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 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.

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152 episodes
Updated Saturday

Episodes152

Newest first

Aug 16, 2024 · 53 min
Royal Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
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 a painful tale of heartbreak, when glory beckoned... www.royalportrushgolfclub.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/royal-portrush Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Aug 7, 2024 · 32 min
Fulford, North Yorkshire, England
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!
Jul 26, 2024 · 34 min
Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England
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 course not! www.ashridgegolfclub.ltd.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/ashridge Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jul 19, 2024 · 29 min
Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
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? Text us your opinion!
Jul 13, 2024 · 28 min
Parkstone, Dorset, England
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.parkstonegolfclub.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/parkstone Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jul 12, 2024 · 33 min
East Devon, Devon, England
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 with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jul 9, 2024 · 27 min
Remedy Oak, Dorset, England
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 opinion!
Jul 1, 2024 · 34 min
Centurion, Hertfordshire, England
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 - but Neil and Ian were invited to take on a course with SEVEN par 5s. centurionclub.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/centurion Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jun 27, 2024 · 36 min
Tandridge, Surrey, England
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 debate ...even among its members! But we loved it. www.tandridgegolfclub.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/tandridge Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jun 20, 2024 · 44 min
Walton Heath Old & New, Surrey, England
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 Number One Scottie Scheffler at Pinehurst No. 2! www.waltonheath.com www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/walton-health-golf-club-new-review www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/walton-heath-golf-club-review Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jun 15, 2024 · 45 min
Lofoten Links, Norway
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 avoid all the heather...and the rocks. www.lofotenlinks.no/en www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/lofoten-links Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jun 5, 2024 · 32 min
Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland.
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 time, as a true test of lnks golf? www.prestwickgc.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/prestwick Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
Jun 2, 2024 · 45 min
Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland
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 without his presence? Ian and Neil debate these questions - but the focus remains on one of the truly great places to play golf. And they hear why from Quintin Dunlop, Captain of Turnberry Golf Club and Leonard Van Nunen from LeadingCourses.com www.turnberrygolfclub.net/ www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/turnberry-ailsa Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 30, 2024 · 32 min
Silloth on Solway, Cumbria, England
"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 rewarded with spectacular views and challenging links. www.sillothgolfclub.co.uk www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/silloth-on-solway Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 23, 2024 · 27 min
Sunningdale New, Berkshire, England
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 with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 23, 2024 · 27 min
Moor Park, Hertfordshire, England
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 you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 18, 2024 · 38 min
Woking, Surrey, England
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....which is Ian's excuse for three-putting on almost every hole... www.wokinggolfclub.co.uk /www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/woking Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 18, 2024 · 27 min
North Hants, Hampshire, England
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 agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 13, 2024 · 39 min
Rosapenna, County Donegal, Ireland. Part 2: St Patrick's Links
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-site facilities let it down? Plenty to talk about in this episode...including how Ian had his BEST ROUND EVER! But don't let that put you off listening.... www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/rosapenna-st-patrick- www.rosapenna.ie/st-patricks-links-by-tom-doak-2021.html Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!
May 12, 2024 · 28 min
Rosapenna, County Donegal, Ireland. Part 1: Sandy Hills and Old Tom Morris
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 take on the new St Patrick's Links which has already leapt into the top 50 in the World! www.rosapenna.ie/sandy-hills-links www.rosapenna.ie/old-tom-morris-links Do you agree with our review? Text us your opinion!