West Country Golf News Travel Supplement March 2017

THE

WEST COUNTRY 2017 GUIDE TO GOLF

WHERE TO STAY & PLAY DEVON CORNWALL SOMERSET DORSET WILTSHIRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE BRISTOL &

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Welcome

GOLF NEWS EDITOR NICK BAYLY EXPLAINS WHY HIS GOLFING AND SPIRITUAL HEART BELONGS IN THE WEST COUNTRY, WHERE HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GAME BEGAN BACK IN THE LONG HOT SUMMER OF ‘76

H

ARGH, BAYLY MINOR, I PRESUME. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN, AND YOUR EYES ON THE BALL. GOOD LUCK, SON

aving been born in Cornwall, schooled in Devon, and lived in Dorset for much of my early life, it’s fair to say that the South West of England is part of my DNA. My junior school in Tavistock – I’m almost ashamed to say – had its own nine-hole golf course, and it was here, on the fringes of Dartmoor, that my early, and somewhat tempestuous, love affair with the game first began.

With my dad’s cut-down putter and a Tommy Armour iron of some description in one hand, a rubber tee on a piece of string tied to my belt, and my pockets weighed down with half-cut balatas, many a long summer’s afternoon in the late 1970s was spent hacking around this makeshift course in the company of a few schoolmates. With no crusty members to tell us what to do, how to play, and what to wear, they were halcyon, care-free times.

It didn’t take me long to recognise that golf was my kind of game. Outdoors, yet leisurely; competitive, yet fun; constantly challenging, yet irritatingly addictive. It ticked a lot of boxes for an athleticallychallenged boy.

For my 13th birthday, a generous godfather bought me my first set of metalwoods – a Petron Impala driver, 3and 7-wood – and I was ready to tackle my first full-sized course. By now in possession of a basic knowledge of rules and etiquette,

and what felt like a passable swing – i.e. I no longer took air shots – I was ‘allowed’ to join my dad for a game at his club, Came Down in Dorset (pictured left).

On my visit to the club, I remember nervously being introduced to the venerable head professional, Bob Preston, who leaned over the pro shop counter and gave me the sort of disdainful look usually reserved for a High Court judge peering down at a guilty defendant. “Argh, Bayly minor, I presume. Keep your head down, and your eyes on the ball. Good luck, son.”

So, with that succinct introduction, my ‘proper’ golfing life had begun.

Fast forward 35 years, and I’ve had the great pleasure of playing Came Down with my dad more times than I care to remember, although he has, due to a dodgy hip, recently joined the ranks of the homeless golfer – well, he has a home, but not a golfing one.

Thankfully, my job often allows me to travel with a plus-one, and together we have played many of the West Country’s top tracks, and lots of the less well-known ‘hidden gems’ as well, from magnificent cliff layouts at Bridport & West Dorset, some of whose holes are sadly slipping into the English Channel, to the modern masterpiece that is Remedy Oak, near Bournemouth. There have been memorable rounds at Moretonhampstead Golf Club in Devon, now known as Bovey Castle, where

we used to tee off at first light and be back in time for breakfast, while our rounds at the Isle of Purbeck have always been memorable, if not for the quality of the golf.

It’s fair to say that the West Country offers the complete smorgasbord of golfing experiences. Blessed with a handful of truly world-class links, from Saunton and Burnham & Berrow, to St Enodoc and Royal North Devon, it also boasts cliff-top delights like Axe Cliff, Cape Cornwall and Carylon Bay; moorland links such as Tavistock and Yelvterton; while heathland gems such as East Dorset’s Broadstone and Parkstone, should be on every serious golfer's bucket list. Throw in some upmarket resorts, such as St Mellion, Bowood, the Manor House at Castle Combe, and the aforementioned Bovey Castle, and you have a cornucopia of venues with which to create a lifetime of golfing memories.

And while the weather isn’t always as kind as it might be in this corner of the British Isles, there can be fewer finer experiences in life than a balmy day spent at some burnished links, watching the sun sinking into the sea with a pint in hand, as you recount the inevitable tales of missed birdie putts and gutsy up-and-downs.

So pack up your golf bags – and your bucket and spade – and head out West for your next golfing break. You never know, it might be the beginning of a beautiful, if often frustrating, relationship.

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RELAXING ON THE

RIVIERA CHARLES BRISCOE-KNIGHT PAYS A VISIT TO DEVON’S SOUTH COAST, WHERE HE PLAYS A TRIO OF DELIGHTFUL COURSES IN AND AROUND TORQUAY – AND STAYS AT A STUNNING FAMILY-RUN HOTEL, WHERE THE WAITER WASN’T SPANISH AND THE OWNER DIDN’T REPEATEDLY BASH HIS HEAD ON THE RECEPTION DESK

W

hile those of a certain age might have been put off from staying in a privately-run hotel in Torquay following the broadcasting of Fawlty Towers back in the mid-1970s – and the endless re-runs – thankfully things have moved on considerably in the hospitality trade in the south Devonshire resort over the intervening 40 years, so those expecting to find rats in the biscuit tins, and a lanky landlord thrashing his car with a tree branch when they stay in the town, will come away somewhat disappointed.

Despite the advancements in health and safety, and customer service, the English Riviera – the stretch of coastline between Torquay and Brixham – is still delightfully out of step with the rest of the world, with its stunning beaches, swaying palms, and fairground attractions harking back to a time when holidays were a much simpler affair.

