The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

With its near neighbours in Aberdeen both ranked in the top 100 courses in the world, it would be easy to overlook Murcar Links.  But built on the same stretch of land as Royal Aberdeen, this challenging links course is developing a growing reputation. Tommy Fleetwood won an amateur championship here when he was a teenager and still ranks it among his five favourite Scottish courses. https://murca...

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club traces its roots back to 1780, though the club moved to its present course at Balgownie a century after that. It's staged the Walker Cup and the Scottish Open and is ranked 63rd in Top 100 Golf Courses World List, while National Club Golfer rate it the 38th best course in Great Britain and Ireland.   www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/royal-aberdeen www.royalaberdeengolf.com...

Cruden Bay styles itself as "unique and unforgettable", and both those qualities put it firmly in the World's Top 100 courses. An extraordinary layout with imaginitive use of the natural contours, and stunning views, mean lots of people love it.  But the quirkiness and and frequent blind shots isn't to everyone's taste.  Ian and Neil regretted not using a caddy for their f...

Having hosted the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup and the R&A's Amateur Championship, Nairn Golf Club is used to hosting top amateur golfers from around the world. So how would Neil and Ian, often described by playing partners as a couple of complete amatuers, cope with the challenge? On a beautiful day, and with the first seven holes running alongside the beach and the Moray Firth, there was...

We begin our latest Scottish road trip with a double dose of Nairns….and we're not talking about the famous biscuits.   First up is Nairn Dunbar which has been striving to emerge from the shadow of its more famous neighbour, and is ranked among Scotland's Top 100 courses. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/nairn-dunbar https://nairndunbar.com/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your...

For centuries, Harlech Castle has seen off those who came to conquer it.  Royal St David's, overlooked by the 13th Century Castle, has a similar reputation.   The club described the course as the toughest Par 69 in the world, and one of the most picturesque. Would the latest Englishman to tackle the challenge use cunning tactics, or just rely on bravado? www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/royal-st-d...

The Golf Pilgrim celebrates its first anniversary by making a long overdue visit to Wales.   Aberdovey lies in the heart of Eryri National Park, or Snowdonia to give it its English name.  We hear how the club was founded by a soldier whose first course consisted of nine flowerpots, embedded in Aberdovey Common. It's come a long way since then - and you'll probably have a long way to come...

While everyone's talking about The Masters, we're talking (again) about the master architect behind August National.  Moortown's neighbours at Alwoodley have first claims on Alister MacKenzie's designs - but there's no dispute that he honed his craft in Leeds. And not content with having a link to The Masters, Moortown can also boast that it was the first British course to...

If a golf course is named The Sea, you might expect to see the sea from the links. You’ll hear the waves crashing, and the bouncy fairways will certainly indicate you’re on a coastal course, but the English Channel (or La Manche) remains just out of sight.  But don’t let that put you off visiting another great value-for-money venue. Le Touquet has three courses at the resort, and La Mer has hosted...

It's Hardelot than you think….especially off the white tees. The second of our northern France trilogy, and another bargain compared to the equivalent, and similar in feel courses in southern England. Les Pins are the pine trees which line the course, but many have been removed in recent years to restore it to its original design. www.hardelotgolfclub.com/en/ www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/golf-...

Travelling through the Channel Tunnel can be like entering a portal to an earlier era, where golf green fees are still reasonably priced. Belle Dune is the first of three courses Neil played within easy reach of Calais, and they're around half the price you'd pay for the equivalent standard in the UK. It’s a municipal course and it's a great example of how new courses can exist in h...

Rail passengers speeding from London to Edinburgh will catch a glimpse of this pure links course as they approach Berwick-upon-Tweed.  Golfers heading to Scotland by road will need to make a short detour off the A1. It's well worth it. Despite being highly ranked, Goswick's remote location means the club work hard to improve and promote the course to attract more visitors.  It means it&a...

Champagne corks are popping and why not? There are very few courses in the world that are as good as North Berwick, and are as much fun to play. Other Scottish courses may host The Open and other major championshps —  North Berwick isn't big enough to do that.  But the number of top professionals who pay to visit when in the area is testament to how highly it is rated. Neil describes his best...

When doctor-turned-golf archietct, Alister MacKenzie unveiled the design for his very first course, even fellow members of this Yorkshire club were a little sceptical.  They asked for a second opinion.  Harry Colt took a look and gave it the thumbs up. After that, MacKenzie was in demand designing courses which are still among the very best in the world.  Cypress Point, Augusta National, Royal Mel...

This week we are in Italy - the tenth country on our podcast travels.  If you're a tourist who wants to visit Rome, but don't want to miss out on the opportunity of a round of golf, then Olgiata is for you. Half an hour from the famous sights in the Eternal City is a course which Neil reckons is one of the toughest he's played - but he wasn't helped by an accident en route…. ww...

Beware the injured golfers! Ian is forced to skip playing Burnham & Berrow because of a broken finger as well as foot surgery, while Neil isn't much better - hobbling round Burnham & Berrow with a painful toe affliction! Which is a shame because this Open Qualifying Course is a gem - and counts Justin Rose among its top admirers.  The list of men who had a hand in designing and refini...

Ian returns to the place where he first learned to play golf - in between reporting on the England football team who used this luxury resort as a base before the 1998 World Cup. Back then, La Manga attracted many sports stars and celebrities. But when Neil and Ian last visited a decade ago, the condition of the courses was definitely below par. We're delighted to report that the South Course,...

Las Colinas near Alicante is rated as Spain's 20th best golf course, but we give it top marks for value for money in January.  Three nights in a two bedroom apartment, including two rounds of golf for two players was £500. Definitely a more attractive option than enduring cold and wet weather back home. We can't promise your balls will stay dry though…there's a fair amount of water...

To mark the start of our partnership with National Club Golfer, we find out how courses earn their ranking in the Top 100. And we ask whether some clubs in Britain and Ireland are now out of reach for regular golfers. We are joined by two guests: Dan Murphy is the Editor of NCG's Top 100 list, and this year Ian and Neil have joined his ratings panel to judge Scotland's top courses.   And...

And it's off to sunny Spain to shake off the winter blues and kick off a new year of Top 100 golf reviews. This course in Seville was designed by two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal and, since it opened in 1992, it has staged three Spanish Opens. sevillagolf.com/en/home/ www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/real-club-sevilla-golf Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

It's our final podcast of the year, so rather than reviewing one course, we are looking back over our previous episodes and choosing the best of the best. Which courses, holes and centres of golfing excellence really stood out? And because we are talking about members of the Top 100, rest assured that there will be no turkeys in this Christmas special! Happy New Year! Do you agree with our re...

The search for a golf course in great condition in the middle of winter, where fairway mats aren't compulsory, takes us to this highly-rated south coast links. But if you can wait until summer, this is a great place to take advantage of cheaper twilight rates. https://www.haylinggolf.co.uk/ https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/hayling Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

It's our 50th episode!!! The 40C heat made Neil wilt at gorgeous Royal Adelaide but, fortunately, when it had dropped, he was fit to join Mrs W in an Ashes-style battle with their Aussie hosts. With the iconic train in the background, the fun (and the sledging) began. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/royal-adelaide www.royaladelaidegolf.com.au/cms/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinio...

From its elevated position close to the coast, the Isle of Purbeck features views as good as any in the UK.  The owners have put a lot of effort into improving the condition of the course in recent years. Ian enjoys a winter round with champagne and comedy in equal measure, and chats to the club's head greenkeeper about the challenge of keeping a course playable all year round. www.purbeckgol...

Here's a course you might not even have heard of - unless you live in Australia.  It's not in the World's Top 100 - but it is in the Top 50 in Australia.  Ian and Neil argue over whether it's even worth devoting an episode to discuss it….but Neil has played it, and reckons it's got some of the most memorable holes anywhere! So do let us know if you enjoyed it! www.thegolfp...