Telford Golf Club

The purpose of the Review of The Month feature is twofold. Top100GolfCourses has always aimed to salute and encourage those who are putting admirable effort into reviewing the world’s great golf courses. Moving forward, we are also looking to learn from these experts! We’ll be chatting with the month’s star authors and discussing topics such as golf in their area, what they like to see in a strong course review, and of course dig a little deeper into their own winning review. March 2022’s Review of The Month comes from Faiz Alam, who gave readers a keen insight into Church Stretton Golf Club. 1. You open by noting that Church Stretton presents both "bewilderment" and "adventure." Is there a fine line when walking between those ideas? Yes, I think there can be a fine line but a real adventure needs a bit of bewilderment to make it challenging and more exciting. On the other hand, too much bewilderment might just make it a stressful experience! I think Church Stretton is bewildering for so many reasons: the blind shots, the massive changes in elevation but most of all I found myself coming back to the incredible notion that the founders thought this was a good site to build a golf course. Some amazing foresight at a time when the locals must have thought it was absurd. To play golf so high looking down on the valleys and land beneath lends the course a certain magical aspect. 2. Blind shots can be divisive when analyzing a golf course. Do you believe Church Stretton may appeal to one golfer and not another? Certainly, I think as a traveling golfer you need to approach each course with an open mind and appreciate the quirks and charm of each course. Church Stretton is not a long course and I feel that the blind shots play an important part in the course’s defence. One part of the round which I really enjoyed was tackling these blind shots and the feeling of satisfaction when you finally saw your ball on the green or fairway. 3. Much of the current course is attributed to James Braid. How does Church Stretton stand among the other Braid designs you've had the opportunity to play? Amongst the Braid designs I've played, Church Stretton is undoubtedly my favourite. I would argue that it is a bit underappreciated. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did given some past reviews. I am not sure that it qualifies as a top 100 course but if there was such a thing as “top 100 experiences,” this would rank highly for me. 4. The photos you included as part of the review demonstrate the jaw-dropping views across Shropshire from the course. Course design aside, do such views impact the enjoyment of your day at the club? I think it would be hard to play at Church Stretton and not be blown away by the stunning scenery. We are fortunate to play a sport that highlights the surrounding natural beauty and this course presents you with beautiful England at every turn. You can't help but drink it all in on every hole. 5. Now that you're a celebrated "Review of The Month" winner, let us know what factors you appreciate in a strong golf course review! My favourite part of the site is reading through reviews of courses that I may never even get to play. I am lucky to have won Review of The Month but there are many styles of review that I appreciate and learn from. Some are short and concise but capture the essence of the course. Others are longer and tell of the experience throughout the day. Both have their place but what is most important for me is to remain open-minded and try to describe what makes the course worth visiting. What lingers in your memory, what would bring you back. And please share pictures! 6. What's one course that you'd love to write a review for during 2022 (or plan to)? I am slowly trying to complete the English Top 100 and next on the list is Ganton.

Top 10 Golf Courses in Shropshire 2015 Shropshire Best In County rankings updated The Salop county of Shropshire is easily accessible from just about anywhere in England, but it’s far enough away from the madding crowd such that it has remained peaceful and unspoilt. The Shropshire and Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs take care of the interests of 33 golf clubs in the union, two-thirds of which are located in Shropshire. It may therefore seem overly generous to feature a Top 10 for this relatively diminutive golfing county. However, we feel the quality of Shropshire’s golf courses is sufficiently interesting and unsung to warrant such coverage. The course that remains at the head of our Shropshire rankings has a Welsh name that most non-Celtic speakers will struggle to pronounce. Fifteen holes at Llanymynech (meaning “Church of the Monks”) lie within Wales, but Llanymynech is an English golf club. From atop this limestone plateau, surrounded by sheer cliff faces, you can see the Shropshire Plain with its quilted patchwork of fields and trees stretching out for miles. It’s an awe-inspiring location on a clear day. Set within an extensive property that attracts many visitors to the caves, tunnels, trails and towers of its 18th century follies, the Hawkstone course at Hawkstone Park moves up one place to 2nd. This James Braid design from the 1920s was renovated by Welsh golfing legend Brian Huggett when the Principal Hayley Group acquired the estate in the 1990s. Up two spots to 3rd place is Oswestry Golf Club, another James Braid design, this time from the 1930s. Routed across an undulating, free-draining site, the course is blessed with a fine set of par three holes. Two short par fours at 7 and 11 are also worthy of mention, with the former doglegging slightly left to the green and the latter playing to a small raised putting surface. To see our new 2015 Shropshire Top 10, click the link. If you have played golf extensively across any English county and would like to have your say, please contact me (keith@top100golfcourses.com). In the meanwhile a big thank you to everyone who contributed to our Shropshire Best In County ranking process. Keith Baxter Editor-in-Chief Top 100 Golf Courses

You don't need a four-figure budget, a private-club connection or an invitation from a member to play a course in the World Top 100. Top100 has collated the 10 cheapest visitor-accessible courses on our current World Top 100 Ranking, based on standard green fees. From a world-class links in Tasmania to a U.S. Open and Ryder Cup venue in New York, these courses offer the chance to play some of the best golf on the planet without the eye-watering green fees attached to many of their World Top 100 counterparts. 1. St Andrews Beach Golf Course (Victoria, Australia) World Ranking: 89th | Australia ranking: 6th | Green fee: A$139 (£74) Tom Doak’s first Australian mainland design, St Andrews Beach opened in 2004 on the Mornington Peninsula and has since become one of the country’s best-value, ranked courses. The public-access layout occupies 175 hectares of former grazing land, with wide fairways, rolling terrain and sandy natural contours that give several holes a links-like feel. Measuring just over 6,000 metres from the back tees, it is playable for a broad range of golfers, though the subtle greens ensure there is still plenty to think about. In a region known for outstanding golf, St Andrews Beach stands out not only for its quality but also for its accessibility, offering everyday golfers the chance to experience a Tom Doak design without the premium price tag often attached to courses of this calibre. 2. Bethpage Black (New York, USA) World Ranking: 58th | USA ranking: 28th | Green fee: From US$140 (£106) Bethpage Black has the rare distinction of being a World Top 100 course, a major championship venue and a public golf course. Located within Bethpage State Park on Long Island, the A.W. Tillinghast design opened in 1936 and has since hosted two U.S. Opens and the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Black is renowned for its difficulty, with narrow fairways, deep rough, large sculpted bunkers and elevated greens making accuracy essential. It is a demanding test, but one that remains remarkably accessible to everyday golfers. That combination of championship pedigree and public access is what makes Bethpage Black so unusual. Few golfers get the chance to play a course of this stature without needing a private-club connection or resort stay. 3. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club (Wellington, New Zealand) World Ranking: 91st | New Zealand ranking: 2nd | Green fee: NZ$275 (£118) Set on the Kapiti Coast, north of New Zealand's capital city Wellington, Paraparaumu Beach has been one of the country’s most celebrated golf courses since Alex Russell designed it in 1949. The links has hosted 12 New Zealand Opens and has long been regarded as one of the country’s finest layouts. It is a relatively short course by modern championship standards, but the coastal wind, firm fairways, deep bunkers and undulating greens provide plenty of challenge. The split-fairway 17th is a particular highlight, forcing golfers to choose between two very different routes to the green. For international golfers, Paraparaumu offers the chance to experience a genuine piece of New Zealand golfing history without needing access to a private resort. 4. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course (Alberta, Canada) World Ranking: 73rd | Canada ranking: 2nd | Green fee: C$280 (£149) Set among the Canadian Rockies in Jasper National Park, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is one of Stanley Thompson’s most celebrated designs. Opened in 1925, the course winds through the valley beside Lake Beauvert, with snow-capped peaks providing a backdrop to almost every hole. The course combines wide fairways, elevated tees and strategically placed bunkers with the natural contours of the landscape. Thompson’s design rewards thoughtful play rather than simply demanding power, making it a course that can be enjoyed by golfers of different abilities. The result is a rare combination of classic golf and Canadian wilderness, with the surrounding mountains and forest making the journey between shots almost as memorable as the golf itself. 