As we all know, Instagram is the heart and soul of golf. Nothing embodies the spirit of the game—of the eternal struggle of man vs. self—quite like a social media platform comprised of 70% bikini shots and 30% cat videos. Even Old Tom Morris understood that if you didn't 'gram it, you didn't play it. Why else would he design labyrinthian links perched on seaside cliffs? What other reason would he have for laying them down betwixt rolling dunes and blooming heather? Because he knew it was all about them likes and nothing moves the engagement needle quite like a sunset over the Irish Sea.
Thus you probably find yourself wondering, if Instagram is the most essential part of golf, what are Instagram's most essential courses? Well according to the number crunchers over at Golfsupport.com, these are hands down, no contest, the most Instagrammed courses on golf's beautiful green earth. How many have you played tagged?
1. Old Course at St. Andrews – 42,159 tags
2. Muirfield – 13,185 tags
3. Cape Kidnappers – 11,305 tags
4. Pebble Beach – 8,546 tags
5. Bandon Dunes – 5,609 tags
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The study was conducted by analyzing the tags of 15 of the world's most famous golf courses, pre-selected by Golfsupport researchers. So you could make the argument that these are really the most tagged golf courses on earth, but if you're the sort of sick bastard who posts a photo of their once-in-a-lifetime round and doesn't tag it, then you don't really count anyway.
Rounding out the top 10 are Cabot Cliffs, Royal Melbourne, Augusta National, Oakmont Country Club, and Royal County Down. Augusta would surely be higher if it weren't next to impossible to get on, while Royal Melbourne would probably slip if it weren't for the Presidents Cup factor. Nationality-wise, Scotland leads the way, making up 1/3 of the top 15, with Royal Dornock, Castle Stuart Links, and Trump International Golf Links Scotland joining the Home of Golf—the runaway victor, it should be noted—on the list.
Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go hit the range and work on our panorama fades.