The world’s best golf course has just been named (and it’s not what you’d expect)

Sorry, Augusta National. Hard lines, Pebble Beach. Maybe next time, St Andrews.

The world’s best golf course has just been crowned and it’s not one of the aforementioned big three.

In fact, we reckon we could give you one hundred guesses and you’d still not get it.

We’ll get to the winner in due course. First, a bit of context.

The announcement was made at the 11th World Golf Awards, staged in Madeira earlier this week.

Launched in 2014, the event is the sister organisation of the World Travel Awards and “aims to drive up standards within the golf tourism industry by rewarding the organisations that are leaders in their field”.

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Votes are cast by professionals working within the golf industry and by the golf-playing public.

The prize-giving ceremony at the Savoy Palace marked the climax of a two-day golf itinerary sampling the best of Madeira’s golf courses, with the Portuguese archipelago’s growing status as a golf hub reinforced by winning ‘World’s Best Emerging Golf Destination’.

However, it was another Portuguese course that was the big winner on the night.

The Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta, situated an hour south of Lisbon, scooped a hat-trick of gongs, including the coveted honour of ‘World’s Best Golf Course’.

Acclaimed architect David McLay-Kidd’s first golf design project in mainland Europe was also named ‘Europe’s Best Golf Course’ and ‘Europe’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’.

The accolades come just 13 months after the layout officially opened to widespread acclaim in October 2023.

Rodrigo Ulrich, director of golf at Terras da Comporta, said: “We knew The Dunas Course was going to be something special and it’s incredible to see what we have achieved in such a short space of time, with people travelling from all over the world to play the course.

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“The reaction and feedback that we receive from everyone that visits is amazing and the great thing is that The Dunas is only going to get better as it matures. It’s been a meteoric rise to the top and we couldn’t be any prouder to win three such prestigious awards.”

Chris Frost, managing director of the World Golf Awards, said: “It’s very impressive for any golf course to win three awards and everyone at Terras da Comporta should be congratulated on their fine achievement.

“It’s rare for a golf course to make such a big impact in a short space of time as The Dunas has. It is the course that is on everyone’s lips at the moment and it already has a golf following all over the world.”

The Dunas Course is the first of two 18-hole championship courses that will open at Terras da Comporta with the second, The Torre Course, set to be unveiled next summer.

Designed by Sergio Garcia, the Torre will be the first major layout that the European Ryder Cup legend has held overall design responsibility for.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor