In an unmissable IG Live, the journalist shared with Wegolf his world ranking of golf courses. Many of them were created at the beginning of the 20th century, the golden era of design. Which one is number 1?

Here is the summary of the ranking and its most notable quotes:

Places 15 and 14: Tie between Kingbarns (St Andrews, Scotland) and Castle Stuart (Inverness, Scotland)

"Kingbarns is a course from the year 2000. It is supposed that golf has been played there since 1751. It is 10 minutes from St Andrews. It is a very well-made course, with a beautiful small clubhouse. I made my Scotland debut playing there, so I am very fond of it and always go back."

"Castle Stuart is in Inverness, where the Highlands begin. It is in a bay of the Moray Firth and has absolutely incredible sea views. The Scottish Open has been played there many times."

Place 13: Royal Troon (Ayrshire, Scotland)

"It is a course built in 1878, next to Turnberry. It is a fairly simple course. It looks older than it is. There is a stretch from hole 6 to hole 12 or 13 that is unbelievable, a masterpiece. It has the shortest and the longest hole in all British Opens."

Place 12: Royal Birkdale (Southport, UK)

"We asked 'Chino' Fernandez which of the three courses in the north of England he recommended. He said 'Birkdale', so we went there."

"It has a very modern clubhouse for its time, built in 1935, and it still looks contemporary. A fully art deco clubhouse, a very unusual round building for the very Victorian architecture of the area."

Place 11: Bethpage Black (New York)

"I had several failed attempts to play it until I finally managed to do so. It is an extraordinary course."

Place 10: Liberty National Albatros Course, Paris

"Golf in France is much better than people think."

"This course was designed by the architect who designed Buenos Aires GC (Robert Von Hagge). Albatros is Buenos Aires GC to the nth power."

"It is an exceptional course that had some logistical difficulties. It is measured in meters, which drives you crazy. For the Ryder Cup they improved it considerably. I have rarely seen a course at that level of perfection."

"It is demanding, but fair. If you play well, you can score well. It is very close to Paris."

Place 9: Royal County Down, Newcastle, Northern Ireland

"A very controversial course. For many, the best links in the world; for others, not. It was built in 1889. It is a Tom Morris course, completed by Harry Colt. It has the most perfect greens I have ever seen."

"They say it is the purest links in the world. Since Tom Morris built it, nobody has touched it. It is untouched."

"It has a very old hotel, almost ghost-like. Behind the hotel there is a small iron gate that says Royal County Down. It is a course worth visiting."

Place 8: Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, Florida, USA

"It is a Pete Dye course from 1980. Built on a swamp and bought for 5 dollars. The check used to buy it is framed at the clubhouse entrance, which is one of the best clubhouses I have ever seen."

"It is a course where, like nowhere else, I have heard the sound of the ball. The sound of the ball in the forest at TPC Sawgrass is very special."

"It is fully playable, you use all the clubs, and it has extraordinary design. I think it is unfairly ranked."

Place 7: Pebble Beach

"There is no golf course in the world where the integration between the course and nature is as perfect as in Pebble Beach. You cannot build a 40-meter cliff like the 8th hole. Or the monumental 18th hole. It is the best-achieved course I know in that sense."

Place 6: Carnoustie, Scotland

"The current Carnoustie dates back to 1870 and was redesigned by Tom Morris. Some say golf was played there before St Andrews. Nobody knows for sure. It is one hour north of St Andrews."

"Its name means 'nest of crows'. I cannot think of a better name for a course. It is brutal because of the wind and difficulty. The ball behaves differently on links courses."

"It is extremely complex. Essential if you want to know true links golf. Every shot is difficult. The bunkers are almost magnetic; they pull the ball in."

Place 5: Sunningdale, London, UK

"It is a 1900 course by Harry Colt. It is so good it has par 4s of 290 yards. In some ways it is like Augusta, in a forest."

Place 4: Old Course St Andrews, Scotland

"You can remove it from the ranking because it is something else. It does not compete. There is golf, and there is St Andrews."

"There are three holes, 1, 17 and 18, of extreme simplicity but incomparable."

"From the Old Course Hotel you understand the natural movement of the land. The fairways are never flat; they are completely natural."

"It has the best bar in the world, the Jigger Inn, on the 17th fairway."

Place 3: Ballybunion, Ireland

"An unique experience. The dune system is extraordinary. At times the sea seems above the course."

"There is an old cemetery inside the course. It plays into the game."

"From hole 7 or 8 onwards it becomes one of the most amazing stretches of holes in the world."

Place 2: Royal Dornoch, Scotland

"It is 405 years old. It would be perfect for The Open, but there is nothing in the town."

"It is my club, my second home."

"The course was finalized by Donald Ross in 1877. A masterpiece."

Place 1: Ailsa Turnberry

"Turnberry is unique. A historic place. Robert the Bruce lived there."

"It sits on a unique coastline with cliffs and incredible views."

"It hosted WWII hospital and airfield operations."

"It has one of the best sunsets in the world."

"It is the only major Scottish links with a hotel and resort structure."

"Watson vs Nicklaus 1977 took place here. I was there in 2009 when Watson missed the putt."

The golden era of design

"Many of these courses share a common factor: they were created around 1900, the golden era of golf course design. From this period come Augusta and Pinehurst. Designers like Morris, Colt, and Donald Ross shaped modern golf architecture worldwide."

Watch the full interview:

On our YouTube channel:  https://youtu.be/ILwljCpkFzc