A glance at the criteria for evaluating our finest courses reveals that, while visual beauty is an important constituent, it is not quite so influential as others. Its value – both for individual holes and the views around it and beyond the course – counts for 15 per cent. Many golfers from a purely personal perspective would perhaps increase its weight. One of golf’s great debates is whether you would rather play a good course in a wonderful location, or a strategically excellent design in a less attractive setting. Regardless, the integrity of the Top 100 criteria has stood the test of time and rightly reflects that we all like different things.
So, what makes a beautiful golf hole? While this is naturally in the eye of the beholder, it is probably a combination of two things when it comes to golf holes. One is simply its physical
