The Ryder Cup has been hosted at some truly iconic golf courses in its history. The illustrious event has visited some of the finest links layouts in the UK and Ireland, as well as the most challenging championship tracks in America.
When the 44th iteration of the event tees off at the Marco Simone course in Rome later this month, it will become the 38th course to host the team event.
So, with that in mind, the GolfMagic editorial team have looked back through the history books to select the five best courses to have ever hosted the famous cup.
Architect: Old Tom Morris, Harry Colt, Tom Sampson
Hosted: 1973
One of Scotland's finest links courses, Muirfield is, in our eyes, the best course to have ever hosted the Ryder Cup.
The historic home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield places a real emphasis on accurate driving, with both penal rough and bunkering providing little room for error.
Highly regarded for its two-loop layout, the course features one nine that runs clockwise and one that runs anti-clockwise, presenting golfers with an excellent variety of both views and wind conditions.
The course is always kept in outstanding condition, and with only one blind tee shot, everything is played out in front of you.
Widely regarded as the fairest Open test on the rota, in the 1973 Ryder Cup, the US team found it much fairer than Great Britain and Ireland, running out comfortable winners 19-13.
Architect: Donald Ross, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Gil Hanse
Hosted: 2004
Regarded as one of the best courses in America, Oakland Hills hosted the 2004 Ryder Cup, when the European Team crushed Team USA by 18 1/2 points to 9 1/2, Europe's largest-ever winning margin in the history of the event.
The original Donald Ross design, which was remodelled by Robert Trent Jones to mixed reviews, has undergone a recent refurb courtesy of Gil Hanse, and the finished product is superb.
With newly expanded greens and the shifting of bunkers to match the original design, the new layout was received so well by the USGA that it was named the host of both the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Opens.
While the course offers fairly gentle elevation changes from tee to green, the heavy bunkering and tree-lined fairways provide more than enough obstacles to be overcome, proving a tough but fair test for even the best golfers in the world.
Architect: George Lowe, Fred G. Hawtree, J. H. Taylor, Fred W. Hawtree, Martin Hawtree
Hosted: 1965, 1969
One of England's premier links courses, Royal Birkdale, has had the honour of hosting the Ryder Cup on two separate occasions in 1965 and 1969.
The beautiful Dunes of Southport frame each hole magnificently, thanks to the Hawtree and Taylor design that routes each hole through the dunes rather than over them.
The course has also hosted The Open on ten different occasions, with the most recent being in 2017 when Jordan Spieth secured a dramatic victory, having visited every corner of the course.
An exceptional test for golfers of all abilities, the layout will challenge and delight in equal measure thanks to its superb conditioning and outstanding design.
One of the most famous and historic courses in America, Pinehurst No.2 has hosted almost every notable championship that takes place on U.S. soil, including, of course, the 1951 Ryder Cup.
Interestingly, back in '51 the event was played on Friday and Sunday, so both players and spectators could enjoy a college football game on Saturday between North Carolina and Tennessee.
America emerged victorious by a margin of 9 1/2 to 2 1/2, with the British team consisting of Fred Daly and Dai Rees heading back across the pond with their tails between their legs.
The course itself is a Donald Ross masterpiece that was first opened in 1907, featuring legendary greens that have been known to reduce grown men to tears.
With large sandy waste areas hugging the pine tree-lined fairways, Pinehurst No. 2 offers exceptional character and one of the best tests of golf anywhere in the world.
This absolutely beastly Pete Dye design hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, which would famously go on to be remembered as the 'War on the Shore.'
The modern links layout opened in 1991, just months before it hosted the '91 Ryder Cup, and it was an outstanding match play venue, with risk and reward around every corner.
Played along a slender and sandy strip of the island's east coast, the 7,800-yard brute is characterised by small elevated greens and vast waste areas surrounding the tabletop fairways.
Having also hosted both the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championship, Kiawah Island has serious major pedigree and is widely regarded as one of the hardest courses in the world.
The 1991 Ryder Cup famously came down to one 6-foot putt for Europe to retain the cup, but unfortunately, Bernhard Langer missed the target, and Team USA walked away victorious.
Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