While the region’s charms as a holiday destination are all too obvious, its attraction as a venue for a golf break is less well touted, with the courses in the area somewhat living in the shadows of the more famous links to be found to the north of the county.

In a bid to rectify this situation, my trip to this unheralded region began at the four-star Orestone Manor, a familyrun Georgian country house hotel set in the pretty South Devon coastal village of Maidencombe. With spectacular sea views over Lyme Bay and beyond, the hotel offers 14 spacious en suite rooms, all of which have been lovingly refurbished using the finest fabrics and fittings.

The manor also boasts its own awardwinning restaurant, with menus built around locally-sourced meat, freshly-caught Brixham fish, and a selection of vegetables, many of which have been grown in the

■ TORQUAY GOLF CLUB

hotel’s own gardens.

Orestone Manor is also ideally placed to strike out to bright lights of Torbay and Paignton, or to the quieter shores around Brixham, where stunning walks and a fine selection of restaurants await around the pretty harbour.

My golfing itinerary took in three courses which offered a unique combination of tests – taking in parkland, heathland and links layouts.

Aficionados of parkland courses will delight in the beautiful layout at Torquay Golf Club, set among the residential area of Babbacombe. Although parkland by design, its topography is far from flat, and the walks up the 6th and 7th fairways are quite a hike – although weary golfers are rewarded with great views once they reach the top.

The 8th is a tad quirky, with an easy drive followed by a blind second to a green hidden way below the fairway, while the 9th is a short par four, whose green demands to be reached with a well-struck driver.

Although short by modern standards – 6,138 yards off the whites – the shortage of par fives – there is only one – ensures that the par of 69 is hard to match.

All in all, it makes for an entertaining holiday round, especially when you throw in lunch at the clubhouse that overlooks the opening and closing holes.

Moving on to Dawlish Warren Golf Club, first-time visitors will be somewhat surprised to find themselves in the firing line as they enter through the club’s gates, as the 18th green is directly to the left of the road alongside the railway station, while the fairway doglegs along the front of the clubhouse. It’s an intimidating sight.

On the other 17 holes, linksland on the ‘inner warren’ behind the beach and alongside the estuary to the River Exe, embraces a design pretty well unaltered for

■ TEIGNMOUTH GOLF CLUB'S SIGNATURE 8TH HOLE

■ DAWLISH WARREN BOASTS WONDERFUL VIEWS OF THE RIVER EXE'S ESTUARY

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over a century. A traditional out-and-back links, around the turn at the far ‘spit’ end are some testing, undulating holes, including the 9th, which is 460-yard par 4, while if your golf is going sideways there are lovely views to had off many of the holes around the estuary – which is a bird and plane spotter's paradise, thanks to the nearby airfield. At £20, it’s a good value green fee, and the very epitome of what seaside holiday golf is all about.

Although Saunton and Royal North Devon might be among the top-rated courses in the county, Teignmouth Golf Club, 800 feet above the town, can make a strong case to rank alongside them. The historic heathland layout has some holes that would not be out of place at Sunningdale or Walton Heath. Indeed, the ceremonial stone greeting arriving golfers announces the design was crafted by no less a genius than Dr Alistair McKenzie of Augusta and Cypress Point fame.

Dr MacKenzie's signature of sloping, multi-tiered greens is much in evidence at Teignmouth; in fact, little has changed since the 1920s, including the course’s length, which is still only 6,082 yards from the back tees. The yardage may be modest, but par is a lowly 69 from the whites and this is a windy, exposed plateau, so do not expect a card full of birdies.

Negotiating the six par threes is key to a good score, but none of these one-shotters yield an easy par. The 16th is shortest on the card, measuring a mere 125 yards, but this hole is not called ‘Hell's Mouth’ for nothing.

The innocuous-looking par three is all about finding the green on the low side of the flag.

Do not leave yourself a downhill putt, or you'll probably end up with a bogey or worse. If forced to choose, my favourite holes were the eighth and the 17th. The former is a beautifully-crafted par four, which sets up off the tee with bunkers all about, and a tree in the middle of a sloping fairway, culminating in a green high above your second shot. The 17th is a short, downhill par, 4 sloping right to left. Drive down the right, and you maybe lucky to find the green 329 yards away.

All in all, Teignmouth is a great test, and was presented in superb condition. And, like the other courses on this trip, represents great value when compared to the more championed layouts in other parts of the region.

COMPETITION | MARCH 2017

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TR ACKS OF MY

YEARS… FORMER BATH & ENGLAND RUGBY CAPTAIN PHIL DE GLANVILLE PICKS HIS FIVE FAVOURITE WEST COUNTRY COURSES THE MANOR HOUSE, CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE The Manor is my local track, and it’s where all the Bath Rugby team used to play on our days off from training. It’s been the scene of many a titanic battle over the years, especially at the short, but lovely, par-3 17th, and up the final hole at the 18th, where we’re all desperately trying to avoid the water.

DARTMOUTH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, DEVON Dartmouth is a regular haunt with an old rugby friend of mine, Jon Callard, who always goes out of bounds on the 10th, fading it into the nasty ravine. It’s got some tough holes, with not much room to manoeuvre, but there are some lovely views to be had if your game’s not going well.

SAUNTON GOLF CLUB, DEVON

TREVOSE GOLF CLUB, CORNWALL I had the pleasure of playing here towards the end of my playing career with Peter Green, who was the head professional at the Manor House, and fellow Bath centre Mike Catt. It’s a beautiful course, although its location on the coast leaves it quite exposed to the elements.

