The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

It's more than 30 years since St Mellion last hosted a European Tour event, but that shouldn't reflect on the quality of a course which saw the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal triumph.

The top pros now play fewer events in England as the Tour embraces ever more international venues.  But the course that Jack Nicklaus built, because Seve had criticised the original St Mellion course as being too easy, presents a challenge for every golfer.

And for a championship course, the green fee is very competitive.

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You know what you're getting if you book a round at Old Head - but even the photographs of the spectacular setting don't do justice to the experience of playing golf on fairways perched precariously next to clifftops, with the waves crashing against rocks 300 feet below you.

What you won't know until you get there is how big a factor the wind will be - the weather forecast had suggested it was going to be a benign day for our round.  The reality was a little different! 

It all makes for an unforgettable round of go...

Here's a top tip to take note of even before you play the wonderful Waterville Links.  If you're driving a car from Killarney, take the scenic Ballyghisheen Pass through some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland; coaches transporting tourists and golf groups have to use the main N70 around the coast.

And the breathtaking views continue as you reach Waterville.  Framed by the Atlantic Ocean and Ireland's most impressive mountain range, Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Waterville Golf Club has 360 degrees of scenery on every hole. 

Payne Stewart fell in love with the course, but his premature dea...

Legend has it that an Irish monk, St Brendan, set sail from Tralee and landed in America centuries before Columbus.  Now thousands of Americans make the reverse journey on a pilgrimage to a golf course designed by Arnold Palmer.  Mind you, he credited God with doing half the work.

Tralee Golf Club is surrounded by water and sand dunes, with scenic holes that set the pulse racing and a few quirky ones to test your imagination. Like the Rose of Tralee, the attraction is not her beauty alone….

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Formed in 1873, this is one of the oldest clubs in England, but it is as relevant to the history of golf as it was when it was founded.

Its close relationship with Royal Liverpool means that West Lancs will jointly stage the Amateur Championship with Hoylake in 2026.  And it will also continue to host the Final Open Qualifying for the top pros looking for a last-minute ticket to Royal Birkdale.

But even if you are neither a top amateur nor professional, you will be thrilled by the challenge and the condition of the West Lancashire c...

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers can lay claim to being the founders of modern golf, having established the first set of competition rules soon after being founded in 1744.

Muirfield has been their home since 1890, and the course has hosted the Open Championship sixteen times - but not since 2013.  The club changed its much-criticised rules and now admits women as members, but it still awaits the return of the Claret Jug to a course regarded as among the best in the world.

https://www.muirfield.org.uk/

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They've been playing golf in this part of Scotland for hundreds of years, and for more than a century, they've had three 18-hole courses in Gullane to choose from.  Gullane Number 1 is the highest rated and has twice hosted the Scottish Open.

East Lothian is blessed with a large number of quality golf courses, but what sets Gullane apart is the variety of holes and the huge change in elevation as you climb the hill, which provides stunning views over its neighbours.

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The Els Club is the first private golf club in the Algarve, and its course was reimagined by Ernie Els from the Vilamoura Victoria, which previously hosted the Portugal Masters.

The doors opened for us to be among the first to review a club which has five-star service and very lofty ambitions.

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https://www.elsclubvilamoura.com

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Three courses and a former Ryder Cup Captain are squeezed into this episode from one of Europe's top golf resorts.

Quinta Do Lago South, North, and Laranjal offer different challenges.  Paul McGinley has an Academy at the resort and has been going there for three decades.  He tells The Golf Pilgrim what makes it such an attractive place to visit.

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The first of three episodes from Portugal, which has long been a favourite destination for British and Irish golfers, but is now attracting worldwide acclaim  

The 27 holes at Palmares provide such a variety of challenges, that you might even forget you’re in the Algarve, with some holes akin to a Scottish links.  

