The Golf Pilgrim Top 100

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.”

Throw in a ruined medieval castle and ancient church, plus electrified fences to deter livestock, and this is definitely one of the more unusual settings for 18 holes

And according to the rankings, it’s the second best golf course in Wales.

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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're after the Dunluce Championship course, keep scrolling down our long list of episodes; we featured it in 2024.

We're lucky to have two men with in-depth knowledge as our guides: Gary McNeill, Head Professional at Royal Portrush, and Ricky Elliot, who grew up playing both courses and is now the long-serving caddie for 5-time major winner Brooks Koepka.

https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/royal-portrush-valley

https://www.royalportrushgolfclub.com/courses/the-valley/

This episode is produced in association with cmon.golf

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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 to play in The Open"!

When filmmakers needed a course to shoot "The Phantom Of The Open" - the true story of hapless novice Maurice Flitcroft who somehow found himself among those trying to qualify for the Open Championship, they chose Littlestone.

It may not be as famous as some other Kent courses such as Royal St George's and Princes - which really have staged The Open, but like them, it's a true test of links golf.

https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/littlestone

https://www.littlestonegolfclub.org.uk/

This episode is supported by cmon.golf

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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 course in the city, and you sense that is true from the moment you enter via a Magnolia Lane-like entrance.

If you're staying in Belfast, or on a golf tour and fancy an alternative to Northern Ireland's famous links courses, you won't be disappointed.

https://malonegolfclub.co.uk/

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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 game of two halves - the original course was designed by Harry Colt, but newly acquired land after the Second World War allowed Philip Mackenzie Ross to plot a route through dunes for a new back nine.

https://www.pandkgolfclub.co.uk/

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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 Colt designed it a century ago. Peter Alliss called it the "Augusta of Northern Ireland."

Belvoir Park is so popular that the club has 1,200 members, and it hosts 50,000 rounds of golf every year.

https://www.belvoirparkgolfclub.com/

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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 enjoy a course rightly rated one of the best in the world.

And while some traditions remain - you can pick and place your ball all year round, and your WHS index isn't recognised - it now welcomes visitors.

Harry Colt designed it, and golf historians believe it was his favourite of all his many great courses. If you play here, you will understand why.

https://www.swinleyfgc.co.uk/

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"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 a hint of a breeze, and Ardglass was looking at its most spectacular. Perched on cliff-tops with views of the Irish Sea from every hole, this course has become a favourite destination for golfers who also play at nearby Royal County Down.

Former US PGA winner Rich Beem is an honorary member of the club and tells us why Ardglass is so special.

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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 offering a a special twilight deal where a round costs just £30….oh, and that also includes a pizza and beer afterwards!

The regular green fee is still incredibly good value for a links course with stunning views which has now leapt into England’s Top 100.

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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 water hazards, with lakes and rivers cutting through the course.
Galgorm has staged many professional tournaments, with Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai among those who’ve challenged for titles here.

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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 best heathland courses anywhere, but is its bunkering too penal?

Course managers past and present discuss the challenge of maintaining its 143 sand traps.

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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 course used to be seen as living in the shadow of its famous neighbours, but visitors to the area often add Castlerock to their itinerary and are delighted with what they find.

And if its 18 holes aren’t enough of a challenge, the 9 hole Bann course is rated as even trickier..

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“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 Ingram after her team’s 2021 win.

Allisen Corpuz, who won three matches and went on to win the US Open a couple of years later, tells us why Conwy is one of her favourite courses.

Architect Mike Howard and GM Matthew Parsley reveal how the course will be even better.

This episode is supported by cmon.golf

https://www.conwygolfclub.com/

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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 Arnold Palmer designed parkland course has hosted numerous professional events, so this is your opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Rory McIlroy who has twice won the Irish Open here in dramatic style.

Our special guest David Howell recalls his memories of the course as both a Ryder Cup player, and as a television commentator.

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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, lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale!

Having reviewed the course a few weeks earlier, and presented The Golf Pilgrim guide on how to play Royal Birkdale, it seemed like a good idea to hear from the man who conquered the course. So we're delighted to say - welcome back Ryan, as he describes how he did it…..

And this is our Royal Birkdale episode:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/royal-birkdale-lancashire-england/id1743914901?i=1000771625962

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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 Philip Mackenzie Ross updated it after the Second World War.

It has some of the most dramatic holes in the British Isles, and its incredible 18th hole was the climax of Neil's six-year quest to play GB & Ireland's top 100.

https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/castletown

https://castletowngolflinks.com/

This episode is sponsored by https://cmon.golf/

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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 one over a farmer's field and another that is framed by the Sellafield nuclear power plant.

As we discovered, it adds a fabulous layer of drama to matchplay golf.

https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/seascale

https://www.seascalegolfclub.co.uk/

This episode is sponsored by https://cmon.golf/

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"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.

The Dominican Republic links, which sit on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, were restored while being closed for nearly a year.

Now they are back to their thrilling best and will surely return to the world's top 100 after a short hiatus.

https://www.casadecampo.com.do/

This episode is sponsored by https://cmon.golf/

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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 nuttiest of nutty holes in the world”!

With grazing sheep to help the green staff keep on top of grass management, and a bargain price for a Top 100 course, Appleby has found a host of admirers.

https://www.thegolfpilgrim.com/post/appleby

https://applebygolfclub.co.uk/

This episode is sponsored by https://cmon.golf/

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The city of Belfast is in County Antrim, but Royal Belfast Golf Club is north-east of Northern Ireland's capital, in County Down.

It's celebrating the centenary of its Harry Colt-designed parkland course on the shore of Belfast Lough. But the club is facing a very modern problem; a new housing development adjacent to the course means several holes will have to be reconfigured for health and safety reasons.

The club hopes the changes will make the course even better. And its Victorian clubhouse is one of the grandest you will find anywhere.

https://royalbelfast.com/

This episode is sponsored by https://cmon.golf/

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