How Point Hardy Golf Club cracked our list of the 100 best golf courses in the world

GOLF released its latest ranking of the World’s Top 100 Golf Courses (2023-24), and while Pine Valley once again claimed the top spot, eight newcomers found their way into the rankings. Here we present them to you.

Newcomer in the spotlight: Point Hardy Golf Club / Rank: 76

Location: Cap Estate, Saint Lucia
Play:Resort
architect: Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, 2023

Why it made our list according to one reviewer:

In this Instagram world, given the truly incredible landscape, one might assume that style is more important than substance. Do not worry about it. The last five holes play like a greatest hits album. Fun and challenge galore. The 14th is one of the better Coore/Crenshaw par-5s I’ve ever played; 15 and 16 are a compelling short par-4 and a heroic par-3, respectively. Seventeen is a stunner, and 18 belongs in the discussion of the top 5 closing holes in the world. There are some pretty extreme climbs in places, but that’s a criticism. It’s no surprise that Point Hardy is on the list. —Simon Holt

You can view Point Hardy Golf Club’s Top 100 Golf Courses page here.

More about Point Hardy Golf Club

Point Hardy’s dramatic location on the rugged northern end of St. Lucia almost has to be seen to be believed. The last four greens on the front are on the cliffs, as are the last five greens on the back nine. The course’s most dazzling moments are found within these 9 holes, including the diagonal tee shot over the sea at holes 8 and 15 and the challenging nature of several par-3 holes, such as the 7th, with its long but narrow green at one point and the 17, which plays from a point above the choppy Atlantic Ocean 80 feet down to a clifftop green. The inner holes are about 200 feet above sea level. In fact, from the 4th tee you can see the Caribbean directly in front of you while the Atlantic lies behind you. Coore & Crenshaw also created several powerful two-hitters for the interior holes, which require imaginative ground game approaches that perfectly balance the aerial demands of the cliff holes. Add to that the chunky fairways and coastal breezes and this design raises a host of intriguing questions, all wrapped up in an exotic island setting. – Ran Morrissett

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Publisher

Josh Berhow is managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated from Minnesota State University in Mankato with a degree in journalism. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.