Golf Courses Links
Rank 12
Muirfield
The purest championship links test in East Lothian—Colt’s returning nines that turn the wind against you twice, with visitor days scarce enough to stay a true destination.
Photograph by Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Geograph, resized
Why it is here
Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Courses 2026–27 ranks Muirfield No. 3 outside the United States (May 20, 2026), behind only Royal County Down and St Andrews Old. GOLF Magazine’s 2025–26 World Top 100 (GOLF.com, 19 Nov 2025) places it No. 11 worldwide; Golfweek’s Best 2026 International ranks it No. 4 outside the U.S. (24 Mar 2026). Those three independent panels lock Muirfield as a non-negotiable East Lothian pilgrimage for serious players, not a resort amenity round.
Who it is for
Scratch-minded travelers who can secure a limited visitor day and want Open-rota links strategy over spa-and-cart luxury.
Sources
- World's 100 Greatest Courses: 2026-2027Muirfield ranked No. 3 on World's 100 Greatest Courses 2026–27 (outside the U.S.).
- Top 100 Courses in the World 2025-26Muirfield ranked No. 11 worldwide on GOLF Magazine's 2025–26 World Top 100.
- Golfweek's Best 2026 top 100 international courses outside U.S.Muirfield ranked No. 4 internationally (score 8.65) outside the United States.