You need to be able to drive it long and straight to have any chance of scoring well here, which isn’t always my forte. It’s a great place to come for a short break - the whole atmosphere of the club gets you in the holiday mood.

BURNHAM AND BERROW GOLF CLUB, SOMERSET

I play at Saunton every year in a charity golf day organised by Peter Brend from the Saunton Sands Hotel, which is right on the doorstep. There are two superb championship links courses to choose from, the East and the West, with the former considered to be the senior, although they each have their own strengths and are both a joy to play. They offer an honest test, but when the wind gets up, they can be brutal.

Another great links course – there is a common thread here – which is a delight to play when the winds are calm. There are some long par fours to contend with, but it’s always in great condition at any time of the year, and, thanks to its free-draining soil, is especially playable when other courses in the area are a big soggy.

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1st - BOVEY CASTLE, DEVON PAR 4, 309 YARDS

This delightful Devon course, laid out below and around a wonderfully grand hotel, plays around and over the River Bovey on its gorgeous front nine. While a 309-yard downhill opener may seem a heaven-sent opportunity to open the shoulders from the off, prudence may be the better part of valour here, as the river crosses the hole at around driving distance, or even shorter if you happen to tug your opening effort. Played sensibly, it should yield a straightforward par.

THE BEST OF THE

WEST The south-west of England is not only home to some of our most beautiful counties and dramatic coastlines, but also some of our most enjoyable, and at times testing, golf courses. Here, we put together a composite 18-hole layout that we’re sure would make for a cracking round.

Our only rules are that there must be a good spread of counties; that the hole numbers must be as they are at the various clubs; and that no course may feature more than once. So join us for a round on our par-72, 6,380-yard south west beauty…

WORDS BY JEREMY ELLWOOD

2nd LONG ASHTON, SOMERSET

PAR 3, 126 YXARDS Ryder Cup player Chris Wood’s home course on the outskirts of Bristol is a pleasant parkland layout with great variety to its holes, especially over much of the front nine, and again later on. After a tempting short par-4 opener, which may be in range some days, the downhill par-3 2nd is a visual treat. It may be a mere wedge or 9-iron for most, but with an exposed rockface hugging the left side of the green, anything pulled could lead to a highly unpredictable ricochet.

Launceston Golf Club Spectacular views over the Devon and Cornwall border

Torquay Golf Club Premier Golf on the English Riviera!

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Please Enquire: T: 01803 314591 E: secretary@torquaygolfclub.co.uk W: www.torquaygolfclub.co.uk Torquay Golf Club, Petitor Road, Torquay, Devon TQ1 4QF

A James Braid designed course and home of Sir Nick Faldo’s first professional win

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WEST COUNTRY | MARCH 2017

the left, and between you and the probably still distant green lies a deep gully boasting rough, heather and a snaking cross-bunker. The green is perhaps a little smaller than you’d like from long range, but you can celebrate with a bacon bap in the excellent halfway hut that follows should you successfully get down in four blows.

■ TREVOSE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE, 4TH HOLE

8th – ILFRACOMBE, DEVON

3rd - SAUNTON, WEST COURSE, DEVON

PAR 5, 493 YARDS

PAR 5, 465 YARDS

If Saunton’s East course is the sterner test, the West, closer to the highest Braunton Burrows dunes, perhaps boasts great character. This seemingly conquerable short par 5 kinks this way and that through the dunes all the way to its shallow but wide green. Left is the better option off the tee if you want to attack the hole, as long as you avoid the ditch. Right is the safer route if you’re planning a three-shot strategy.

4th - TREVOSE, CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE, CORNWALL PAR 5, 465 YARDS

Different county, same yardage, on this muchphotographed par 5 at Cornwall’s highly respected Harry Colt links near Padstow. The 4th is the star of a front nine that plays right down to the beach, and many a photo has been taken of huge Atlantic waves crashing in just beyond the green. It provides a real chance to score early on, especially downwind, if you don't allow yourself to be too distracted by the drama of the backdrop.

You’ll enjoy sea views from every tee at this highly enjoyable course perched above the North Devon coast, with vistas out to Lundy Island and across to The Gower in Wales. This short par 5 bears gently round to the right, while the land slopes towards the coast away to your left, so those who slice or fade can drive with confidence, letting the ball cut back into views stakes, especially on this glorious but testing hole looking back towards Poole Harbour, which plays down and round to the right, over and through sometimes dense gorse. An added difficulty is that the green is narrow and set at an angle to the fairway, making it fairly elusive. Par is always good here.

6th - BRIDPORT & WEST DORSET, DORSET PAR 3, 133 YARDS

This clifftop beauty on England’s Jurassic Coast presents you with glorious views across Lyme Bay and along the famous Chesil Beach to Portland. The 6th is the star of the show visually, a short par 3 that drops dramatically down to a green set 100ft below you at a point where the cliffs halve in height, with the coastline away to the left. Should the wind be blowing off the sea, a ring of bunkers on the right awaits anything misjudged or caught on the breeze from this most exposed of tees.

7th - BROADSTONE, DORSET 5th - ISLE OF PURBECK, PURBECK COURSE, DORSET PAR 4, 404 YARDS

This lovely course close to Swanage and Studland was once owned by Enid Blyton, and is within easy reach of Poole and Bournemouth thanks to the Sandbanks Ferry. It scores highly in the

This fine heathland course on the outskirts of Poole plays over more undulating terrain than its Ferndown and Parkstone neighbours.

