))
The essential guide to the world's top golf courses. Neil White and Ian Woods review the Top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland, continental Europe and the World! In 2020 Neil began a challenge to play all of the world's top courses. You can read his reviews at www.thegolfpilgrim.com. Now you can listen to his reviews, as he gives an honest account of the courses, the practice facilities, and the food available. Is it value for money? Will you be made to feel welcome as a visitor? There are c ...
…
continue reading
Is there a course in the UK with more sand? Let us know...but it certainly has the longest bunker we've ever seen, running more than two hundred yards along a fairway. We didn't count how many rakes it needed..... Chart Hills was designed by Sir Nick Faldo but after suffering from poor drainage has undergone major renovations in recent years, and h…
…
continue reading
Back to Surrey for the third of the famous three Ws. In recent years it has replaced thousands of trees with an abundance of heather. And we delve into West Hill's fascinating history, which has a touch of the macabre. www.westhillgc.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/west-hill Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!…
…
continue reading
The writer who created Sherlock Holmes played a major role in the creation of this heathland gem. Arthur Conan Doyle was a founder member and the club's first President, and lived nearby. As did legendary golf commentator Peter Alliss, who was also a big fan of Hindhead, which boasts some spectacular holes you will never forget. www.hindheadgolfclu…
…
continue reading
A celebratory episode, as Wentworth West, the home of the BMW PGA Championship, is the hundredth of the Top 100 Courses in England that Neil has managed to play. So we have cameo appearances from BBC cricket oommentator Jonathan Agnew (who's seen hundreds of centuries in his career, but none that have taken four years to complete.) Plus former Ryde…
…
continue reading
France's only links course, originally designed by Harry Colt, plays host to a Ryder Cup-style match between French and British journalists. Would Neil and Ian write themselves into Wryter Cup history? Sadly, if we said yes, it would be fake news.... www.golfdegranville.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/granville-links Do you agree with our review? T…
…
continue reading
Ryder Cup Special! It may be 12 months away but we are all looking forward to Europe defending the trophy on American soil. Our special guest is Sky Sports golf reporter Jamie Weir, who managed to stir up the crowd at the last Ryder Cup in Italy with his Capgate story about Patrick Cantlay. Jamie visited Bethpage Black a couple of days before Neil …
…
continue reading
How do you get to play exclusive courses which are normally reserved for members and their guests? One solution is to pay to play in a charity golf day. Every year, Somerst Hills, a quirky but highly regarded Tillinghast creation, opens its doors to raise funds for a worthwhile cause. www.somersetcc.org www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/somerset-hills Do…
…
continue reading
If Colin Montgomerie has nightmares, they are likely to feature the 18th at Winged Foot, where he had a great chance of finally landing an elusive major title in 2006. Yet Americans tend to remember Phil Mickelson blowing his chance to win that US Open on the same hole. More recently Bryson DeChambeau tamed the famous course, but there were no spec…
…
continue reading
The Golf Pilgrim heads to the USA! Baltusrol, 25 miles west of Manhattan has hosted 18 major championships, including victories by Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson. It's rated number 97 in the Top 100 Golf Courses of the world, and is the first of a quartet of AW Tillinghast courses that Neil is playing this week. baltusrol.org www.thegolfpilgrim.c…
…
continue reading
Some flags are Red Some flags are Blue Why play one great course When the Berkshire has two? You can tell we love these wonderful heathland courses. And with so many Surrey gems in the vicinty, we ask why more tourists don't come to the west of London for golfing holidays, rather than head for Scotland and Ireland. www.theberkshire.co.uk www.thegol…
…
continue reading
What's great about Little Aston? Well, apart from a magnificent course and possibly the best putting green anywhere, they make a point of welcoming visitors with a small gift. www.littleastongolf.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/little-aston Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!Por Neil White and Ian Woods
…
continue reading
If you build it, who will come? The big yellow diggers have transformed this part of Staffordshire into the JCB owner’s fields of dreams. It’s now hosting LIV events, so it’s good enough for the professionals. But is it somewhere mid-handicappers will enjoy? www.jcbgolfandcountryclub.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/__jcb Do you agree with our revie…
…
continue reading
Are there more dramatic opening holes in the UK and Ireland? The scenery and the giant dunes help make Portstewart's front 9 among the best links courses anywhere. But is it a game of two halves? Well, the club are improving holes on the back 9 to keep the thrills coming. And even in a three club wind, Ian manages a decent round. www.portstewartgc.…
