I've Played 1,000 British Courses - Here Are Some Of My Favourites And The Lessons I've Learned From My Lifetime Journey...

The Grand Tour

Seven years ago, perhaps as confirmation of a misspent adulthood, I reached the landmark figure of having played 1,000 golf courses around the world. To quote editor Neil Tappin, “but none of them properly!” He has a point, and while at the time I thought this could well be my final significant golfing milestone, or distance marker, I subsequently realised I might also be lucky enough to make it to 1,000 courses not in total, but far closer to home.. within the British Isles.

As you can imagine, playing somewhere for the first time generally requires longer journeys away from my home in Kent, but I am pleased to say that on November 13th 2025, I played my 1,000th such course. While I have also been lucky enough to enjoy getting on for a further 300 courses in more than 40 other countries all over the world, this seems like the perfect time to reflect on what has been an amazing domestic journey.

The Early Years

The first course I ever played was in the Summer of 1977, the enthusiastically-named Championship Course at Addington Court near Croydon. In those days, it was a council-run municipal and a great asset for the community. Such was the naivety of youth that I ventured out on a Saturday morning with two college friends having never hit a ball before or even had a lesson. I have no idea how we had managed to acquire clubs or how we survived the icy stares and wailing of the people behind, but somehow we made it round and the seeds had been sown. I cannot now remember whether it was love at first sight, but even if not, I was soon smitten and a lifetime’s obsession was up and running.

For the next 23 years, all of this took place alongside my career in IT, much of it buoyed by running a work-based society with regular days out as well as one or two trips each year further afield. It helped that my mum had moved to the Highlands, near Inverness, as my regular trips to see her gave me plenty of opportunity to add to my tally at trophy courses including Royal Dornoch, Nairn and Skibo Castle, as well as lovely but less well-known delights such as Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Kingussie, Moray, Tain and Strathpeffer Spa. I often drove up from home and would make contrived detours to tick off the likes of Silloth on Solway and Cruden Bay.

In the early ‘80s, I joined North Downs in Surrey, a very friendly club with a short but tricky course I played as often as I could and more often than I should. Off a reasonably reliable handicap of 10, I also played in plenty of open competitions at other clubs, albeit with little success. And when I say little success, I actually mean no success at all! I once made it down to single figures, 9.3 to be precise, but two weeks later and two rounds in the club championship on the same day took me back to 9.5. At least I did, very briefly, make it! In 1987, I married for the first time. Marion was super-sporty and although she hadn’t played when we met, she was determined not to be a golf widow, took evening classes and within a year or so was quite brilliantly down to 10.

I now had even less of an excuse not to over-indulge my passion for courses, and together we played from Ashridge to Loch Lomond, and from Minchinhampton to Waterville. In 1994 I made the 2-mile move from North Downs to the Harry Colt course at Tandridge Golf Club where I have been ever since. Quite naturally, Marion followed me and enjoyed it fully until sadly her cancer meant that she could play no more. When she passed away in 2005, golf in general and Tandridge in particular became a fundamental focal point of my fractured life and in many ways has held me together and provided a structure ever since.

A New Beginning

In 2002 my career took a massive swerve when I became editor of a golfing trade publication, The Golf Club Secretary. This also opened more doors to playing. When I took over the role, my course count was 430 worldwide, just a third of what it is today. This also connected me with various figures in the golf media industry, most importantly Mike Harris who edited Golf Monthly for 17 years from 2006. It was he who recognised my insatiable appetite for courses and kindly offered me the opportunity to work with the magazine, initially reviewing courses before later also becoming involved with the rankings of the Top 100 Courses, and the Next 100 Courses, in the UK&I.

It seemed only logical that I should attempt to complete playing all 200, and of the current lists, I am now missing just four in Ireland and two in Scotland, all from the Next 100. The Top 100 is by its very nature a moving feast - Golf Monthly’s less so than most others - and so I was proud to recomplete playing all 100 in 2024 when I finally made it to the very engaging Murcar Links. Back to my life away from golf, and in 2008 I was fortunate enough to remarry, and although Rachel is a passionate and quite dedicated non-golfer, her mum is a former lady president at Hollinwell, coincidentally one of my favourite courses.

From my earliest scribblings with the magazine to this very day, I have absolutely loved visiting the new and very different offerings we have throughout Britain. I am still regularly surprised and delighted to stumble over new and quite different examples of the amazingly strong variety we have on our doorstep; links (Hesketh & North West), heathland (Sand Moor & Scotscraig), parkland (Belvoir Park & Trentham), moorland (Clyne & Matlock), clifftop (Glen & La Moye), downland (Lewes & Purley Downs), hybrid (Alnmouth, Bingley St Ives & Manchester) and absolutely everything and anything in between.

Perhaps with the exception of true links, I think that assigning a category or label to probably half of our courses is asking for trouble. More often than not, especially as courses have been upgraded and enhanced, there are traces of more than one style. As a keen advocate for variety, I fully applaud this and am more than comfortable for a course to span the various pigeon holes. Ultimately, we are exceptionally spoilt for choice and there is genuinely something for everyone.

The Eye Of The Beholder

While playing all of the Top 100 is of course a huge privilege, my friend and colleague Jeremy Ellwood and I are far from alone in having done so. A good number of readers have ticked off the list, and while I totally endorse the methods we use to create the Golf Monthly rankings, I think it is worth highlighting that for me at least, there is often a real difference between the best and the most enjoyable.

