Rory McIlroy picks his four favourite golf courses from around the world

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Rory McIlroy picks his four favourite golf courses from around the world

Originally posted on HITC | By Jordan Harris | Last updated May 6, 2026 11:55 AM ET

Rory McIlroy has named the four golf courses around the world that would make up his Mount Rushmore of iconic venues.

McIlroy has won on a number of the greatest golf courses on the planet, including Augusta National. The Northern Irishman has arguably done more than anyone in the current game to compete across the globe.

McIlroy burst onto the scene as a teenager on the European Tour. And while he predominantly plays on the PGA Tour at this stage of his career, he continues to make a number of appearances on the DP World Tour.

Rory McIlroy puts together his Mount Rushmore of golf courses

The 37-year-old teed it up in Australia and India last year. He has, more recently, shown a reluctance to stick to a traditional schedule in the United States. Instead, he has prioritised playing in the events and on the courses he has wanted to test himself at.

So there is probably no one in the current game better qualified to curate a Mount Rushmore of golf courses.

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He was asked on New Heights to pick out the four venues that stand out to him.

“I’ll go four different places. I’ll go Kingston Heath in Australia. I would go Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. I would do Pine Valley on the east coast, and then Cypress Point,” he said.

“It’s so hard because I’m leaving out so many great golf courses. It’s hard to do four, but those would be the four off the top of my head.”

McIlroy selects two of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world

Kingston Heath has not hosted the Australian Open since 2000, but did provide the stage for the 2016 World Cup of Golf. However, McIlroy did not play in the latter event, with Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell representing Ireland.

The venue will host the 2028 Presidents Cup. Obviously, McIlroy is ineligible for that event.

McIlroy experienced heartbreak at Royal County Down in 2024 when he came agonisingly close to winning the Irish Open at the venue. He would have to wait another year for his second victory at the event, though that came at The K Club.

Meanwhile, Pine Valley and Cypress Point are among the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. So it seems highly unlikely that fans will ever get to see McIlroy teeing it up around either venue.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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