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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 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 champagne and comedy moments to discuss, in the company of his fellow journalist and pal Ian Woods. Ian's a former Sky News and BBC Correspondent, who's now working for ITV. He's played a lot of great courses too, and is a former Captain of the Press Golfing Society.
99 Episodes
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The Golf Pilgrim teams up with two of the internet’s most popular golf video creators at one of Ireland’s most popular courses! County Sligo, also known as Rosses Point, is set amid the stunning scenery which inspired the Nobel Prize-winning poet WB Yeats. How will these modern-day wordsmiths describe the challenge posed by these 18 holes? https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/county-sligo https://countysligogolfclub.ie/visitor-green-fee-rates/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your...
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy have all hosted the Ryder Cup. And yet Sweden - which has provided ten players in the European Team - is still waiting. We think the Stadium Course at Bro Hof Slott near Stockholm would be an excellent venue. With a castle for a clubhouse, it's built for matchplay drama and can accommodate large crowds. There are two courses to test visitors and an 18-hole putting course! https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/bro-hof-slott-stadium...
There are some links courses where golfers will never see the sea, and then there are some that hug the coastline so tightly that the beach is a tempting diversion. At Narin & Portnoo, they tell the story of a German couple who thought they had got lost but emerged several hours late to say they had decided to have a picnic on the beach. Needless to say, the views on this Donegal gem are tremendous, and so are the holes. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/narin-portnoo ...
There's never been a sportsman like Sven Tumba. After playing Ice hockey at the Winter Olympics and football in the European Cup, he turned his attention to golf, became a professional, and represented Sweden in the World Cup. Oh, and he was also Sweden's best waterskier. He's credited with popularising golf in Sweden, and designed the course at Ullna which opened in 1981. When it needed a revamp, he called up his friend Jack Nicklaus to oversee it. The course is now rated o...
Must golfers come to Ireland for a Links experience, but Lough Erne offers something different. Designed by 6-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo, and opened in 2009, it's been named in the top ten parkland courses in GB & Ireland. Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington celebrated its opening by playing a challenge match…find out how Rory made his mark with a stunning drive. And co-designer Guy Hockley explains how and why the 18th is a challenging par 3. https://www.lougherneresort.com/g...
Sky Sports golf commentator Ewen Murray has worked and played at the world's most famous courses. But ask him his favourite….and he'll tell you to go to a links course in East Lothian, which more illustrious neighbours surround. Ewen became a member of Dunbar when he was a promising junior golfer, commuting by bus and train from his home in Edinburgh. It's a stunning piece of land where they've been playing golf for 400 years. https://www.dunbargolfclub.com/ https://www.thegolfpil...
After a cameo appearance in our Royal Troon episode, Henrik Stenson is back to discuss the Swedish course that bears his name. The former Open champion has teamed up with architect Christian Lundin to revamp the two 18-hole courses at this property near Stockholm. The East course reopened in 2019 and is already in Europe's Top 100, while the West course will soon be completed. https://ostgk.se/en/ https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/%C3%B6ster%C3%A5ker-%C3%B6ster-by-stenson Do you agree w...
Fancy a round at the exclusive course which hosts the Scottish Open? Renaissance is a private members' club for the wealthy. But when the Golf Pilgrim played with Jerry Sarvadi, he suggested anyone who wants a game should give him a call or send him an email! You're likely to be vetted…the club suggests its "One Time Experience" deal is for potential members. But there's no harm in asking…. https://trcaa.com/ https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/renaissance Do you agree with our re...
A hundred years ago, the Åland Islands were the subject of an international dispute that had to be settled by the League of Nations. Are they Finnish or Swedish? Well, for the last century, the answer is a bit of both. The archipelago is part of Finland, but everyone speaks Swedish. And although the golf courses are relatively modern, the site is historic, with a castle and Viking burial grounds nearby. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/%C3%A5lands-castle https://www.agk.ax/en ...
An all-star edition in which we visit one of the world's best-known courses and talk to two famous figures who know it well. Royal Troon is a regular host of The Open Championship, and in 2016, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson played some spectacular golf as they vied to become Champion Golfer of the Year. Henrik won, shooting a record 20 under par, and he tells The Golf Pilgrim of his love for the course. We also hear from BBC Commentator Andrew Cotter, who grew up as a member at Roya...