The 7th hole is as good a par 4 as you’ll find. The fairway slopes away towards rough and heather on TEE TIMES

the slope. The green is then built up on the left where many balls will end up. Getting up and down from below the level of the green here can be testing if the pin is also on the left.

9th - BURNHAM & BERROW, CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE, SOMERSET PAR 3, 169 YARDS

PAR 4, 422 YARDS

DECEMBER 2016

We could have picked any hole on this magnificent Somerset links, which still slips under the radar of many golfers relative to its undoubted quality. Towards the end of the front nine, you play a trio of holes flanked by reeds, rushes and marshland more than dunes, and then you arrive at this classic mid-length links par 3. The green is actually generously sized, but

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Our 18-hole 5,959 yards course off the back tees consists of two loops of nine holes which both come back to the club house. The course design was influenced by ‘5 times British Open Champion - James Braid’ and provides easy walking, narrow tree lined fairways but contains subtly contoured greens that present a fair but challenging test of golf for all enthusiasts.

Bovey Road, Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 6QQ Call us TODAY on 01725 516391 to book in your group Rushmore Golf Club, Tollard Royal, SP5 5QB www.rushmoregolfclub.co.uk

T: 01626 352460 E: secretary@stovergolfclub.co.uk www.stovergolfclub.co.uk

➽

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➽ with five pot bunkers guarding the front – the centre one particularly deep - and another cheeky one back left, missing it can cause problems. Despite its size, the green’s shelves and slopes mean two-putting is far from guaranteed.

12th - KINGSDOWN, WILTSHIRE PAR 4, 367 YARDS

OUT – PAR 36, 2,986 YARDS

10th - ST ENODOC, CHURCH COURSE, CORNWALL PAR 4, 457 YARDS

Our course hits hard as we turn for home via the testing signature hole at James Braid’s fabulous Cornish links, where holes like the 6th, with its cavernous Himalaya bunker, will live long in the memory. The 10th is a different proposition. In many ways it has a slightly less linksy feel, thanks to the woodland and water hazard on the left, with the latter cutting in close to the tucked-away green. As if 457 yards weren’t challenge enough, the steep bank coming in from the right where the fairway narrows may well prevent you hitting enough club to get home should you stray too close to it.

the Gloucestershire/ Worcestershire border.

On a clear day you can see for miles out over several counties in both England and Wales.

This excellent par three comes at the end of a trio of holes in a separate corner, and is the hardest of the three on account of its testing three-tier green, and its proximity to the quarry that lies out of bounds just beyond the picturesque drystone wall on the left. It also plays slightly uphill. Par is a good score here any day.

Wiltshire’s second oldest club is a downland affair playing over high ground a few miles north-east of Bath, with views to savour from many holes. Our 12th hole is just a few yards longer than our 11th, playing gently round to the right, with the fairway also sloping from left to right. Staying left off the tee will make for an easier approach though into a long, narrow green with steep runoffs left and rear. The views from here are majestic, so take a moment to gaze out over the gently rolling countryside away to your left once you’ve safely holed out.

11th THURLESTONE, DEVON PAR 4, 361 YARDS

Again, we could have picked any of a number of holes at this clifftop stunner near Salcombe on the South Devon coast, once likened to Pebble Beach by Peter Alliss. But we’ve plumped for this modest-length par 4 that hugs the clifftop, with the fairway gently sloping towards the sea on your left. The views are immense, and as you get closer to the green, there’s a simply splendid backdrop looking across towards Bigbury and Burgh Island.

Play well here and you’ll love it; play badly and you’ll… well, love it!

CAME DOWN GOLF CLUB

14th - OGBOURNE DOWNS, WILTSHIRE PAR 5, 558 YARDS

13th - BROADWAY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE PAR, 180 YARDS

Broadway is a splendid ridge-top course on

Travel south from Swindon to Marlborough and you may notice some eyecatching fairways up on the Downs to your left near the pretty village of Ogbourne St George. They belong to Ogbourne Downs Golf Club, and a round here is a real

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Higher Came, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8NR 01305 813494 www.camedowngolfclub.co.uk manager@camedowngolfclub.co.uk

WEST CORNWALL is an outstanding links course overlooking St Ives Bay and Hayle Estuary to give some of the most fantastic views in Cornwall or indeed across the country.

The oldest club in Cornwall, the length of the course is deceptive with all the clubs in the bag coming into play. In traditional links style, there are dunes bordering a number of holes while others offer wide, undulating fairways.

Visitors are welcome throughout the year and the course remains playable all year round without the need for any temporary tees or greens. Society packages are available and can be tailored to individual groups and reflect excellent value for money.

The clubhouse offers a welcoming bar and renowned

catering facilities as well as having some memorabilia of its most famous export, Jim Barnes the inaugural winner of the US PGA in 1916. Philip Rowe, who represented GB & I in the Walker Cup of 1999, winning all of his matches, including beating Matt Kuchar in the singles, is also represented.

An experience not to be missed, your trip to West Cornwall will be one to remember.

Nearby St Ives offers various attractions alongside its stunning beaches. A base for artists, the Tate Gallery and Barbara Hepworth Museum are situated in St Ives.

