Forty years ago, the Chicago Bears ruled the NFL. Carl Lewis was the fastest man alive. And in the golf universe, El Saler, in Valencia, Spain, ranks ahead of Riviera. So said the inauguration of GOLF World Top 100 list in 1985. Times change, tastes evolve and rankings evolve with them. Here are six more curiosities from that first list.
Dawn of Doak
In 1985, the GOLF ranking was overseen by a recent Cornell graduate and rising architect named Tom Doak. Today, Doak is the designer of 10 original courses in GOLF’s Top 100 – more than any other living architect.
Assigning letter grades
Today, GOLF course evaluators work within numbered buckets (1–3, 4–10, 11–25, and so on). Forty years ago, Doak went with what he knew: a school-style system in which evaluators assigned letter grades.
Some amazing shifts
Some things never change. Valley of the Pinesthe top-rated course in 1985, has held that position in every ranking since. Elsewhere, the reorganization has been dramatic. In 1985, Royal Dar es Salam in Morocco was ranked No. 57, one place ahead of National Golf Links of America, which today sits at No. 6; Royal Dar es Salam now does not make the Top 200. That year, Pevero, in Italy, was ranked 51st, one ahead of Sunningdale Old. Today, Sunningdale Old is 22nd. Pevero is not even on the ballot.
Pebble in perspective
In 1985, Pebble Beach Golf Links was ranked second in the world, located between Pine Valley and Muirfield. In the current 2025–2026 rankings, Pebble sits at No. 15, down one spot from two years ago.
The splendor of the Golden Age
In 1985, courses from the Golden Age and earlier dominated the world’s top 100. The highest-rated modern design was Muirfield Village, at number 20. In the 2025–2026 rankings, Muirfield Village has slipped slightly out of the top 100. Golden Age courses still lead the way, but higher design now. Of them, Sand hills ranks highest at number 10, followed by Tara Iti at number 19.
A Global Representation
Golf has become more global – no doubt about it. But you might not know it from the ranking. In 1985, 17 countries appeared in the Top 100. Today? Sixteen. And eight countries represented in 1985 – Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico and Morocco – no longer have a single course on the list. Meanwhile, seven countries in the 2025–2026 Top 100 did not appear in the inaugural ranking: China, Korea, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Saint Lucia.
When the tournament stops there is more weight
PGA Tour venues used to hold a more prominent place on the list. Fans of GOLF’s architecture now see many of them through a different lens. Among the tour’s regular stops, Pebble Beach and the Riviera remain. But gone are Bay Hill, Butler National, Doral, Firestone and Harbor Town.
