The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy have all hosted the Ryder Cup.  And yet Sweden - which has provided ten players in the European Team - is still waiting. We think the Stadium Course at Bro Hof Slott near Stockholm would be an excellent venue. With a castle for a clubhouse, it's built for matchplay drama and can accommodate large crowds. There are two courses to test...

There are some links courses where golfers will never see the sea, and then there are some that hug the coastline so tightly that the beach is a tempting diversion.  At Narin & Portnoo, they tell the story of a German couple who thought they had got lost but emerged several hours late to say they had decided to have a picnic on the beach.  Needless to say, the views on this Donegal gem are tre...

There's never been a sportsman like Sven Tumba.  After playing Ice hockey at the Winter Olympics and football in the European Cup, he turned his attention to golf, became a professional, and represented Sweden in the World Cup.  Oh, and he was also Sweden's best waterskier. He's credited with popularising golf in Sweden, and designed the course at Ullna which opened in 1981.  When i...

Must golfers come to Ireland for a Links experience, but Lough Erne offers something different.  Designed by 6-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo, and opened in 2009, it's been named in the top ten parkland courses in GB & Ireland. Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington celebrated its opening by playing a challenge match…find out how Rory made his mark with a stunning drive. And co-designer Gu...

Sky Sports golf commentator Ewen Murray has worked and played at the world's most famous courses.  But ask him his favourite….and he'll tell you to go to a links course in East Lothian, which more illustrious neighbours surround. Ewen became a member of Dunbar when he was a promising junior golfer, commuting by bus and train from his home in Edinburgh.  It's a stunning piece of land...

After a cameo appearance in our Royal Troon episode, Henrik Stenson is back to discuss the Swedish course that bears his name. The former Open champion has teamed up with architect Christian Lundin to revamp the two 18-hole courses at this property near Stockholm. The East course reopened in 2019 and is already in Europe's Top 100, while the West course will soon be completed. https://ostgk.s...

Fancy a round at the exclusive course which hosts the Scottish Open?  Renaissance is a private members' club for the wealthy.  But when the Golf Pilgrim played with Jerry Sarvadi, he suggested anyone who wants a game should give him a call or send him an email! You're likely to be vetted…the club suggests its "One Time Experience" deal is for potential members. But there's...

A hundred years ago, the Åland Islands were the subject of an international dispute that had to be settled by the League of Nations.  Are they Finnish or Swedish? Well, for the last century, the answer is a bit of both.  The archipelago is part of Finland, but everyone speaks Swedish. And although the golf courses are relatively modern, the site is historic, with a castle and Viking burial grounds...

An all-star edition in which we visit one of the world's best-known courses and talk to two famous figures who know it well. Royal Troon is a regular host of The Open Championship, and in 2016, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson played some spectacular golf as they vied to become Champion Golfer of the Year.  Henrik won, shooting a record 20 under par, and he tells The Golf Pilgrim of his love...

A tale of two courses…one which has mysteriously slipped out of Europe's Top 100 list, while its once lesser-ranked twin has overtaken it. At one point Kytäjä’s South-East course was rated as high as 65th in the continental list and was Number One in Finland. But this stylish resort sited between a forest and a gorgeous lake is definitely worth a visit. Both South-East and North-West courses...

Western Gailes, on a narrow strip of land between the Ayrshire coast and a railway line is a tough test for any golfer.  That's why it's been used as an Open qualifying venue and recently staged the Scottish women's amateur championship. The closing holes in particular will leave you breathless, even when the wind isn't whipping off the sea. Its clubhouse has a very traditional...

Finland is often rated as the happiest nation in the world.  Is it because of its high standard of living? Is it the beauty of the landscape, or because Finns spend so much time in saunas? Or could it be because they have some beautiful golf courses like Linna which feature in continental Europe's Top 100? One of the holes on this course was designed by the winner of a competition - and Dave...

There are so many highly rated courses in this part of England, that Camberley Heath probably doesn't get the attention it deserves, even though it's in England's Top 100. But this Harry Colt heathland gem should be on your must-play list, and not just because it's a good deal cheaper to play than many of its illustrious Surrey neighbours. Towering pines line the fairways, and...