There is also a wide range of local shops, restaurants, pubs and bars. With accommodation to suit all needs this is a great place to stay and enjoy the golf and other attractions on offer.

t: 01736 753 401 (option 2) Pro shop: 01736 753 177 e: secretary@wcgolf.co.uk w: www.wcgolf.co.uk West Cornwall Golf Club, Church Lane, Lelant, St Ives TR26 3DZ

m £85

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UK TRAVEL | MARCH 2017

5 – 621 yards off the tips – which has shades of The Belfry’s 18th about it as it doglegs round to the left, with water to contend with most of the way. From the perfect drive, you could just attack in two, but it’s more likely a threeshotter, where the final approach must negotiate a cluster of seven bunkers, rather than the water you have to go over at The Belfry.

roller coaster ride. Having reached the course’s most northerly point on 13, you turn back to take on this memorable par 5, which sweeps down and round to the left, with many a ball magnetically drawn to the left-hand scrub despite there being no future in such a line and adequate room further right. An upturned-saucer green completes the test!

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16th – FERNDOWN, OLD COURSE, DORSET PAR 4, 305 YARDS

Ferndown is part of a highly regarded Dorset heathland trio in the Bournemouth/ Poole area along with Parkstone and Broadstone. There’s nothing like a bit of risk-reward down the stretch, and although it’s far from easy to take this hole on and win, some will be tempted. The hole doglegs sharply to the right late on, with the direct route protected by trees, heather and sand. Whether you take it on or play safe, you’ll still have to contend with the trickiest green on the course, with its different levels and steep slopes. It’s a risk-reward hole, where par is perfectly satisfactory.

17th - MANOR HOUSE, WILTSHIRE PAR 3, 154 YARDS

The par-3 penultimate hole on this very pretty Peter Alliss/Clive Clarke layout in the chocolate-box Cotswolds village of Castle Combe is both memorable and unique. In many ways a reprise of the course’s 2nd hole, the 17th is perhaps even more dramatic, as it drops precipitously some 120ft to a choice of two greens. Even though it’s probably only wedge distance on account of the drop, the right-hand green, almost encircled by the pretty River Bybrook, is still particularly intimidating.

18th - ST MELLION, NICKLAUS COURSE, CORNWALL PAR 4, 454 YARDS

A great course deserves a suitably stout finale, and few finishing holes in the south west can rival St Mellion’s. There’s something vaguely Augusta-esque about the tee shot, as you drive out through a relatively narrow funnel of trees, seeking to make it to the corner, and ideally favouring the right. The kidney-shaped green by the hotel is protected by a pond on the left, with a narrow entrance on the right. Only the purest of strikes will find the dance floor. Remember the naughty back-left, final-day hole location in the old Benson & Hedges days? A sucker pin if ever!

15th - PLAYERS CLUB, CODRINGTON COURSE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE PAR 5, 621 YARDS

The Codrington course at this modern club not far from Chipping Sodbury can stretch to over 7,100 yards, so is more than capable of testing the best. Nowhere is this more true than on this monster par

IN – PAR 36, 3,457 YARDS TOTAL – PAR 72, 6,443 YARDS

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[80] MARCH 2017 | WEST COUNTRY

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

WIN A LUXURY CORNISH GOLF BREAK! Golf News has teamed up with Atlantic Links to offer one lucky reader a two-night break at Trevose Golf & Country Club in north Cornwall. The winner and a partner will enjoy two nights' bed & breakfast accommodation in a luxury apartment, and then challenge themselves on the championship links at Trevose and the stunning Church Course at nearby St Enodoc Golf Club.

With free-draining fairways guaranteed, and two of the UK’s top links tracks to tackle, it’s the ultimate golfing break to renew your love of seaside golf.

PLAY

STAY Trevose Golf & Country Club sits proudly above the magnificent links course, set against the dramatic backdrop of Constantine Bay and Trevose Head.

The country club has a variety of accommodation options, ranging from lodges to apartments, rated four- and five-star

by English Tourism, and catering for two to six people, which makes Trevose ideal for couples, families and groups.

All the accommodation has been recently upgraded to provide the perect place for a comfortable and relaxing break.

Residents at Trevose also have access to the 9-hole Headland Course, a charming par-3 layout, tennis courts, beauty room, and, in the summer, an outdoor swimming pool, while the clubhouse offers a bar, two terraces and the Constantine Restaurant, serving delicious local cuisine, all with panoramic views over the golf courses.

You will enjoy golf over Cornwall’s two premier championship links – Trevose and St Enodoc.

The former was originally designed by Harry Colt in 1925, but has recently been renovated by world-renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert, and offers a true test of links golf.

Trevose boasts a classic Colt configuration, with two loops of nine, both of which are characterised by fast greens. The front nine hugs the sand dunes, offering stunning sea views and great bunkering, while the back nine features a meandering stream and some more truly classic holes, before heading towards the tricky 18th. The wind plays a big part in how the course plays,

serving up a different course almost every day, and requiring creative shot making and the use of most of the clubs in your bag.

Just 30 minutes away in Rock, the Church Course at St Enodoc is another sensational links. Founded in 1890 and created by James Braid, St Enodoc is set on dunes overlooking the Camel Estuary and Atlantic Ocean, giving spectacular panoramas from every hole. Featuring tight, undulating fairways and tricky greens, the course is also noted for its famous Himalaya bunker on the 6th, reputedly the tallest in Europe, and the signature hole at 10, which winds down to the Norman Church after which the course is named.

FOLLOW THE ATLANTIC LINKS TRAIL Trevose and St Enodoc are part of a tantalising trail of championship links along the north Atlantic Ocean in south west England known as the Atlantic Links. Royal North Devon, the West and East Courses at Saunton in Devon, and Somerset’s Burnham & Berrow complete the tour, considered one of England’s finest golfing trails.