A tale of two courses…one which has mysteriously slipped out of Europe's Top 100 list, while its once lesser-ranked twin has overtaken it. At one point Kytäjä’s South-East course was rated as high as 65th in the continental list and was Number One in Finland. But this stylish resort sited between a forest and a gorgeous lake is definitely worth a visit. Both South-East and North-West courses are great. Make up your own mind which one is best…. www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/kyt%C3%A4j%C3%A...
Western Gailes, on a narrow strip of land between the Ayrshire coast and a railway line is a tough test for any golfer. That's why it's been used as an Open qualifying venue and recently staged the Scottish women's amateur championship. The closing holes in particular will leave you breathless, even when the wind isn't whipping off the sea. Its clubhouse has a very traditional feel, and Western Gailes is now one of the few remaining Scottish clubs with a men-only membership policy, thou...
Finland is often rated as the happiest nation in the world. Is it because of its high standard of living? Is it the beauty of the landscape, or because Finns spend so much time in saunas? Or could it be because they have some beautiful golf courses like Linna which feature in continental Europe's Top 100? One of the holes on this course was designed by the winner of a competition - and Dave Sampson went on to have a successful career as a golf architect. We talk to him about Linna...
There are so many highly rated courses in this part of England, that Camberley Heath probably doesn't get the attention it deserves, even though it's in England's Top 100. But this Harry Colt heathland gem should be on your must-play list, and not just because it's a good deal cheaper to play than many of its illustrious Surrey neighbours. Towering pines line the fairways, and there are plenty of elevation changes to make for a challenging, but fun round. https://www.camberleyheathgolfclub.co...
1We're publishing our review of Estonia's top course on a famous day in the country's golf history. It's Day One of The Open championship at Royal Portrush, and, for the first time, an Estonian golfer will be among those taking part! Richard Teder, an amateur, qualified in stunning fashion a few weeks earlier - and by coincidence, he did so while Neil was at Pärnu Bay in Estonia - which is ranked in the Top 100 courses in continental Europe. There was much excitement back home… Ian...
When a young Scottish surgeon moved across the border to north-east England in the early 1870s, he was shocked o discover that there was nowhere for him to play his favourite sport. And so The Durham and Yorkshire Golf Club was born, later renamed Seaton Carew. For the next century, heavy industry dominated the landscape, but in the midst of it all, there is a golfing oasis, which for decades has been recognised as one of England's best courses. And not content with having 18 great hole...
Breaking News alert! The Golf Pilgrim takes on the BBC…as Neil goes head-to-head with BBC TV news presenter Christian Fraser in a matchplay knockout contest. Neutral territory somewhere in central England was required, so Northamptonshire County was chosen. With a Harry Colt and James Braid pedigree, this is a venue that is sure to test the best. https://www.countygolfclub.co.uk/ https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/northamptonshire-county-revised Do you agree with our revi...
The grass may be green and as well-manicured as any we’ve seen this year, but it certainly doesn’t grow under the feet of the management at El Paraiso between Marbella and Estepona on the Costa Del Sol. This is a club that's on the move, and don’t be surprised to see it enhance its position in Spain’s top 100. https://elparaisogolf.com/ Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
An exclusive, private club in one of Spain’s most upmarket resorts - but a small number of visitors are allowed to play at Las Brisas, especially in summer. So you can follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, who used to be a member, and top footballers, who still are. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones and updated by Kyle Phillips - who tells us about the changes he made. https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/real-club-de-golf-las-brisas https://realclubdegolflasbrisas.com/ Do ...
Opened in 2000, Kingsbarns has quickly established itself as a course on a par with some of the greatest links courses in Scotland. Every year, it jointly hosts the Alfred Dunhill Pro-Am event alongside The Old Course at St Andrews and Carnoustie. It's now a must-play destination for thousands of visitng golfers, so you might find the pace of play a little frustrating…but just relax and enjoy the spectacular views. And what better way to prepare for your round than to listen to architec...
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played this course way back in 2018 for my 30th bday its my favourite course that I have ever played and am from scotland I had to hire clubs that day but I want to go back with my own clubs one day and see how I get on I was happy I got a birdie on the 2nd and had 7 single putts on the round.