Ryder Cup Venues Ranked
The biennial Ryder Cup matches have graced some of golf's most celebrated courses since 1927, creating an unparalleled legacy across two continents. These twenty-five championship layouts have witnessed the sport's greatest team battles, from crushing defeats to miraculous victories that have defined professional golf's most coveted team trophy. Each venue stands as a testament to architectural excellence and competitive drama.
For comprehensive rankings of these legendary venues, explore our detailed analyses: Best European Ryder Cup Venues, Best USA Ryder Cup Venues, and the complete Top 25 Ryder Cup Venues ranking.
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The Ryder Cup - Golf's Ultimate Stage
What began as a friendly competition between American and British professionals has transformed into the sport's most intense team rivalry. The inclusion of continental Europeans in 1979 revolutionised the matches, creating the modern era's nail-biting contests that have elevated these courses to legendary status in golf history.
1. Muirfield - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
Hosted: 1973 | Final Score: USA 19-13
Home to The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, established in 1744 as golf's oldest verifiable club, Muirfield broke new ground as Scotland's first Ryder Cup host. The East Lothian links, originally crafted by Old Tom Morris in 1891 and masterfully redesigned by Harry Colt in 1925, presented a formidable test that featured the competition's inaugural hole-in-one.
2. Oakland Hills Country Club - South Course
Hosted: 2004 | Final Score: Europe 18½-9½
Michigan's Oakland Hills delivered European golf's most emphatic victory on American soil during the 35th matches. Donald Ross's 1918 masterpiece proved the perfect stage for Bernhard Langer's tactical brilliance, as Europe dominated from start to finish in what became a watershed moment for international team golf.
3. Pinehurst Resort No. 2
Hosted: 1951 | Final Score: USA 9½-2½
The North Carolina Sandhills witnessed American supremacy at its peak when Ben Hogan and Sam Snead's powerhouse squad demolished Great Britain. Donald Ross's crown jewel, which he proclaimed his "fairest championship test," provided the backdrop for one-sided matches that epitomised the pre-European era's competitive imbalance.
4. Bethpage State Park - Black Course
Upcoming: 2025
A.W. Tillinghast's 1936 municipal masterpiece will make history as New York's second Ryder Cup host, representing public golf's highest achievement. The Long Island layout's democratic accessibility and championship pedigree embody American golf's inclusive spirit while promising to challenge the world's elite.
5. Oak Hill Country Club - East Course
Hosted: 1995 | Final Score: Europe 14½-13½
Rochester's Donald Ross gem witnessed European hearts breaking American dreams when Philip Walton's nerveless final-hole performance secured continental glory. The New York venue's tree-lined majesty has welcomed every major championship, cementing its status among America's most versatile championship tests.
6. Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Hosted: 1961, 1977 | Final Scores: USA 14½-9½, USA 12½-7½
Lancashire's railway-flanked links earned Bernard Darwin's immortal description as "a beast of a course, but a just beast." Royal Lytham & St Annes twice watched American dominance in the twilight years before European inclusion, with the 1977 matches marking the final Great Britain & Ireland contest.
7. Ganton Golf Club
Hosted: 1949 | Final Score: USA 7-5
Yorkshire's heathland jewel showcased Ben Hogan's post-accident resilience as American captain while delivering Britain's closest challenge of the immediate post-war period. The inland links hybrid, blessed with North Sea characteristics, demonstrated championship golf's finest architectural principles during September's dramatic conclusion.
8. Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Hosted: 1965, 1969 | Final Scores: USA 19½-12½, Tied 16-16
Southport's towering dunes provided the stage for sportsmanship's defining moment when Jack Nicklaus conceded Tony Jacklin's crucial putt, creating the competition's first deadlock. Royal Birkdale established the template for gracious competition that continues to influence modern matches.
