10 Best Golf Courses In The World

5. Carnoustie

Like St Andrews, Carnoustie is one of the most famous golf courses in Scotland and one of the oldest in the world. However, while St Andrews was included in this list for its traditions and the overall status of the course, Carnousite rates at number five for its difficulty.

Based on the east coast of Scotland, the course is famous for being the setting of Jean van de Velde's infamous Open Championship collapse in 1999, with the Frenchman failing to close out the tournament despite occupying a three-shot lead heading into the final hole. Such a score on any of Carnoustie's 18 holes is an isolated occurrence but low rounds are rare.

The course is situated next to the North Sea, meaning that any adverse conditions, such as wind or rain, are often intensified to leave shooting a respectable score an almost impossible task.

Over the years, the lowest winning score for The Open has been nine-under, but in four of the seven tournaments, an over-par score has been good enough for victory.