5. Barnbougle - The Dunes Course (Tasmania, Australia) World Ranking: 25th | Australia ranking: 3rd | Green fee: A$285 (£151) Barnbougle Dunes is about as close as Australia gets to a traditional seaside links. Set on Tasmania’s northeast coast, the course was designed by Tom Doak and Australian Mike Clayton and opened in 2004, establishing Barnbougle as one of the country’s premier golf destinations. The layout runs through towering coastal dunes, with wide fairways, natural contours and greens that follow the movement of the land. The wind is an ever-present factor, while the strategic design rewards golfers who think their way around the course rather than simply relying on power. For golfers seeking a genuine links experience outside the British Isles, Barnbougle Dunes is about as compelling as it gets, combining world-class golf with the rugged coastline of Tasmania. 6. Cape Wickham Golf Links (Tasmania, Australia) World Ranking: 47th | Australia ranking: 4th | Green fee: A$315 (£167) Cape Wickham occupies a spectacular stretch of coastline on King Island, sitting in Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Designed by American architect Mike DeVries, the links opened in 2015 and quickly established itself as one of the country's standout modern courses. The course makes the most of its remote coastal setting, with the opening five holes winding around Cape Farewell before the layout moves through sand hills and limestone outcrops. Several holes hug the shoreline, while the closing stretch heads towards the imposing Cape Wickham Lighthouse. The 18th provides a fitting finale, with the fairway doglegging around a sandy bay before reaching the home green, making Cape Wickham a memorable links experience from start to finish. 7. St Enodoc Golf Club - Church Course (Cornwall, England) World Ranking: 49th | England ranking: 4th | Green fee: £175 Set among towering dunes overlooking the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, St Enodoc’s Church Course is one of James Braid’s most distinctive designs. Founded in 1891, the course was transformed by Braid in the early 20th century and remains a spectacularly natural links. It is a relatively short par 69 at 6,010 metres, but its undulating fairways, dramatic elevation changes and formidable dunes create a test that demands imagination. The famous 6th is the standout, with the enormous Himalaya dune obscuring the green and making club selection particularly difficult. The course also has an unusual piece of history, with the 13th hole running alongside the churchyard where poet laureate John Betjeman is buried. 8. South Cape Owners Club (Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea) World Ranking: 63rd | South Korea ranking: 2nd | Green fee: From KRW 350,000 (£195) Set on Namhae Island off the southeast coast of South Korea, South Cape Owners Club is a dramatic Kyle Phillips design where the ocean is visible from all 18 holes. The course opened in 2013 as part of a luxury resort development and has quickly established itself among Asia's most striking modern layouts. The course is framed by granite outcrops, coastal cliffs and rolling terrain, with bluegrass fairways contrasting against fine fescue rough. The standout stretch comes from the 11th onwards, culminating in two spectacular waterside par threes at the 14th and 16th. For golfers willing to make the journey to Namhae Island, South Cape offers a rare combination of world-class golf, dramatic coastal scenery and a luxury resort experience. 9. Utrecht De Pan Golf Club (Utrecht, Netherlands) World Ranking: 56th | Netherlands ranking: 1st | Green fee: From €235 (£198) Dating back to 1894, Utrecht De Pan is the second-oldest golf club in the Netherlands, with Harry Colt designing the current course in 1929. Set in secluded woodland near Utrecht, the layout is a classic heathland course, winding through pine, birch, oak and chestnut trees. De Pan has hosted the Dutch Open three times and is built around strategic rather than power golf. Several of its most memorable holes play over valleys of heather and sand, while the sixth and seventh demand particularly thoughtful tee shots and approaches. Recent restoration work by Frank Pont has helped return the course towards Colt’s original design, making De Pan a fascinating example of Golden Age heathland golf in the Netherlands. 10. Cruden Bay Golf Club - Championship Course (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) World Ranking: 70th | Scotland ranking: 10th | Green fee: From £205 Cruden Bay is one of Scotland’s most distinctive links, winding through towering dunes on the Aberdeenshire coast with the North Sea providing a constant backdrop. The course opened in 1899 after being laid out by Old Tom Morris and Archie Simpson, before Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler remodelled it in 1926. Cruden Bay makes spectacular use of its natural terrain, with elevated tees, blind drives, punchbowl greens and fairways that rise and fall between the dunes. The 193-yard 4th, played from an elevated tee across a deep hollow, is one of several standout holes. There is plenty of character, too, from driveable par fours and back-to-back par threes to the feeling that every hole reveals something different. It is exactly the sort of course that rewards golfers willing to embrace its quirks. Green fees are based on standard 18-hole visitor rates, using international visitor rates where applicable. All prices are peak-season rates and do not take twilight, off-season or promotional rates into account. Prices are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.