The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

Two great courses side by side, and a club that has had four prime ministers and a King among its members.  More recently it's hosted a Ryder Cup and tournaments featuring some of the best male and female. players in the world. Our special guest is Tom McKibbin, who talks about how his two rounds at Walton Heath earned him a place in his first major - and the chance  to play alongside World N...

We're back....after a bit of a break while Neil travels to a golf course far, far away.  Lofoten Links may be like no other course on earth.  It's in northern Norway, and because it's in the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets in the summer months. So if you've ever wanted to play golf 24 hours a day, this is the course for you. Bring plenty of balls as you won't be able to...

In sport, everyone knows how important it is to be First. Prestwick's fame is largely based on being the first venue of the Open Championship.  That contest, over the original 12 holes, was won by Willie Park.  Prestwick hosted the Open a total of 24 times, but it hasn't staged golf's oldest and most famous competition since 1925. So, a century later, does it still stand the test of...

NOW UPDATED! One of the world's greatest golf courses, owned by one of the world's most controversial men.  Is it possible to discuss Turnberry without mentioning Trump?  Of course not. One is universally praised; the other divides opinion like no man on earth. Would Turnberry be so good without Donald Trump's involvement?  Would it stand a better chance of hosting another Open with...

"I loved the place so much I bought it." Well not quite...but Neil and his wife played one round at Silloth on Solway and immediately applied for membership.  This is a hidden gem and probably the best value top 100 course in the UK, despite rating higher than many illustrious names in the list of great British courses. It can be a trek to get there, but if you do, you'll be rewarde...

We're back at England's premier two-course club to play Sunningdale New  - which is now more than a hundred years old.  It's not quite as highly rated as the Old - but they're both in the Top 100 in the world! It's a tough round for Neil, but even more painful for his playing partner... www.sunningdalegolfclub.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/sunningdale-new Do you agree...

Moor Park may have one of the grandest clubhouses in the UK, but was Neil's driving as majestic as the surroundings? Spoiler alert...no.  This is a club which is steeped in history.  And this is certainly the only episode where Capability Brown and Jane Austen will get a mention. Plus Ian confesses to locker room pilfering! www.moorparkgc.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/moor-park-high Do yo...

Woking - the first of the famous 3 Surrey Ws to be built and the second we've reviewed in recent weeks.  It's a fantastic course to play, but Woking has also written a significant chapter in golf history. When the club introduced the first fairway bunkers on an inland course, it revolutionised golf architecture around the world. It also has some of the most undulating greens in the UK......

The course where US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero Justin Rose mastered the game. Don't get lost on the way....it's North Hants, not Northants!  It's about to undergo major renovation work which should help it retain its place in England's Top 100.  Did Neil succeed in nailing his first ever hole in one? www.northhantsgolf.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/north-hants Do you...

Is this is the most spectacular course we've ever played? St Patrick's Links opened only three years ago, but a layout some have hailed as Tom Doak's masterpiece has already leapt into the top 50 in the world! We played it on a beautiful day when the course had surely never looked better.  The scenery takes your breath away. But how did St Pat's play?  And does its lack of on-s...

A three-day competition leads to a two-part podcast! Ian and Neil play in the Muckish Links Classic over the three courses at Rosapenna. (Muckish is the name of the mountain that looks down on this fantastic landscape.)  In Part One we discuss Sandy Hills, which is ranked 61 in UK and Ireland. and Old Tom Morris which is rated the 32nd best course in Ireland. But don't miss Part 2 when we tak...

The Duchess isn't rated as highly as the Duke's or Marquess courses, but all three benefit from a majestic setting at Woburn, and members there reckon it deserves higher praise.  Ian and Neil are guided around the course by David Hay, son of Alex - Woburn's first Director of Golf who became known to millions as a BBC commentator. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/woburn-duchess ht...

What does Tim Henman have in common with James Bond? Does the former tennis player have a licence to kill? Or is 007 partial to a game of mixed doubles?  Well, neither, actually.  Bond author Ian Fleming was a member of Huntercombe Golf Club, and Henman regularly wins competitions at his home club. Ian and Neil reflect on not one but two rounds at this quaint course in Oxfordshire. https://www.the...

The UK's Number One golf resort and a "glorious playground", according to their website. How were the swings of Neil and Mrs W in a competition organised by the Hole In One club?  They played two of the three Championship courses at Gleneagles, the King's and Queens.  Find out if they played like Jack (Nicklaus) or a pair of Jokers. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/gleneagles-king-s...

Carnoustie will be forever synonyous with Jean Van De Velde's meltdown which cost him The Open championship.  So how would Neil and Mrs W cope with the burn on the 18th?  And could they meet the challenge and avoid all the bunkers?  www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/carnoustie www.carnoustiegolflinks.com Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

Gorgeous Seignosse, near Biarritz will take your breath away- especially if you decide to walk rather than use a buggy! And save some energy for the big finish - a Par 6! www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/seignosse www.seignosse-golf.com/en/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

This week Ian and Neil play one of the very best courses in the world - and discover the joy of golf with two canine companions.  There'll be a bit of name-dropping too - as we play spot the celebrity. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/sunningdale-old www.sunningdalegolfclub.co.uk/old_course Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

Mr and Mrs W travel to Biarritz, to a club with more than a thousand members.  And one of them, like a fine French wine, seems to improve with age. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/chiberta www.golfchiberta.com Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

In the coming months Ian and Neil will play on all three of Surrey's famous 3 Ws.  Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon.  Like so many courses this winter,  W also stands for Wet. But Worplesdon copes well with the deluge, and another W - wind - provides a comedy moment. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/worplesdon www.worplesdongc.co.uk Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

Neil is back In Spain to pay homage to his hero.  Pedrena was the course where a young genius called Seve Ballesteros first caddied and put into practice skills he learned by playing on a nearby beach.  An exclusive club with fast and tricky greens - stay tuned for what happens on the 18th.....  www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/real-golf-de-pedreña https://www.realgolfdepedrena.com Do you agree with ou...

Beau Desert may have a French name, but it's in the heart of England.  Neil and Ian pose the question - are Midlands courses are underrated? It's a current favourite of top 100 connoisseurs. And find out why the comedy moment was inches away from being a magnum of champagne moment. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/beau-desert-review www.bdgc.co.uk Do you agree with our review? Text us your op...

Neil makes the short journey from his home in Nottingham to play Hollinwell, and naturally if you're going to play golf in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood will get a mention.  Was our golfing guide a merry man at the end of his round? www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/nottingham-golf-club-at-hollinwell-review www.hollinwell.co.uk Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

Who are we and why are we reviewing top golf courses? www.thegolfpilgrim.com Neil White is a retired journalist who is obsessed with lists.  Every year he attempts to see and review every movie released in the UK, and now he is attempting to play every course in the Top 100 list in England, the UK and Ireland, continental Europe...and ultimately, the world.  He's an accredited rater for Natio...