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https://www.palmaresliving.com/golf/

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Cavendish Golf Club styles itself as the inspiration for Augusta National, which is not as fanciful an idea as it may sound.  It opened in 1925 and was the last English course that Dr Alister MacKenzie designed before heading overseas to ply his trade.

Eight years later, his breathtaking course in Georgia was born. So, with another US Masters almost upon us, let us take you to the English Peak District to look for similarities.

https://www.cavendishgolfclub.com/

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Our final New Zealand episode and arguably, we've saved the best for last.  Both Te Arai courses have leapt into the top 100 in the world despite being less than 5 years old.

And we are delighted to say that New Zealand's best golfer, Ryan Fox, was so keen to talk about the courses, he joined us from Florida, while Jim Rohrstaff, the club's managing director, is also our special guest.

The South course will host the Asia-Pacific Amateur championship in late 2026, and when you watch highlights on TV, you'll see just how spectacular it is…

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An honours board at Blackmoor gives a hint of its pedigree. How many provincial members clubs can boast of having had a US Open champion win a tournament on their course?

Matt Fitzpatrick is one of several future professional stars to win a top amateur prize at this Harry Colt gem in Hampshire.

In an effort to preserve the character of the course, the club hired designer Tim Lobb to carry out renovations, and he explains why Blackmoor is on a par with more famous neighbours in Surrey and Berkshire.

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It's been called the spiritual home of New Zealand golf, having hosted many tournaments, and is still rated the country's second-best course.  It's also the only NZ course that Tiger Woods has played competitively - as a favour to his then Kiwi caddie Steve Williams.

Paraparaumu Beach recently welcomed back the tour pros for the New Zealand PGA Championship.  It's not a long course, so you might expect a flood of low scores.  But the wind blew, and only TWO players finished under par!

But good scores can be made in benign conditions…

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Cleeve Hill has had a lot of publicity in recent years - largely because it almost went out of business until new owners took over - and it is now in England's Top 100. 

But this is so different from a lot of courses in the rankings - not just in terms of its setting, high above Cheltenham, but because this is raw golf as it used to be.  The course might lack perfect paths and intensive maintenance, but it is a real adventure at a bargain price.

Visit this part of the Cotswolds, and you wi...

Titirangi is the Maori word for "fringe of heaven", and is quite a contrast to many of the modern courses which have been opened in New Zealand in recent years.

Dr Alister MacKenzie drew up his plans for the course a century ago, shortly after he'd designed Royal Melbourne and before he got to Augusta National.  

And that legacy has been protected by recent renovation work.

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www.titirangigolf.co.nz/

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If you watch some of the birds-eye view videos of Tom Doak's course, you might think you need a head for heights to play it.

Fear not, some of the holes may look precariously placed on the edge of a precipice, but the wide fairways and substantial greens will reassure those with vertigo.

That is not to say Cape Kidnappers lacks the "wow" factor. It is world-class, and the vistas are spellbinding.

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https://www.robertsonlodges.com/the-lodges/cape-kidnappers

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A visit to one of the world's more unusual courses, where, as well as bunkers, you'll find thermal mud springs as hazards.

Arikikapakapa is Maori for "the gentle sound of plopping mud", and it's set in one of the country's most popular tourist areas.  

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It's always a dilemma when we feature a golf course that's so exclusive that you can't play unless you know a member.

But we make an exception when a course is so highly rated that anyone who aspires to play the World's Top 100 will try to find a way to get on.

Opened in 2015 and designed by Tom Doak, Tara Iti has such a stellar reputation that Rory McIlroy wanted to play a round here while on holiday. Course record holder Ryan Fox describes what their game was like…

Interview courtesy Yardage Book Po...

If you've ever played The European Club, or ever wanted to, then this is a must-listen episode! Because The European is dead - but in 2027 will be reborn as The Brittas Bay Club.

Raymond and Nicky Conlan bought the club from its founder, Pat Ruddy, and have hired Kyle Phillips (the man who gave us Kingsbarns), to do a complete redesign of the course. We have exclusive interviews with Nicky and Kyle, who explain why they felt a highly regarded course needed to be torn up and rebuilt.