TO ENTER To enter, please answer the question below, and email it to: info@golfnews.co.uk with ‘Atlantic Links competition’ in the subject line. The closing date for entries is April 15, 2017.

The prize must be taken before December 31, 2017. Dates are subject to availability.

QUESTION: WHO DESIGNED THE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE AT TREVOSE? A) ALISTAIR MACKENIE B) HARRY COLT C) JH TAYLOR

For more details, visit www.atlantic-links.co.uk or, to book a golf package, call 01637 879991 or email info@atlantic-lnks.co.uk

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[82] MARCH 2017 | WEST COUNTRY

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ST ENODOC

ROCKS NICK BAYLY HOPS ON THE LONDON-TO-NEWQUAY SHUTTLE FROM GATWICK, AND DISCOVERS THAT A 45-MINUTE FLIGHT AND THE TWIN DELIGHTS OF ST ENODOC GOLF CLUB AND THE ST ENODOC HOTEL MAKE FOR A PERFECT WEEKEND MINI BREAK

H

aving been brough up in the West Country, I know only too well about the countless hours that can be spent toiling on the static caravan parks that are the M4, M5, A303 and A30, in the vain hope of reaching your destination before it’s time to come home again.

The endless traffic jams, which reach fever pitch around holidays and halfterms, have frankly put me off visiting the West Country more often, which is a bit of a nuisance given the nature of my job, and the stunning variety of golf courses to be enjoyed in this delightful neck of England’s woods.

So when a invitation popped into my inbox politely suggesting an overnight stay at a boutique hotel and a tee time on one of my yet-to-be-ticked-off bucket list courses – flying by jet-propelled plane, rather than via the dubious pleasures of the Queen’s highway – it only required a simple ‘Yes, please!’ and the wheels were in motion.

After leaving the house at 8am on a Friday, driving to Gatwick, flying to Newquay, and transferring by taxi to Rock, I found myself checking into the St Enodoc Hotel just before 11am, and still in time for a spot of late breakfast. A road trip would have had me stuck in tailbacks on the A303 at Stonehenge at about that time.

Making the most of all that extra golfing time gained, I grabbed my clubs and took the five-minute walk up the path that leads from the back of the hotel directly to the first tee at St Enodoc Golf Club, about which I had heard so much, but played not at all.

As a lone golfer exploring unchartered territories, I was grateful to be paired up with one of St Enodoc’s longest-serving members, Simon Pain, who proved a much more interesting and useful guide to the perils and pitfalls of the course than my GPS watch, while also proving an expert ball spotter and entertainingly competitive companion. He was also steeped in the history of the club, which was first founded in 1907, and boasts a membership among whose esteemed ranks was one of England’s finest post-war poets, the late Sir John Betjemen.

Sir John’s heart – spiritually and physically – belonged to St Enodoc, as it was here that the former Poet Laureate would escape when the pressures of the modern world that he so often railed against in his writings became too much. After spending numerous childhood summers splashing about on the beaches of Daymer Bay, near the family's holiday cottage in Trebetherick, Betjeman developed his love for the links of St Enodoc, a wild and refreshingly

■ ST ENODOC COMMANDS WONDERFUL VIEWS OVER THE CAMEL ESTUARY TOWARDS PADSTOW

ANY HINT OF A FADE OFF THE TEE AT THE 6TH LEAVES A BLIND SHOT OVER A BUNKER SO COLOSSAL IT GOES

BY THE NAME OF 'HIMALAYA'

unpredictable course whose resistance to change the great poet would look upon favourably if he were alive today.

Not since 1935 in fact, when James Braid was invited back for a second time to modify his original design, has the Church Course undergone any major changes. Even then, the alterations were minor and made necessary by the relocation of the clubhouse. While one or two holes have been subsequently lengthened in recent years to help bolster the course's challenge, the holes you play today are essentially the same as those that Braid left on the landscape over 100 years ago.

At just 6,299 yards from the white tees – and 6,557 from blues – many would argue there isn't sufficient length for it to be a proper test. But, like any links course worth its salt, the weather that batters St Enodoc at times can take any number and double it at the drop of a hat. A par of 69 also ensures that red figures aren’t a common feature on too many scorecards, while a course record four-under-par 65 says all you need to know about its difficulty.

Whatever the conditions though, a couple of woods down the rumpled fairway on the opening par five, followed by a daunting long-iron approach to the raised green on the 448-yard par 4 second, will put a stop to any careless talk about the course being too easy.

After the opening salvos, the drama unfolds gently over the next four holes, with three consecutive par 4s and the deceptively difficult par-3 fifth, which requires a carry over a sea of gorse to a green protected by three bunkers and a stiffening cross wind.

According to my guide, the sixth hole, a 378-yard par 4, is a ‘disaster-in-waiting’.

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

WEST COUNTRY | MARCH 2017 [83]

■ ST ENODOC HOTEL IS A FIVE-MINUTE WALK FROM THE COURSE

■ THE SIGNATURE PAR-4 10TH HOLE

■ THE FEARED HIMALAYA BUNKER AWAITS YOUR TEE SHOT ON THE 6TH HOLE

And standing on the tee, staring into the abyss of one of the game’s most fearsome fairway bunkers, it was hard to argue with the description.

Any hint of a fade off the tee leaves a blind shot over a bunker so colossal it goes by the name of 'Himalaya'. This is a bunker that laughs in the face of its namesake that guards the fairway on the fourth at Royal St George’s in Kent.

