GOLF published its latest ranking of Top 100 courses in the world (2025-26)and while Pine Valley again took the top spot, there were three newcomers and two returners in the rankings. Here, we will introduce you to them.
The “find sand, hire” playbook great architectbuild a great course” has been mixed in the golf industry. Many major courses of the last 25 years have come from it, but a commonality has seeped into much of today’s new product. That said, some places still rise up, where all those familiar inputs produce something unmistakable on their own, with a powerful sense of place. I’ve seen no better recent example than of Tom Doak Children’s Hall in the Texas Panhandle.
Doak is often at his best when a course’s brilliance isn’t apparent at first, and Childress fits that mold. Pacific Dunes is another Doak that takes a few rounds to fully understand – his direction, angles and constant decision-making are revealed over time. Childress Hall gives me similar feelings. Some tee shots do not feature the full landing area, and the preferred lines on short par-4s and par-5s will not be visible after one round. But that’s the point: the course’s constant demand for choice is what makes it so compelling. Combined with his amazing presentation, this strategic variety elevates Childress from “strong” to the world’s top 100.
The course sits in a sandy landscape few would associate with Texas. Its scale and contours are more reminiscent of Ireland or Tasmania than the Lone Star State. The sandy ground gives firm conditions that allow the fairway to sing and suit the club’s ethos of a single day layout that still plays remarkably differently from hole to hole. On the 325-yard opener alone, in four rounds I’ve hit everything from a 3-iron on the green to a driver wedge that came up short. In this windy region, the course varies from day to day as much as the best links, making multi-day visits a pleasure.
Doak’s architecture usually honors the land without forcing it into something it is not. Childress is crazy, sly, and an absolute dream page, and Doak matched her. It’s not brutally difficult, but it does require each player to hit shots and reward or punish accordingly. The greens follow suit: interesting and varied, with many hole locations that command respect without ever feeling contrived. Given the dramatic terrain, creating anything other than a player-friendly course for everyone would be a disservice.
I’m not always in favor of brand new builds going straight into the top 100 lists. But unless you can honestly say that many designed courses offer a better playing experience, age shouldn’t matter. Anyone who visits Childress Hall will leave with sand in their shoes, a healthy fear of missing the fairways, a greater appreciation for Doak, and agreement with his ranking. A top-100 course needs a real sense of place from the moment you arrive – and to that extent, Childress Hall is as good as anything I’ve seen in a long time.
