GOLF has released its latest rankings of the 100 Best Golf Courses in the World (2025-2026), and while Pine Valley once again took the top spot, there were three newcomers and two returnees to the rankings. Here we introduce you to them.
Golf is fickle and subject to fluctuations. Golf course rankings can also be volatile. Opened in 2015, Cape Wickham debuted at number 72 on the World Top 100 and rose to 60 two years later, but fell off the list in 2023-2024. Critics of the course pointed to problems with the location itself, on King Island between Tasmania and mainland Australia, where winds often whip up to four-club gusts. Wind is an integral part of the game, naysayers said. But the conditions are so stormy? That, in their opinion, pushed beyond character and into chaos.
This year, however, Cape Wickham has been blown back onto the roster, buoyed by ballots from reviewers who felt any extreme huffing and puffing was more than offset by the layout’s strengths. Start with the setting, which feels like waves at the edge of the map, the route opening on coastal cliffs and views of Bass Strait all around. Add to that a collection of coastal par 3s and a closing capehole that invites adventure, and Cape Wickham delivered a rare blend of strategy and beauty.
It was also created because of the environment. In a nod to the elements, the fairways are generous and the greens have an open front, built to welcome low-flying approaches. When the votes were counted, Cape Wickham landed right on the number and returned to the rankings through the winds of change.
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