the world’s golf courses.

Rounding out the top 10 were Royal Dornoch in Scotland, St. Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Melbourne and Oakmont.

St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto is the top ranked course in Canada coming in at No. 30.

“An outstanding Stanley Thompson design routed through forest-covered glacial land, with meandering fairways that diagonally traverse valleys and greens perched on domes,” said Golf Digest. “The putting surfaces are tightly bunkered and full of hidden undulations. These are considered some of Thompson’s best bunkers, thanks in part to Canadian architect Ian Andrew, who supervised their rebuilding over a five-year period, highlighting their sweeping lines and graceful movements.”

Cabot Links in Inverness, Nova Scotia, comes in at No. 42 despite being open less than two years.

“Call it Canada’s Portmarnock, though Ireland has no match for Cabot’s postcard par-4 11th, a dogleg-left around a tidal yacht basin,” writes Golf Digest.

National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ont., which has been named the top golf course in Canada by ScoreGolf in 2010 and 2012, landed at No. 61 on the Golf Digest list with Hamilton Golf and Country Club rounding out the Canadian list at No. 98.