We played the course just before it...

When the R&A feel that one of their Open Championship venues needs an update, Martin Ebert is the man they turn to.  He's already working on changes to the Old Course at St Andrews ready for 2027, and supervised improvements to Royal Birkdale which hosts in 2026. 

How does he go about enhancing courses which are already considered the best in the world?  Take a listen as he chats about his work around the world.

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Join us as we step back in time, to a club where the lockers still bear the names of long-dead members, and where a competitive round of golf often takes second place to a good lunch.

The New Zealand Golf Club (listen to the podcast for an explanation of the name) sits on Surrey heathland near Woking, and its well-draining clay base means great conditions even in the depths of winter. 

It feels private and exclusive, but visitors are welcome.  And if you have the stamina to play 36 holes or more in a day, you mi...

What are the very best golf courses in Scotland?  In 2025 Neil and Ian joined the ratings panel for National Club Golfer, and their new top 100 list has just been published.

Dan Murphy, who sets the guidelines and edits the rankings joins us to talk through those on the rise…

So if you're planning a golf trip to Scotland this year, this is what you need to hear…

Music: Brian Fahey

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Some golf days are just a bit more special than others, so this mid-winter visit to The Island, north of Dublin, will linger long in the memory.

A chilly, but sunny day; a very warm welcome from the staff, and a challenging course in great condition.

Don't just take our word for it…the day after we visited, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington played The Island on a charity day - a sure sign that this is one of Ireland's finest links. And you no longer have to take a rowing boat to get there….

Even if you've never heard of the golf course, you all know Sherwood Forest thanks to dozens of depictions of Robin Hood in TV and cinema.  

Any course designed by Harry Colt and later by James Braid is always worth exploring, and the heathland track is particularly appealing in the winter, when fairways and greens remain firm.

Renowned course architect Martin Ebert describes the changes he's overseeing, and we recall when the club made national headlines over a court case involving allegations of cheating…

https://www.sherwoodforestgolfclub.co.uk/

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In the second half of our review of the year, we explore golf in Scandinavia and the Baltic, as well as Ireland's Wild Atlantic coast.  But nothing beats a visit to Fife when the Old Course at St Andrews is on the itinerary.

Golf commentators Andrew Cotter and Nick Dougherty share their champagne moments of the year, and we recall the drama of the Ryder Cup, as well as the less savoury moments from Bethpage Black.

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While we take a bit of a break for Christmas, join us for a look back on some of the best courses we played during 2025.  In this first half we recall rounds in continental Europe as well as Great Britain…with Cruden Bay in Scotland among the favourites.

And Ewen Murray from Sky Sports returns to The Golf Pilgrim to recall his champagne moment of the year.

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The club’s motto translates as “go straight and you will never fail”, which is sensible advice on most courses, but particularly so at Rosendalelsche with its huge number of trees  

One of continental Europe’s top ranked courses, on the one occasion that it hosted the Dutch Open, it was won by Bernhard Langer. His course record score lasted 30 years!

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https://rosendaelsche.nl/

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"Ch-ch-changes.." sang David Bowie, and we know many golf club members are deeply suspicious of any dramatic alterations to their beloved course. But the vast changes at The Addington this decade have been widely praised.

The Addington was once the premier club in London, but the march of time had seen the course become overgrown. Now, the city skyline is more visible, giving it a unique selling point.

Owner Ryan Noades explains how thousands of trees have been removed to restore the course to its original design.  And former England cricketer Mark Butcher sings the p...

If you feel weary after your 18 holes at Kennemer, spare a thought for Ryder Cup stars Jose-Marie Olazabal and Ronan Rafferty, who endured a record-breaking NINE hole play-off here to decide the Dutch Open in 1989.

Ronan joins us on the podcast to describe in hilarious detail that endurance test where he and Jose played on and on and on in a storm.

