The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

Ballyliffin (Old Links), County Donegal, Ireland

The first of two episodes from one of the best 36-hole golf clubs anywhere in the UK and Ireland. Next week we will talk about the more modern course, the Glashedy, but i

Pennard, Glamorgan, Wales

You won’t find the sea lapping at the edge of this Welsh links course, because Pennard is 200 feet above the bay. That’s why it’s been dubbed “The Links in the Sky.” Thr

Royal Portrush (Valley), County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Royal Portrush's second course now ranks in the Great Britain and Ireland Top 100 in its own right, so it deserves its own episode of The Golf Pilgrim.  If you'

Littlestone, Kent, England

Littlestone attracts a high standard of golfers - the average handicap of its membership is a good indicator.  But a few years ago it was graced by "the worst golfer ever

Malone (Drumbridge & Ballydrain), County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Malone Golf Club sits in the midst of one of the most exclusive areas of Belfast, with 27 parkland holes around a huge lake.  The championship 18 is ranked as the best co

Pyle & Kenfig, Glamorgan, Wales

A near neighbour of Royal Porthcawl, P&K, as it is affectionately known, earns plaudits in its own right and is ambitious in its plans for the future. A round here is a

Belvoir Park, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

A parkland course in the suburbs of Belfast, Belvoir Park takes you on a roller-coaster ride through tree-lined valleys, on a routing that has changed little since Harry

Swinley Forest, Berkshire, England

For decades, Swinley Forest was in a world of its own: an ultra-private members' club in a secluded area on the Berkshire/Surrey border, with few outsiders able to e

Ardglass, County Down, Northern Ireland

"It's in the hole!!" Yes, the moment every golfer dreams about… but was it Neil or was it Ian who celebrated a hole-in-one? It was a perfect sunny day with barely

Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland, England

For the first time in the history of The Golf Pilgrim, we think a Top 100 club is charging too little for visitors to play their course!  Dunstanburgh Castle has been off

Galgorm Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Unlike so many of Ireland’s finest courses, Galgorm Castle is not a links, and it is miles from the sea. But you are never far from water.  14 of the 18 holes feature wat

Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin), Lincolnshire, England

It’s the home of England Golf and has a fearsome reputation as one of the most difficult courses in the country.  Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin course is rated as one of the be

Castlerock (Mussenden), County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Castlerock is on prime links golf land on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast. Its close proximity to Portrush and Portstewart is both a blessing and a curse; the Mussenden

Conwy Golf Club, Conwy, Wales

“We’ve had a spectacular week, beautiful weather. The people are amazing here, so welcoming and helpful.” Those were the words of US Curtis Cup captain Sarah LeBrun Ingr

K Club (Palmer North), County Kildare, Ireland

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club, it's a good time to revisit the course which has provided so many great memories. The Arnol

Bonus episode: Ryan Fox tells us how he won The Open!

Earier this year Ryan Fox joined us on The Golf Pilgrim to talk about some of his favourite courses in New Zealand. In July, Ryan became the Champion Golfer of the Year,

Castletown, Isle of Man

Castletown on the Isle of Man is rightly proud of its pedigree. Old Tom Morris laid out the original links, Alister MacKenzie made improvements 20 years later, and Phili

Seascale, Cumbria, England

Seascale was announced as one of England’s top 100 in the 2026 list, and we discovered it was entirely deserving of its place. It has some classic links holes, including

Teeth of the Dog, Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic

"Bury me in a pot bunker", wrote the legendary designer Pete Dye, so his friends and family did just that at the side of the eighth of his masterpiece, Teeth of the Dog.

Appleby, Cumbria, England

A recent new entry into England’s Top 100, Appleby is not your average course.  It’s a par 68, with no par 5s, but it does have what designer Mike Clayton calls “the nutt