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PODCAST

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

Neil White and Ian Woods

This is the essential podcast for those planning to play the world"s top golf courses.We now have dozens of reviews from Top 100 courses in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, the USA and Australia…and the library is building every week. All the episodes are stand alone - you don"t have to listen to them in any particular order.In 2020 Neil White 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

sports golf

All Episodes

57:41

Royal Birkdale, Lancashire, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/06/08

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale in 2026, but there have been significant changes to the course since it last hosted the championship. This episode tells you all you need to know, whether you're planning to watch the event in person or on TV, or to play the course at some point. Among those joining us on the podcast are architect Tom Mackenzie, who oversaw the changes, and Ian Baker-Finch, who knows Royal Birkdale well, having lifted the Claret Jug here in 1991. royalbir...

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55:14

Royal County Down, County Down, Northern Ireland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/06/02

A special episode celebrating what many believe is the greatest golf course in the world! Royal County Down regularly tops the list of the best courses outside America, and some rate it as high as Cypress Point and Pine Valley. So why is it so revered? The challenge of the design and the beauty of its surroundings make it a must-play destination. We played alongside some of those who know the course best, and in this episode, you'll also hear from Soren Kjeldsen, who won the Irish Open ...

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36:26

St Mellion (Nicklaus), Cornwall, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/05/27

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 cham...

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44:11

Old Head, County Cork, Ireland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/05/21

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...

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36:12

Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/05/15

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 Clu...

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35:29

Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/05/09

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...

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34:26

West Lancs, Lancashire, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/05/03

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 challe...

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45:15

Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/04/27

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. htt...

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31:27

Gullane No.1, East Lothian, Scotland

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/04/21

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. And if the podcast do...

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28:20

The Els Club Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/04/15

We have a Golf Pilgrim Top 100 exclusive! 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. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/els-club-vilamoura https://www.elsclubvilamoura.com Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

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38:12

Quinta Do Lago, Algarve, Portugal

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/04/09

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. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/quinta-do-lago-north https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/quinta-do-lago-laranjal https://www.thegolfpi...

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30:41

Palmares, Algarve, Portugal

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/04/03

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. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/palmares https://www.palmaresliving.com/golf/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

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35:37

Cavendish, Derbyshire, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/03/28

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/ https://www.thegolfpilgri...

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54:10

Te Arai (North and South), Northland, New Zealand

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/03/22

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 highl...

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30:47

Blackmoor, Hampshire, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/03/16

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 Berk...

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42:04

Paraparaumu Beach, Wellington, New Zealand

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/03/10

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 und...

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42:03

Cleeve Hill, Gloucestershire, England

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/03/04

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...

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32:47

Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/02/26

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 the 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. Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

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40:46

Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/02/20

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

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24:48

Arikikapakapa/Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

The Golf Pilgrim Top 100 ·

2026/02/14

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. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/rotorua-arikikapakapa https://arikikapakapagolfrotorua.co.nz/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!

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