Forty years ago, the Chicago Bears ruled the NFL. Carl Lewis was the fastest man in the world. And in the golf universe, El Saler, in Valencia, Spain, has the edge over Riviera. So said GOLF’s first World Top 100 list in 1985. Times change, tastes evolve and the rankings evolve with them. Here are six other curiosities from that very first list.
The dawn of Doak
In 1985, GOLF’s rankings were overseen by a recent Cornell graduate and rising architect named Tom Doak. Today, Doak is the designer of 10 original courses in the GOLF World Top 100 – more than any other living architect.
Assign letter grades
Today, GOLF course evaluators work within numbered groups (1–3, 4–10, 11–25, and so on). Forty years ago, Doak went with what he knew: a school-like system in which graders assigned letters.
Some stunning shifts
Some things never change. Pine Valley, the top-rated course in 1985, has held that position in every ranking since. Elsewhere the realignment was dramatic. In 1985, Royal Dar es Salam in Morocco was ranked 57th, one spot ahead of National Golf Links of America, which today ranks No. 6; Royal Dar es Salam no longer appears in the Top 200. That year Pevero finished 51st in Italy, one ahead of Sunningdale Old. Today Sunningdale Old is in 22nd place. Pevero isn’t even on the ballot.
Pebble in perspective
In 1985, Pebble Beach Golf Links was ranked second in the world, sandwiched between Pine Valley and Muirfield. In the current 2025-2026 rankings, Pebble is at number 15, down one spot from two years ago.
The glow of the Golden Age
In 1985, golf courses from the Golden Age and earlier dominated the World Top 100. The highest-rated modern design was Muirfield Village, at number 20. In the 2025-2026 rankings, Muirfield Village has fallen just outside the Top 100. Golf courses from the Golden Age are still leading the way, but modern designs are now climbing higher. Of them, Sand Hills is at number 10, followed by Tara Iti at number 19.
A global representation
Golf has become more global – there’s no doubt about that. But maybe you don’t know it from the rankings. In 1985, 17 countries were in the World Top 100. Today? Sixteen. And eight countries represented in 1985 – Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico and Morocco – no longer have a single course on the list. Meanwhile, seven countries in the Top 100 2025-2026 were not ranked first: China, Korea, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and St. Lucia.
When the tour stops carried more weight
PGA Tour locations once had a more prominent place on the list. GOLF’s architecture enthusiasts now view much of it through a different lens. Regular Tour stops include Pebble Beach and Riviera. But gone include Bay Hill, Butler National, Doral, Firestone and Harbor Town.
#surprising #facts #GOLFs #World #Top #rankings