The Links at Fancourt and Leopard Creek are both included in Golf Digest’s 2020 ranking of the World’s Top 100 Courses outside the United States.
The Links, which is No 1 in South Africa, comes in at No 56, and Leopard Creek at No 69. They are the only South African courses on this prestige global ranking which embraces 20 different countries.
Leopard Creek is currently not featured in the SA Top 100, only because it is being re-rated following its major upgrade which was completed in 2018. There was also a re-turfing project undertaken to improve year-round playability, general course condition and resource management. The course has been growing in since then. Leopard Creek will return to the SA Top 100 this year.
Both The Links and Leopard Creek slipped down the world rankings from their 2018 positions of 38 and 65 respectively, while Durban Country Club, which was No 96, has sadly dropped out.
There are 21 Southern Hemisphere courses in the Golf Digest World Top 100, with Australia having 13 representatives, New Zealand six, and South Africa two. Europe has 45 courses, Asia 19, and North and Central America (not the USA) a total of 15.
Golf Digest’s top 20:
First Ten
1/ Royal County Down (Northern Ireland)
2/ Tara Iti (New Zealand)
3/ Muirfield (Scotland)
4/ Royal Dornoch (Scotland)
5/ Royal Melbourne West (Australia)
6/ Old Course St Andrews (Scotland)
7/ Morfontaine (France)
8/ Royal Portrush (Northern Ireland)
9/ South Cape Owners Club (South Korea)
10/ Trump Turnberry (Scotland)
Second Ten
11/ Cabot Cliffs (Canada)
12/ Kingston Heath (Australia)
13/ Hirono (Japan)
14/ Shanqin Bay (China)
15/ Sunningdale Old (England)
16/ Barnbougle Dunes (Australia)
17/ Ballybunion (Ireland)
18/ The Club at Nine Bridges (South Korea)
19/ Ellerston (Australia)
20/ Carnoustie (Scotland).
Southern Hemisphere Rankings
(World ranking in brackets)
1/ Tara Iti, New Zealand (2)
2/ Royal Melbourne West, Australia (5)
3/ Kingston Heath, Australia (12)
4/ Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania (16)
5/ Ellerston, Australia (19)
6/ Cape Wickham Links, Australia (21)
7/ Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand (22)
8/ Royal Melbourne East, Australia (23)
9/ New South Wales, Australia (33)
10/ Kauri Cliffs, New Zealand (43)
11/ Jack’s Point, New Zealand (44)
12/ Barnbougle Lost Farm, Tasmania (47)
13/ Fancourt Links, South Africa (56)
14/ Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand (65)
15/ Leopard Creek, South Africa (69)
16/ Victoria, Australia (73)
17/ Metropolitan, Australia (79)
18/ Royal Adelaide, Australia (80)
19/ St Andrews Beach, Australia (91)
20/ Kinloch, New Zealand (94)
21/ The National, Australia (97)
