In earlier days, golf courses used to predominantly be a place where golfers used to play. Nowadays, apart from them being a setting for various tournaments, they have also become excellent tourist attractions. Some of the best golf courses in the world are mentioned as below:

1. Cape Kidnappers (New Zealand) – The ravines and sloping greens make Cape Kidnappers, designed by Tom Doak, an American architect a challenging course indeed. Actually, this course has been built on a 2000-hectare sheep farm and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

2. Royal County Down (Northern Ireland) – Royal County Down is known for two things – 1) The 7th and the 12th par, which seem to be the toughest of them all, and 2) The scenic setting of this course overlooking the Irish Sea.

3. Pebble Beach (United States) – Douglas Grant and Jack Neville have designed this course by the Pacific Coast. In fact, the beauty of this course has left Jack Nicklaus wanting for another round in this course.

4. Leopard Creek (South Africa) – Located not too far away from the Kruger National Park, the Leopard Creek gets you as close to the nature as you can get. Playing golf is one thing, but you may also want to keep an eye on the elephants and tigers who move about with gay abandon in this area.

5. Green Monkey (Barbados) – The Green Monkey may be known for the zigzag nature of the course, but most importantly, it is known for the notorious 9th and 16th par.

6. Turnberry (Scotland) – Turnberry in Ayrshire belongs to the rich heritage and tradition of golf that Scotland is so known for. If reports are to be believed, Turnberry will play host to the British Open next year.

7. Valderrama (Spain) – Inaugurated in 1985, Valderrama is known for its breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

8. St. Andrews Old Course (Scotland) – Established in early 1300, the St Andrews is considered to be one of the oldest and one of the most challenging 18-hole golf courses in the World.

9. Augusta National Golf Club (United States) – Augusta Masters is played at the Augusta National Golf Club. The course is not a difficult one at all, but some editions in the recent past have been marred by inclement weather, which makes conditions challenging for players.

10. Ballybunion (Ireland) – This course offers fascinating views of the cliffs and the sand dunes by the Atlantic.

This really is not it. You have plenty of other golf courses across the world that will take your golf playing experience to a completely new level.