…
continue reading
A special episode on the fabulous Dunluce Championship Links which hosted The Open in 2019, and will again in 2025. With a special guest appearance from actor James Nesbitt who is a Royal Portrush member and lives in the town. It's Ian's favourite course for many reasons - and he has family connections to the club...but listen right to the end for …
…
continue reading
The course which Bernhard Langer made famous - by climbing a tree to play a shot. And he wasn't the only top player to leave his mark on this famous Yorkshire course. www.fulfordgolfclub.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/fulford Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!Por Neil White and Ian Woods
…
continue reading
Ashridge is a great example of how your enjoyment of a course can depend on whether it's set up for recreational golfers or top amateurs. When we played a couple of years ago on the eve of a high-level competition, the rough was so punishing, the round became an ordeal. But on our latest visit, Ashridge was a delight. Did that mean it was easy? Of …
…
continue reading
Woodbridge is a hidden heathland gem within the beautiful Suffolk countryside. Its quirky holes spurred Neil on to believing he would manage a stellar round but there was a sting in its tail - and a recently discovered Second World War look-out. woodbridge.intelligentgolf.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/woodbridge Do you agree with our review? Te…
…
continue reading
Mrs W collects the champagne again as Neil imagines Parkstone's former pro and famous BBC commentator Peter Alliss having a right good giggle at his attempts to ascend its dramatic false fronts. Meanwhile, Ian and Neil discuss how nature conversation has been critical to making this one of the England's most picturesque courses. www.parkstonegolfcl…
…
continue reading
A gift from East Devon's Captain briefly elevates Neil's game to rarely-seen levels of golfing skill! Lots of conservation work is changing East Devon for the better and check out the green fees for visitors...some bargain prices for visitors to this very scenic course. www.eastdevongolfclub.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/east-devon Do you agree…
…
continue reading
Remedy Oak may only be twenty years old, but ancient woodland and a 16th century monarch help to make it feel a lot more mature. And with lots of water to swallow errant shots, a member's advice is to give your Pro V1s a rest and use cheaper balls! www.remedyoak.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/remedy-oak Do you agree with our review? Text us your o…
…
continue reading
Remember the golf course that saw the start of the LIV revolution, with black London taxis ferrying the players to each hole for a shotgun start? After two years, the LIV circus has moved on - to JCB in Staffordshire, but Centurion still hosts an Aramco event for the top female players. It's a private club, only members and their guests can play - …
…
continue reading
We're all looking for hidden gems to play....Tandridge certainly isn't hidden, but it is a gem that you might not know much about. Surrey is blessed with so many great heathland courses, but this is a parkland track that took our breath away with some dramatic holes. In it's centenary year, has it ever looked better? Well...that's a subject for deb…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
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 a…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
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 cha…
…
continue reading
"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…
…
continue reading
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/sunnin…
…
continue reading
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.t…
…
continue reading
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 …
…
continue reading
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.…
…
continue reading
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 pla…
…
continue reading
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 i…
…
continue reading
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.thegolf…
…
continue reading
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 th…
…
continue reading
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.thegolfpilgri…
…
continue reading
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!Por Neil White and Ian Woods
…
continue reading
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!…
…
continue reading
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 r…
…
continue reading
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…
…
continue reading
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!…
…
continue reading
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!Por Neil White and Ian Woods
…
continue reading
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:/…
…
continue reading
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?…
…
continue reading
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, th…
…
continue reading
