In our November BiteSize update we bring you the “big one” – our latest World Top 100 – which not only sees a changing of the guard at the very top of the rankings, but also nine new entries. Cabot Links is our highest new entry (in at #62), it unfortunately missed inclusion in 2014 due to its youthfulness and the same will happen to its younger sibling, Cabot Cliffs, which officially opens in 2016. A few golfers have already played this Coore and Crenshaw delight, which sits atop the bluffs that overlook the Gulf of St Lawrence. Click the link above if you’d like a preview.  

Our new 2016 Britain & Ireland Top 100 is also released within this edition. This particular ranking list was the original starting point for the Top 100 website back in 2004. It’s also the ranking list that seems harder to conquer than the World Top 100. We know of only one person who has played the entire Britain & Ireland Top 100, whereas 26 people have ticked off the World hundred (including two of our direct team members). Next year, we think Brian Ward will complete the GB&I century (he has two to go), so we’ll raise a glass or two and report back when his ton is up.
  
This month we’ve also released our 2016 and 6th edition of the England Top 100 and there are six new entries that, unsurprisingly, Brian has already played. With only four left to go, Mr Ward looks odds on to complete the England Top 100 next year, so 2016 may well be a year of multiple celebrations.

Also in this edition and following on from our announcement last month, we review Scotland’s second hundred, which lists many unsung courses from the Home of Golf. We also take a look at the Ailsa’s facelift before time heals the scars.

Some of our readers will be relieved to see a change at the very top of our new world rankings. After ten years at No.1, Pine Valley stands aside and is replaced at the pinnacle of the table by Cypress Point. Shinnecock Hills jumps up two spots to No.3 and many who have been lucky enough to experience this Hampton masterpiece think it could perhaps move a little higher in the charts.

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So what’s new for 2016? Well, quite a lot actually, but Royal County Down still heads the table and St Andrews (Old) remains at No.2. However, three courses enter our Top 20 for the first time and they’re all Scottish. Castle Stuart moves up four places to 17th, Royal Aberdeen rises seven places to 18th, while its near neighbour, Trump International, jumps eleven places to 20th.

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We’re proud to reiterate that we were the first publication to produce an English Top 100 back in 2006, so this is our 6th edition and we think it’s our best ever list. Why? Because we’ve received way more input from many more contributors than ever before, and we know that the more opinions we get the better the rankings become. Read the story and prepare for the odd surprise.

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Last month we published the latest 2016 edition of our Top 100 for Scotland, we thought we’d take a close look at our golfing crystal ball to see if we could predict which of our “second hundred” Caledonian courses might make it into the top chart next time around. There may be a genuine contender that we’ve missed. If so, please tell us which course you think deserves Top 100 recognition.

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You may remember an announcement back in April stating that the Ailsa course at Trump Turnberry was to undergo “extensive but sympathetic” alterations in order to improve and enhance the resort’s reputation as a world-class golfing destination. Our Editor Jim McCann recently joined respected architect Martin Ebert and Ricky Hall (Turnberry’s Director of Golf) to have a look at what’s been done so far.

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Top 100 Golf Courses of Scotland 2016-2017 is soon to be published in Kindle format, which can be enjoyed on any device with Kindle’s free App. This latest title in the Top 100 series is jam-packed full of previously unreleased material and it includes an insight from our Editor and Scottish Correspondent, Jim McCann. In the section headed “Jim’s view”, the man who has played every layout in the Scottish hundred (and many more besides), gives his personal verdict on each course. Thousands of reviewers’ comments are also included alongside insightful course articles and photographs.