Using the tried and trusted criteria, which are well documented and designed to reflect the collective views and preferences of all regular golfers, I believe that the Golf Monthly Top 100 works very well. But we all have our own particular aspects that excite or please, and for me they are the two Vs. Variety is key and I love a course where every hole is a new and different adventure.

No matter how strong a hole is strategically, I am not so interested in having recurring but subtle variations on the same theme repeated throughout the round. My other V is views, and as shallow as you may now decide me to be, I want each hole to look attractive in its own right, and better still, I want views away from the course that lift my heart and give me solace on those rare occasions when my game is not quite 100%!

They Think It’s All Over…

Appropriately enough, I played my 1,000th course with my fellow courses junkie Jeremy - the beautifully-sited Cuckfield in West Sussex. Here, we were joined for lunch by local resident and leading golf photographer Kevin Murray who kindly snapped me on the final green. Not even its most ardent fan will argue that this pretty 9-holer is the greatest strategic design in the world, but I will stand by my oft-repeated mantra that there is no such thing as a bad golf course.

Admittedly some are less appealing than others, but I like to think that each and every one has something of merit. As for Cuckfield, it has glorious, panoramic views over the countryside as well as a lively and friendly clubhouse serving excellent food. Also very appropriately, it has a bar that serves my favourite-ever drink, Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter.

So there we have it; 763 courses in England, 49 in Ireland, just 23 in Northern Ireland, 114 in Scotland and 51 in Wales. A total of 32 courses at Royal golf clubs, one 10-holer, three 12-holers, and sad to say, 39 courses at 37 clubs that are no longer with us! So perhaps that is my next target… 1,000 British courses still being played.

What Do I Know?

Playing 1,000 golf courses of every shape and style in every corner of Britain has given me a number of personal insights. And while I would still argue that I am fundamentally not a golf course expert, I would say that my experience over heading towards half a century means I do know something about the subject. Even allowing for my personal tastes and preferences, I would say that I can recognise the differences between average, good, great and exceptional.

This has helped inform my work with and understanding of the rankings, though just to be clear, I stay very firmly out of the conversation when the subject of my own beloved Tandridge arises. There is no doubt that it has improved out of all recognition in my 30-plus years of membership, but I am too close to the club to be dispassionate, so I leave that part of the debate to others.

However, while on the subject, there is one other important thing that my life in golf has confirmed; that my membership and the relationships it has created and developed as well the fun and at times frustration it has given me, have all been key to my life. Again, I know I am far from alone in this view.

What Does It All Mean?

On reflection, my golfing odyssey has meant more to me than I can adequately put in words. A part of me regrets that I didn’t do something more worthwhile, not that I necessarily had the potential or wherewithal. It would have been lovely to make a contribution to the greater good, and while recommending lovely golf courses is a treat and some people have been kind enough to thank me for pointing them in the right direction, I’ve not saved anybody’s life. Which is slightly ironic, as you could argue that golf has saved mine. I hope it’s not too melodramatic to say that even though music is another great passion, my golfing adventures have been the soundtrack to my life.

They have taken me to places I would otherwise never have dreamed of visiting, and enabled me to meet more interesting and accomplished people than my failing memory can hold onto. The friendships that have blossomed from my membership at Tandridge and my work with Golf Monthly are enduring and priceless, and I feel beyond lucky to have enjoyed a life blessed by so much good golfing fortune. The final thing about which I remain convinced is that regardless of the many spectacular and very different trophy offerings all over the world, there are definitely more than enough golf courses in Britain with something unique, enjoyable and memorable to last and indeed satisfy the keenest golfer a lifetime.

Five Personal Favourites

I would like to conclude these ramblings - physical and metaphorical - by making some all-time personal recommendations. And as I often sing the praises of Golf Monthly’s Top 200 courses, then as I have mainly tried to do throughout this story, I have selected five favourites that aren’t among that upper echelon, but which I personally enjoy more than many that are.

Kington

England’s highest 18-hole course and an absolute joy with 360-degree views that are arguably the finest panoramas in the UK&I. On a clear day, you can see forever, and as this most natural design celebrates its centenary, I will repeat my assertion that if there is an inland course with finer views than those at Kington Golf Club anywhere in the country, I have still to play it.

Perranporth

While I have friends who question the number of blind shots and unpredictable bounces this James Braid beauty sometimes delivers, I remain convinced that the elevated and remarkably varied links at Perranporth Golf Club in Cornwall is one of the most scenic and enjoyable courses I have ever played.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie

When I graduated from college and first became smitten with golf, this is where I spent endless hours trying, and failing, to perfect my game. The exposed setting of Fortrose & Rosemarkie on a beautiful promontory in the Highlands remains one of my all-time favourites.

Cruit Island

Going off-piste on an already tight schedule in order to squeeze in a game at Cruit Island in County Donegal was one of the best impromptu golfing moves I have ever made. This quirky and unique 9-holer has more charm and joie-de-vivre per hole than just about anywhere.

Shiskine

On my golfing radar for more than 40 years, I finally made it to this spectacular 12-holer on Arran in the Summer of 2024 and played it in sun, rain, wind, hailstones and a perfect sunset. If you want to know what I really thought of it, I am going back to Shiskine Golf Club again this Summer!