It becomes all the more controversial and provocative when an attempt is made to rank courses by merit as John Redmond has done in his lovely new book Ireland's Finest Golf Courses, which features his choice of 30.

The snag is there will be many who feel sore at having their lovely course relegated to the non-featured listings in such an important book.

Particularly perturbed will be the advocates of the 11 clubs who have hosted the Irish Amateur Close Championship, thus ranking as approved championship courses, and have been dropped from this list since the first edition in the mid1990s. They include Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Grange, Hermitage, Malone, Portstewart, Royal Belfast, Tramore, Westport and Woodbrook.

In defence of John Redmond, he has been restricted by the decision to only include 30 courses, because the great developments in Irish golf over the past 15 years mean our number of fine courses far exceed that number.

That this predicament was recognised by the author is signalled in his introduction . . . "Choosing 30 courses to show the superb variety of golfing experience available was not an easy task. So much that is truly excellent had to be omitted (and may well cause some arguments! ).

But I trust few readers will disagree that all the courses featured here are worthy of inclusion."

Fair comment. But it may have been wiser to enlarge the book to reflect the growing strength of Irish course design. Indeed, the second edition was enlarged when the number of courses . . . in what was then named Great Golf Courses of Ireland . . . was simply increased to embrace Druids Glen, the European Club, Fota Island and Portmarnock Links.

No fewer than 12 new names appear in the third edition, and this brings to 15 the changes since the first book . . . a 50% transfusion.

Heavy surgery indeed, and reflective of the great burst of excellent golf architecture which has transformed Ireland's course stock since 1990.

Indeed, the changes have been even more extensive when one considers both Mount Juliet and the K Club had opened just in time to feature in the first book.

Perhaps the most remarkable phenomenon is the arrival of a collection of strong courses on the lands of great old houses. Adare Manor, Carton House, Dromoland Castle, Druids Glen, Galgorm Castle, the K Club, Mount Juliet, PGA National and Powerscourt all fit into this category.

It is good to see Galgorm Castle gaining recognition since Ulster has fared badly, for obvious historical reasons, in the recent boom.

Paddy Merrigan's creation at Slieve Russell was the only northern newcomer which had penetrated the national consciousness but John Redmond will have many people heading to Ballymena.

"Its charm has its origins in a 400-year-old estate, " writes Redmond, "on which stands one of Ireland's historic castles, built in 1618 by the eccentric Sir Faithful Fortescue.

Its present-day owner-occupier is Christopher Brooke, the enterprising grandson of one of Northern Ireland's former prime ministers, Lord Brookeborough."

Meanwhile, closer to Dublin, the talk is of personality and achievement in equal portions with Jim Mansfield having engaged Christy O'Connor Jr to follow up on their Citywest creation with a much more salubrious production at the nearby PGA National. Redmond is enamoured of the place and writes: "The end product is a quite stunning resource, idyllically at peace in a majestic setting where each hole boasts its own individual attraction and where the entire course equals the best that you will encounter."

Could a man be more enthusiastic? This is possibly O'Connor Jr's finest creation . . . and he is good at the job. One can hardly wait to play it even if only to admire the standard of greenkeeping by Michael Merrigan, who also looks after Citywest, as he is the son of the legendary Patrick Merrigan.

Notwithstanding the controversy which it will inevitably engender, this is an important book as it seeks to showcase the best of Irish golf. It is beautifully presented and lavishly illustrated, with almost 200 colour pictures which make it a must for any self-respecting golfer's coffee-table.