After hitting my second shot straight into its towering, sandy face, I took my experienced guide’s sage advice and hit it back in the direction from whence I’d come. A chip and two putts later, and a double bogey seemed like a light sentence for having broken such a cardinal rule.

The ninth is a straightaway downhill par 4 that plays to a large raised green sheltered by a circle of tall trees. A birdie here served to soften me up ahead of the challenge that lay in store at the notoriously brutal 10th. At 458 yards, it looked like a tough dogleg par 4 when viewed on the card, but when seen in

the cold light of day, it appeared almost impossible. Only a pinpoint drive down the left side of the ribbon-like fairway will leave you the faintest sniff of reaching the green in two with a fairway wood or crisply-struck long iron, while anything right will either be lodged in the cabbage on a 45-degree slope, or completely blocked out by the huge sand dune that cuts the hole virtually in two.

Occasionally, I’m told, the golfing gods will let your ball bounce back into the fairway, but more often than not you will, like me, be chipping out sideways and, several hefty blows later, chalking up a treble-bogey seven.

After the high drama of the 10th, the par-3 11th and par-4 12th are somewhat pedestrian by comparison, while the 13th, an uphill par 4, proved such a test that it inspired Betjeman to pen one of his most famous poems, Seaside Golf, after he managed a rare birdie here. I chalked up a slightly less memorable blob, after losing my second shot in the bushes that

dominate the right-hand side of the fairway. Still, it was poetry of a sort.

The par-3 15th is a cracking mid-length short hole that requires a lusty blow over a pond to a green set in a hillside, and from here on in to your pint in the clubhouse the fun never really lets up, as the closing trio of holes return you to the dunes and the sparkling, if somewhat chilly, waters of the Camel Estuary.

The 16th is a tough par-5, whose raised back tee offers stunning views over Padstow, while the 206-yard 17th defies the description of a short hole, requiring a full-blooded driver for me just to get up somewhere near the green.

The finishing hole is a demanding 450yard two-shotter, played up a narrow rollercoaster of a fairway to a raised green with a false front.

As we filled out our scorecards on the final green, the rain began to fall, and my partner and I quickly returned to the comfort of the clubhouse, feeling that I’d earned my dinner, while my partner had enjoyed a gentle warm up ahead of the following day’s monthly medal, where stiffer competition awaited.

St Enodoc also offers the shorter Holywell Course, a delightful par63, 4,080-yard layout that features a combination of eight par 3s and 10 par 4s that will test all elements of your iron-play, as well as providing a gentler introduction to the bigger-version game for younger players.

Dinner back at the St Enodoc Hotel was very much welcomed, especially as James

WHILE ONE OR TWO HOLES HAVE BEEN LENGTHENED IN RECENT YEARS TO HELP BOLSTER ITS CHALLENGE, THE HOLES YOU PLAY TODAY ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS THOSE THAT BRAID LEFT ON THE LANDSCAPE OVER 100 YEARS AGO. Nathan, winner of the BBC’s Masterchef title in 2008, cooked it. Nathan has stepped into the illustrious shoes vacated

by Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw, who left to set up a new restaurant in nearby Port Isaac in 2015 – but judging by his efforts, which offers a more meaty menu than its fish-focused predecessor, the hotel looks to be in safe, if equally adventurous, culinary hands.

The hotel, which has a very relaxed, seaside vibe, boasts 16 double rooms and four suites, the best of which offer stunning views out over the Camel Estuary, while there’s a spa available for those that like that sort of thing, and guests have free use of the nearby gym at The Point in Polzeath. There’s a games room for kids big and small when the weather’s misbehaving, but with the stunning coastline of North Cornwall on the doorstep, the great outdoors beckons.

And once you’ve seen all there is to see in Rock, you can wander down to the beach and take a 10-minute ferry ride over to Padstow, where you are free to spend your money in any number of Rick Stein-owned eateries and shops, or simply watch the world go by with a

FLY FLYBE OPERATES A REGULAR SERVICE TO NEWQUAY FROM GATWICK, MANCHESTER AND LEEDS, WITH PRICES FOR RETURN FLIGHTS STARTING FROM AROUND £78.

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STAY A ONE-NIGHT STAY FOR TWO AT THE ST ENODOC HOTEL IN A DOUBLE ROOM WITH ESTUARY VIEWS, INCLUDING A THREE-COURSE DINNER, AND A FULL CORNISH BREAKFAST, COSTS FROM £230. FOR RESERVATIONS, VISIT WWW.ENODOC-HOTEL.CO.UK OR CALL 01208 863394

PLAY GREEN FEES AT ST ENODOC GOLF CLUB ARE £45 FOR 18 HOLES ON THE CHURCH COURSE BETWEEN NOV 1-MARCH 31, AND £75 DURING THE SUMMER. FOR BOOKINGS, VISIT WWW.ST-ENDOC.CO.UK OR CALL 01208 863216

[84] MARCH 2017 | WEST COUNTRY

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ FILTON

BANK ON

BRISTOL

FOR A MEMORABLE BREAK FOR GOLFERS WHO LIKE TO MIX A BIT OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE WITH THEIR FUN ON THE FAIRWAYS, THE BUSTLING HARBOUR CITY OF BRISTOL, WITH ITS BANKSY-INSPIRED ART SCENE AND HIPSTER FOOD CULTURE, HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER

L

■ BURNHAM AND BERROW GOLF CLUB

ocated in one of the most picturesque parts of the country, the thriving city of Bristol has long been a popular destination for weekend breaks, with its vibrant restaurant and bar culture, active music scene, independent food markets, Banksyinspired street art, and student-led nightlife, all interwoven with its beguiling mercantile and industrial heritage.