We're publishing our review of Estonia's top course on a famous day in the country's golf history.  It's Day One of The Open championship at Royal Portrush, and, for the first time, an Estonian golfer will be among those taking part! Richard Teder, an amateur, qualified in stunning fashion a few weeks earlier - and by coincidence, he did so while Neil was at Pärnu Bay in Estoni...

When a young Scottish surgeon moved across the border to north-east England in the early 1870s, he was shocked o discover that there was nowhere for him to play his favourite sport.  And so The Durham and Yorkshire Golf Club was born, later renamed Seaton Carew. For the next century, heavy industry dominated the landscape, but in the midst of it all, there is a golfing oasis, which for decades has...

Breaking News alert!  The Golf Pilgrim takes on the BBC…as Neil goes head-to-head with BBC TV news presenter Christian Fraser in a matchplay knockout contest. Neutral territory somewhere in central England was required, so Northamptonshire County was chosen.  With a Harry Colt and James Braid pedigree, this is a venue that is sure to test the best. https://www.countygolfclub.co.uk/ https://www.the...

The grass may be green and as well-manicured as any we’ve seen this year, but it certainly doesn’t grow under the feet of the management at El Paraiso between Marbella and Estepona on the Costa Del Sol. This is a club that's on the move, and don’t be surprised to see it enhance its position in Spain’s top 100. https://elparaisogolf.com/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

An exclusive, private club in one of Spain’s most upmarket resorts - but a small number of visitors are allowed to play at Las Brisas, especially in summer.  So you can follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, who used to be a member, and top footballers, who still are. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones and updated by Kyle Phillips - who tells us about the changes he made.   https://www.thegol...

Opened in 2000, Kingsbarns has quickly established itself as a course on a par with some of the greatest links courses in Scotland.  Every year, it jointly hosts the Alfred Dunhill Pro-Am event alongside The Old Course at St Andrews and Carnoustie. It's now a must-play destination for thousands of visitng golfers, so you might find the pace of play a little frustrating…but just relax and enjo...

Only five years old, but Dumbarnie Links blends seamlessly into the Fife coastline and has already made it into the top 50 courses in GB & Ireland.  It's a pay-and-play course so visitors are treated as members for the day, with outstanding service from the moment you arrive. Dumbarnie was designed by Clive Clark, and we're delighted to have the former Ryder Cup player and BBC commen...

If the bunkers don't get you at Lundin, the burns surely will. Lundin is in the St Andrews belt and its views, history and quirky holes make it a worthy destination for those wanting more Fife golf during their pilgrimage to the Old Course. But good course management is essential for a good score. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/lundin www.lundingolfclub.co.uk/ Do you agree with our review? Text...

What should make you more nervous on the 1st tee at Elie? A blind tee shot in front of a busy clubhouse terrace, or the fact that a periscope from a decommissioned Royal Navy Submarine is used to see if the fairway ahead is clear? The Golf House, Elie is celebrating its 150th anniversary but golf on this site goes back much further. It combines its wonderful history with some fantastic seaside hol...

Golfer's tip.  Don't set your Sat Nav for Kilmarnock!  Golfers from the inland town moved their club eight miles to Barassie Beach on the Ayrshire coast a century ago, but retained its name. Neil takes on a member in a matchplay contest.  Could he defend a five shot lead with so many bunkers lying in wait? www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/kilmarnock-barassie www.kbgc.co.uk/ Do you agree with...

Sutton Coldfield, just a few miles from the centre of Birmingham has soared up the rankings after a concerted attempt to go back to its roots. It was designed by Dr Alister Mackenzie, but had gradually lost its heathland feel because trees had grown and the fairways had narrowed. The course manager and the club pro explain the changes that have been made in the last decade to make it a course whic...

Do you care who owns the golf course you’re playing? Probably not.  But you can’t ignore Donald Trump now he’s back in the White House, and you can’t ignore his name on the courses he owns.  So if you don’t like the man, can you still enjoy playing Trump International in Aberdeen? There’s no doubt it’s a great course - it’s in the World’s Top 100. But only one of our presenters chose to play it…....