9. Whistling Straits - Straits Course
Hosted: 2021 | Final Score: USA 19-9
Wisconsin's manufactured links delivered America's most comprehensive modern triumph, with Lake Michigan's winds witnessing Dustin Johnson's historic perfect record. Pete Dye's artificial seaside creation proved that manufactured drama could match natural theatre in producing unforgettable championship moments.
10. Real Club Valderrama
Hosted: 1997 | Final Score: Europe 14½-13½
Andalusia's cork oak-lined masterpiece shattered geographical barriers as the first continental host, with Seve Ballesteros orchestrating European triumph on Spanish soil. Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s precision-demanding layout proved the perfect canvas for continental golf's coming-of-age celebration.
11. Walton Heath Golf Club
Hosted: 1981 | Final Score: USA 18½-9½
Surrey's emergency host delivered American dominance when construction delays forced a venue change from The Belfry. Walton Heath's heathland classic's strategic challenges couldn't prevent the United States' commanding performance during Europe's transitional period following continental inclusion.
12. Kiawah Island Golf Resort - Ocean Course
Hosted: 1991 | Final Score: USA 14½-13½
South Carolina's windswept peninsula created the "War by the Shore," where Bernhard Langer's missed putt on the final green handed America victory in golf's most tension-filled conclusion. Pete Dye's oceanside links established the template for dramatic match finishes.
13. The Country Club - Brookline
Hosted: 1999 | Final Score: USA 14½-13½
Massachusetts witnessed the "Miracle of Brookline" when Justin Leonard's impossible 45-foot putt sparked America's greatest comeback from a seemingly hopeless position. The historic Boston-area venue proved that championship golf's oldest venues could still produce modern magic.
14. Scioto Country Club
Hosted: 1931 | Final Score: USA 9-3
Ohio's sweltering heat intensified American dominance during the competition's fourth edition, establishing patterns of home-soil success that would define early matches.
15. Olympic Club - Lake Course
Future Host: 2033
San Francisco's fog-shrouded challenge will bring Pacific Coast golf to the international stage, promising that California's unique coastal conditions will test the world's finest players. Returning to California for the first time since 1959 (Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells), the Ryder Cup's return to the West Coast at the Olympic Club will be marvellous.
16. Muirfield Village Golf Club
Hosted: 1987 | Final Score: Europe 15-13
Jack Nicklaus's Ohio tribute to Scottish Muirfield backfired spectacularly when Europe claimed their first American victory on the Golden Bear's home course. The designer-captain's strategic masterpiece couldn't prevent Tony Jacklin's tactical triumph in this watershed European success.
17. Ridgewood Country Club
Hosted: 1935 | Final Score: USA 9-3
New Jersey's parkland test restored American confidence following Great Britain's 1933 breakthrough, demonstrating home advantage during the competition's pre-war consolidation period.
18. Medinah Country Club No. 3
Hosted: 2012 | Final Score: Europe 14½-13½
Illinois witnessed European golf's greatest resurrection when José María Olazábal's team overcame a commanding deficit through Sunday's extraordinary singles surge. The Chicago-area venue's championship pedigree couldn't prevent one of sport's most stunning turnarounds.
19. East Lake Golf Club
Hosted: 1963 | Final Score: USA 23-9
Atlanta's historic venue delivered the most lopsided result in competition history, showcasing American professional golf's overwhelming superiority during the pre-European era. The Georgia course demonstrated how format changes couldn't address the fundamental competitive imbalance.
20. Wentworth Club - West Course
Hosted: 1953 | Result: USA 6½-5½
Surrey's "Burma Road" provided early evidence of improving British competitiveness while maintaining American superiority during the 1950s. Harry Colt's parkland masterpiece has remained European professional golf's spiritual home through decades of championship hosting.
21. Hazeltine National Golf Club
Hosted: 2016, Future: 2029 | Result: USA 17-11
Minnesota's championship layout will achieve unique status as America's first repeat Ryder Cup host when matches return in 2029. The 2016 success ended European dominance while establishing precedent for venue revisitation in the modern era.
