Benjamin Smith

The founder of The Wandering Golfers, Ben grew up on the links of Scotland learning the game from his beloved Grandpa. Previously a writer and broadcaster for The Times and BBC

Can Arccos give you the best golf lesson in the world?

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Golf is not an exact science: as individuals we’re gloriously unique, not only from the rest of the world but from each other too. No two swings are the same and the challenge of how we improve is also unique to each of us – no YouTube tip fits all. But could data…

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Royal Portrush: 10 things that make this place so special

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Royal Portrush Golf Club is, without question, one of the world’s great links. 

It has, of course, grown accustomed to hosting the game’s greatest players since 1888, Harry Vardon, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy (and many more besides) are just some of the legendary footsteps you will be…

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Blown away by St Patrick’s Links – one of Ireland’s great courses

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The views across St Patrick’s Links to Sheephaven Bay would’ve been enough to take my breath away if the wind whipping in off the Atlantic and across this incredible golf course, hadn’t got there first. Finding the words to capture the feeling of standing on this jaw-dropping linksland is not easy – dramatic…

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Dr Golf: an inspiring journey back to the top

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In another life, Zach Gould would be a household name on the PGA Tour.  As a precocious teenager, the Welshman – who many now know as Dr Golf – had been destined for the top of the game having won some of Europe’s most prestigious junior tournaments, beating Rory McIlroy en route. He…

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‘Dramatic’ new Pinehurst No 10 course to open April 2024

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The highly-anticipated Tom Doak design, will be the first original golf course at Pinehurst Resort for nearly 30 years. Its opening comes just a few months before Pinehurst hosts its fourth US Open on Pinehurst No 2…

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Luke v Scott a thrilling chapter in adventure of a lifetime

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Pace of play has been a hot topic in golf for many years now. Rounds on the PGA Tour have gone, in some cases, north of five-and-a-half hours. But the great joy of our game is that it is far more wide-ranging than the professional game and along that spectrum, there are two…

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Brocket Hall’s Melbourne Club is the quintessential English experience

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The light is fading over  Broadwater Lake; the only sounds are the rustle of weeping willows, the flap of a swan’s wings near the reeds and, right on cue, the crisp plop of a golf ball coming up a yard or two short of the 18th green at The Melbourne Course at Brocket…

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Pinehurst: 10 things you need to know

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It just doesn’t get much better than a golf trip to Pinehurst. The magic of the place is something we have documented at length and we’ll continue to tell anyone who asks, why this place is so special. But to truly get the most from your visit there are a few things you’ll…

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Why Pinehurst is one of the world’s great golf trips

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A few hours in Pinehurst is all it takes to understand why so many who come here leave their hearts behind. This is, of course, the Cradle of American Golf and with good reason: the game is delightfully inescapable here, it’s everywhere your eye falls, it’s woven into the fabric. In Pinehurst, golf…

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Pinehurst: The Cradle Rocks – A Truly Happy Golf Course

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I could’ve kept playing The Cradle until the men in white coats arrived to carry me away.  Pinehurst‘s enchanting short course had won me over and then some. And the only surprise was I hadn’t seen it coming, I hadn’t expected the whole experience to be so laid back and so, well, fun. …

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Gareth Benson: golf lessons that will change your game

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They say great teachers don’t just fill your pail, they light a fire: after an hour or so in the company of the brilliant Gareth Benson at Hillside Golf Club, that’s exactly how I feel. Full disclosure: I have not had many golf lessons in my life. As someone who was introduced to…

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Resplendent Rockliffe Hall Sparkles In The Summer Sunshine

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It’s hard to imagine ever growing tired of long sultry, summer evenings at resplendent Rockliffe Hall.  We’ve been watching the Oystercatchers dancing in the night air and rabbits scampering across the sprawling lawns from our terrace overlooking the golf course and life feels good. On a normal day I might complain about weary…

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Amateur Championship: Hillside A fitting venue for world’s best

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It’s official, Hillside Golf Club when the wind blows will test even the very best golfers in the game. Reader, I am not one of them. I walk off the 18th green and towards the comforting embrace of the white clubhouse here, a beaten man. Hillside has got the better of me today…

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Royal Liverpool Golf Club: a true Hoylake love affair

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I fell in love with Royal Liverpool Golf Club the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. I can still recall the first time I drove through the gates and caught sight of the majestic clubhouse which stands guard over the links land here. On that day, I walked around to…

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Grandeur and growth at the heart of Woodsome Hall success story

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The grandeur of Woodsome Hall Golf Club speaks for itself.  From the moment you drive through the gates of this handsome 134-acre estate and sweep up towards the 16th century grade-1 listed clubhouse, you get a sense of what this place is all about. The Woodsome Hall experience begins long before you step…

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Manchester Golf Club: natural wonder within sight of the city

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You might think the sight of a deer scampering down the 5th fairway at Manchester Golf Club would be a surprise given we’re within sight of the city centre. And yet amid the natural splendour all around us, we barely pay it a second glance: it’s very much at home – as are…

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Cliff Hotel Cardigan: wonderful Wales and the perfect family break

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It’s an hour before sunset at The Cliff Hotel, Cardigan and we’re watching a pod of dolphins play in the water below us.  This stunning corner of Wales has unquestionably taken a piece of all our hearts during our time here – our two-year-old will spend the much of the journey home screaming…

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Causeway Coast and Glens: the best golf courses

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The Causeway Coast and Glens is a place of incredible beauty and adventure but it’s also one of the best places to play golf.  This part of Northern Ireland is perhaps best known for hosting The Open Championship in 2019 when Royal Portrush won the hearts of so many golfers around the world.…

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Castlerock Golf Club: a special experience with real spirit

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Castlerock Golf Club is yet another unmissable stop on Northern Ireland’s spectacular Causeway Coast. To the west are the rolling hills of Donegal, to the east the towering dunes of Portstewart, separated only by the mouth of the river Bann. It’s a wonderful setting for two beautiful golf courses…

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Portstewart Golf Club: the best front 9 in golf?

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If there’s a better view from a 1st tee, it will have to go some to top The Strand at Portstewart Golf Club.  A scorching summer’s day has meandered into a lazy afternoon and the beach which sits to the right of the opening hole at Portstewart, is still bustling with surfers, day…

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