In this episode of Top 100 Clubhouse, James Henderson sits down with Matt Ginella, founder of Fire Pit Productions, previously the Senior Travel Editor and Director of Photography for Golf Digest.

Matt explains how the personalities of course architects are embedded in their designs, how he learned to appreciate golf course architecture, and why he believes golf travel is one of the most romantic ways to understand the sport.

Along the way, Matt shares his favourite courses, his most memorable golf trips, and how his coverage of Tiger Woods' professional debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open launched his career with Sports Illustrated; cementing him as one of golf's premier storytellers.

Top 100 Golf Courses Website 🛜:
https://www.top100golfcourses.com/

Top 100 Golf Courses Official Merch 🧢:
https://shop.top100golfcourses.com/

Lockhart Travel Club ✈️:
https://www.lockharttravelclub.com/me...

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialtop100/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thetop100golfcourses/

In this episode of Top 100 Clubhouse, James and Jasper are back at Hadley Wood again to give Top 100 Clubhouse listeners a behind the scenes look at Top 100 Golf Courses, reflect on 2025, and talk about what's coming up for 2026.

Back by popular demand, the map has returned! Catered specifically to the needs of the travelling golfer, you can now find the best courses nearby during that long business trip or week away.

Plus, there's a behind the scenes look at how Top 100 operates, changes to leaderboards, and James' disastrous time with footwear.

The Top 100 Golf Courses team wants to thank all who listened, commented and got involved throughout 2025. Our New Years' Resolution? Same as always:

Play fast. Lunch slow.

Top 100 Golf Courses Website 🛜:
https://www.top100golfcourses.com/

Top 100 Golf Courses Official Merch 🧢:
https://shop.top100golfcourses.com/

Lockhart Travel Club ✈️:
https://www.lockharttravelclub.com/membership/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialtop100/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thetop100golfcourses/

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:03 - Changes to the Top 100 Golf Courses Website
05:40 - How AI Will Impact Top 100 Golf Courses
09:36 - Return of Leaderboards
13:05 - The Map is Back!
15:11 - Changes to the Review System
19:07 - Behind the Scenes of Top 100 Golf Courses
26:28 - Best Golf Shoes For Links Golf?
30:20 - Social Media and Upcoming Content in 2026
35:50 - Closing Thoughts

#top100golfcourses #golf #golfpodcast

In this episode of the Top 100 Clubhouse, James and Jasper sit down to discuss updates and changes to the rankings, including a release of the New Zealand and Australia rankings in the coming weeks, thanks to an increased pool of contributors who have a lot of depth of play in the Oceania region.

The pair also discuss what's coming up for Top 100 Golf Courses for 2026, and talk about how the new ranking system is a natural evolution, designed to help travelling golfers best navigate countries they're visiting. Later, they touch on the controversial decision to start grouping courses based on county lines, and how that will impact how courses are compared against each other.

Top 100 Golf Courses Website 🛜:
https://www.top100golfcourses.com/

Top 100 Golf Courses Official Merch 🧢:
https://shop.top100golfcourses.com/

Lockhart Travel Club ✈️:
https://www.lockharttravelclub.com/me...


Chapters

0:00 - Intro
1:05 - Hadley Wood Appreciation
02:44 - Rankings Update
07:02 - Separating the Course from the Experience
12:38 - The Benefits of Well Traveled Panelists
17:41 - We Aren't Down on Parkland Golf!
22:37 - County Lines Rankings
28:53 - Spanish Panel Shout Out
32:57 - Irish Courses & Hidden Gems
37:13 - Plans for Top 100 Golf Courses USA
38:24 - Closing Thoughts