22. Adare Manor
Future Host: 2027
Ireland's luxury resort will showcase Tom Fazio's championship redesign when County Limerick welcomes golf's greatest team competition. The renovated course promises to combine Irish hospitality with world-class championship conditions.
23. Laurel Valley Golf Club
Hosted: 1975 | Final Score: USA 21-11
Pennsylvania's exclusive venue marked the final overwhelming American victory before European inclusion transformed competitive balance. The mountain course's championship test couldn't prevent the predictable outcome that prompted format reconsideration.
24. Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club
Hosted: 1933, 1937 | Final Scores: GB 6½-5½, USA 8-4
Lancashire's seaside links experienced contrasting fortunes during the 1930s, celebrating Britain's last pre-war triumph before witnessing America's inaugural overseas victory.
25. Moortown Golf Club
Hosted: 1929 | Final Score: GB 7-5
Yorkshire's Alister MacKenzie design provided the stage for Great Britain's second victory, establishing early hope that would sustain the competition through decades of American dominance.
Championship Legacy
These legendary courses represent golf's architectural evolution and competitive development over nearly a century. From Scottish links tradition to American championship innovation, each venue has contributed unique characteristics to the sport's most celebrated team competition.
Additional Championship Venues
Beyond these top 25, several other distinguished courses have hosted Ryder Cup matches, each adding their own chapter to the competition's rich history:
Le Golf National - Albatros Course (2018, Europe 17½-10½) - France's national course delivered European dominance in Paris, with Francesco Molinari's perfect record highlighting continental excellence.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (2023, Europe 16½-11½) - Rome's Jim Fazio design showcased Italian hospitality while witnessing Europe's commanding victory in the competition's first visit to Italy.
The Belfry - Brabazon Course (1985, 1989, 1993, 2002) - Warwickshire's purpose-built venue hosted more matches than any other course, becoming synonymous with European Ryder Cup success during four memorable encounters.
Celtic Manor Resort - Twenty Ten Course (2010, Europe 14½-13½) - Wales' modern championship layout battled weather delays to deliver European triumph in the competition's wettest finish.
The K Club - Palmer North Course (2006, Europe 18½-9½) - Ireland's Arnold Palmer design provided the stage for European dominance during an emotional week marked by Darren Clarke's inspiring performance.
Gleneagles Hotel - PGA Centenary Course (2014, Europe 16½-11½) - Scotland's Jack Nicklaus-designed course witnessed a comprehensive European victory in the Highlands' championship debut.
Valhalla Golf Club (2008, USA 16½-11½) - Kentucky's Jack Nicklaus design delivered rare American success during Europe's dominant period of the 2000s.
Worcester Country Club (1927, USA 9½-2½) - Massachusetts hosted the inaugural official matches, establishing the competition's foundation with a decisive American victory.
Champions Golf Club (1967, USA 23½-8½) - Texas witnessed overwhelming American dominance during the format's expansion era.
PGA National Golf Club (1983, USA 14½-13½) - Florida's challenging layout produced the decade's closest contest during competitive balance emergence.
Lindrick Golf Club (1957, GB 7½-4½) - Yorkshire's surprise hosted Great Britain's breakthrough victory, ending American dominance and revitalising competition interest.
The Greenbrier (1979, USA 17-11) - West Virginia's Sam Snead course marked the European era's beginning with the first continental team inclusion.
Old Warson Country Club (1971, USA 18½-13½), Portland Golf Club (1947, USA 11-1), Eldorado Country Club (1959, USA 8½-3½), and Thunderbird Country Club (1955, USA 8-4) each contributed to the competition's development during various evolutionary phases.
The diverse collection demonstrates how great architecture transcends geographical boundaries, creating universal tests that challenge the world's finest players. As future venues prepare to join this exclusive fraternity, they assume the responsibility of maintaining the standards established by golf's greatest championship courses.