How this dramatic Australian course cracked the world’s top 100
GOLF has released its latest ranking of the world’s top 100 courses (2025-26), and while Pine Valley once again occupies the top spot, there are three newcomers and two returners on the list. Here we will introduce them to you.
Golf is fickle and prone to fluctuations. Golf course rankings can also be unstable. Cape Wickham opened in 2015 and debuted at number 72 in the World 100, rising to number 60 two years later but falling off the list in 2023-24. Critics of the course point to problems with the course itself, which is located on King Island between Tasmania and the Australian mainland, where breezes often intensify to Category 4 gusts. Opponents say wind is an integral part of the game. But are the conditions so great? In their minds, this went beyond character and descended into chaos.
This year, however, Wickham Point is back on the roster, driven by a vote from raters who felt any extreme breathlessness was offset by the advantages of the layout. Starting with the environment, it feels like golfing on the edge of the map, with routes opening up on seaside cliffs and offering views across Bass Strait. Cape Wickham offers a rare blend of strategy and beauty with a series of par-3s hugging the coast and a thrilling closed cape hole.
It is also thoughtfully designed for its surroundings. Paying homage to the natural environment, the fairways are wide and the greens have open fronts designed to welcome low-flying players. When the tallies came in, Cape Wickham fell right on the numbers, riding the winds of change back into the rankings.
