Planet Golf

__"Always keep in mind that if God didn't want a man to have mulligans, golf balls wouldn't come three to a sleeve." Dan Jenkins

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For a mulligan on our course rankings in the May issue check out John Huggan's re-ordering of our international lists in the Scotsman today. John, Golf Digest's European Editor, nonetheless finds some of our numbers inexplicable.

Top of this year's rankings is the links of Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, which has bumped the Old Course at St Andrews down to second. Third is Royal Dornoch, with Royal Portrush fourth. Muirfield is a surprisingly lowly fifth, with the top ten rounded out by Royal Melbourne's composite course, Ballybunion, Turnberry, Carnoustie and New Zealand's Cape Kidnappers.

Having played nine of the magazine's top ten (not Ballybunion), I am somewhat qualified to comment on the real order, which should read: 1) Muirfield; 2) St Andrews; 3) Royal Melbourne; 4) Royal Dornoch; 5) Carnoustie; 6) Royal Portrush; 7) Royal County Down; 8) Morfontaine; 9) Sunningdale; 10) Portmarnock.

What I find inexplicable is that Huggan has not played Ballybunion. It's in the Top 5— anywhere.

—Bob Carney