It's also the course where Andy Sullivan's reward for a hole-in-one was a trip into space!

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https://kennemergolf.nl/

Golfers visiting East Lothian are spoilt for choice, but many choose to include Kilspindie in their itinerary.

These tight, traditional links offer spectacular views, and the relatively short course is popular with those who favour accuracy over distance.

https://www.kilspindiegolfclub.co.uk/

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Ony five courses in Continental Europe make it into the best in the World list according to Top100golfcourses.com - but Royal Hague is one of them.

Awarded its "Royal" tag on its centenary in 1993, the Dutch King and Queen frequently play there along with other members of the Royal family.

Designed by Colt and Allison, its huge dunes make it a tough climb but the effort is well worthwhile, because every hole is memorable.

https://khgcc.nl/

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Unusually, we've combined two golf clubs into one episode - but they do have something in common.

Musselburgh Old Links was one of the original venues for The Open Championship, but the limitations of its nine-hole layout led to its replacement by Muirfield, and golfers migrated to other courses with more land.

One of those clubs was Royal Musselburgh, a parkland course and very different to Musselburgh Old Links, which sits within Musselburgh racecourse. But their shared history made for an entertaining 27-hole day.

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The first of a quartet of Dutch course reviews coming up in the next few weeks as the Netherlands becomes the 15th country to be visited by the Golf Pilgrim.

De Texelse is a tranquil resort on an island just off the coast of Holland, and the venue for a recent European Nations Cup for journalists.  Suffice to say, the British team was some way short of the podium….

But the links-like course is a winner - having expanded from 9 to 18 holes a decade ago.

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We are delving into the history books in this episode…because recent research indicates that Lanark is the oldest inland golf course in the world.

They've been playing here since 1851, with Old Tom Morris and James Braid lending their expertise to its design.

Its location means it may be an excellent option on your way to or from a Scottish golfing holiday….

https://www.lanarkgolfclub.co.uk/

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Stoke Park was the setting for one of the most famous moments in golf, albeit a fictional match.

Its proximity to Pinewood film studios meant it was the perfect spot to film James Bond's match against Auric Goldfinger in the 007 movie released in 1964.

Now in the hands of a real-life billionaire, Stoke Park has quite a story of its own. The club closed for several years and had its membership abolished before reopening as an exclusive pay-and-play venue.

https://www.stokepark.com/

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Powfoot may be some distance from Scotland's most famous links, but that can have advantages.

Visitors will discover a much lower greenfee than better known courses.  And its location, a dozen or so miles from the M6 and the English border makes it very easy to get to for golfers heading north or south.

And we hear from upcoming star Chloe Tarbard who battled apocalyptic weather to win the Scottish Girls Championship at Powfoot.

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https://www.powfootgolfclub.com/

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Back to the west coast of Ireland and another links course on the Wild Atlantic Way. 

Enniscrone is rated highly enough to feature in the top 100 in GB & Ireland, having been extended from 9 to 18 holes by Eddie Hackett in the 1970s.

The course is situated among towering dunes, and even if you don’t encounter many birdies or eagles during your round, you should spot a variety of birdlife in this tranquil haven.

https://enniscronegolf.com/

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The great American golfer Tom Weiskopf won the Open at Troon and was runner-up at the Masters at Augusta four times.  But when he designed this exclusive course on the banks of Loch Lomond, he considered it his lasting memorial to golf.

Loch Lomond's website gives a clue to the membership, claiming it's only "90 minutes from London, two hours from Paris, and approximately six hours from both New York and Dubai."

Neil drove up from Nottingham for a taste of the high life…

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When golf writer Tom Coyne travelled around Ireland playing all its great links courses, everyone was keen to know which one he enjoyed the most.  Carne was not the favourite that most would have expected.

But its rawness and remoteness stole his heart, and he helped publicise its charms worldwide, which helped save the club when it almost went out of business.

Tom tells the Golf Pilgrim what makes Carne so special.

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