Royal Birkdale -- England's sleeping golf giant

There are some 3,000 golf courses in the British Isles, the geographic term that encompasses England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Fully two thirds of these courses are located in England, including 49 of the top ranked 100. Yet for reasons unknown, English golf remains virtually ignored by the vast majority of American golfers who cross the Atlantic each year to experience the game in its homeland.