Less genteel than near neighbour Bath, but also boasting a successful rugby club, Bristol is small enough to explore on foot, yet large enough to get lost in the melée.

And with a choice of excellent hotels, both

chain and boutique, and the countryside right on the doorstep, it’s also a great place to base yourself for a tour of the region’s top golf clubs.

Golfers are spoilt for choice in this beautiful neck of the woods, with a superb variety of courses on offer, from the stunning links layouts at Burnham & Berrow and Weston-Super-Mare, to the pleasant inland tracks offered at venues such as Cumberwell, Enmore and The Kendleshire, all played out against the backdrop of the rolling Mendip Hills, the Quantocks and the Cotswolds.

For those who like to give the driver a

■ CHIPPING NORTON GOLF CLUB

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2 nights & 3 Rounds Stay @ Canons Court Mews Play @ The Players Club Cumberwell Park The Kendleshire

AFTER YOUR ROUND YOU CAN ENJOY THE BEST CLUBHOUSE PATIO IN THE WEST COUNTRY! EMAIL info@kendleshire.com FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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WEST COUNTRY | MARCH 2017 [85]

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

mighty thrash, the Codrington Course at The Players Club seems like a solid place to start your Bristol golf break. Stretching to over 7,600 yards from the back tees, with a front nine of over 4,000 yards, it’s one of the longest tracks in the UK, with the 621-yard closing hole providing a suitably monster finish. But shorter hitters fear not, with no fewer than six sets of tees making this course manageable for all handicaps, so power is not the only way to tackle this excellent course.

If you’re looking for something slightly less intimidating, then look in on The Kendleshire, which boasts 27 holes of top quality golf. Designed by Adrian Stiff, the club’s original 18 holes opened for play in 1997 to widespread acclaim.

Then, in 2002, Peter McEvoy added a further nine, offering golfers increased variety. Whichever combination you play, all three nines provide an excellent challenge, with water a prominent feature throughout. The longest combination of nines gives a 6,507-yard, par-70 layout. Renowned for its high quality putting surfaces, the standout hole for many will be the par-3 11th, which features an island green, to test

■ HENBURY GOLF CLUB

IF YOU'RE AFTER WORLD CLASS LINKS ACTION, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BURNHAM & BERROW, ONE OF THE MOST UNDERATED OF ENGLAND'S FABLED SEASIDE DESIGNS

■ THE KENDLESHIRE

your nerve and your club selection.

If you’re looking for world-class links action – and frankly, who isn’t – then look no further than B&B – Burnham & Berrow. One of the most underrated of all of England’s fabled seaside designs, it occupies a stunning stretch of rolling sandhills overlooking the Bristol Channel. With tumbling fairways, deep pot bunkers, thick rough and small greens, it’s a supreme test of stroke play, with almost ever-present breezes sure to test your ability to shape the ball. With slick putting surfaces, and numerous swales and hollows to draw your ball away from its intended target, so you need to bring your ‘A’ game here to score well. There are too many good holes to mention – but the opening six combine to offer one of the best opening stretches you’ll ever fi nd, while the four parthrees are all uniquely excellent, getting progressively longer, with the ninth being

➽

BURNHAM & BERROW GOLF CLUB

Dormy House Stay and Play packages from £130 per person Conveniently situated on the grounds of the Golf Club it’s the perfect place to stay when playing at Burnham and Berrow

• Golf and reserved tee times for your party included in the price • Catering available throughout the day • Forget the car, it’s all on the doorstep • SKY TV available in the Clubhouse

Includes Bed, Breakfast and Golf on The Championship Course

To book, call 01278 785760 option 1 For more information visit

www.burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk

[86] MARCH 2017 | WEST COUNTRY

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

■ ENMORE GOLF CLUB

■ MINCHINHAMPTON GOLF CLUB

■ KINGSDOWN GOLF CLUB

➽

■ THE PLAYERS CLUB

a highlight.

If you’ve got enough ammo left, the slightly less challenging, but no less interesting inland Cumberwell Park Golf Club in Bradford on Avon, is well worth the trip south from Bristol. Boasting 45 holes, divided into four 9-hole loops and a 9-hole par-3 course, Cumberwell occupies 400 acres, with woods, lakes and rolling countryside giving it a very relaxed feel.

The original 18 holes, comprising the Red and Yellow, opened in 1994, with the Blue and Orange following in 1999 and 2007 respectively, while the most recent addition is a superb par-three course.

The Red has a parkland feel, wide fairways and large greens, while the Yellow loop plays through and around

BOASTING 45 HOLES, DIVIDED INTO FOUR 9-HOLE LOOPS AND A 9-HOLE PAR-3 COURSE, CUMBERWELL OCCUPIES 400 ACRES, WITH WOODS, LAKES AND ROLLING COUNTRYSIDE GIVING IT A VERY RELAXED FEEL

Weston-super-Mare

ancient woodland. The Blue boasts numerous holes that bring Cumberwell’s famous lake into play, while the Orange has more of a linksy feel.

Whichever combination you choose to play, the course conditions are superb, and the after-round experience in the impressive clubhouse will be sure to round off a great day’s golf in style.

Specialist tour operator Bristol Golf Breaks has put together a great selection of two-, three- and fourround breaks that take in some of the region’s top tracks, including those mentioned, along with others, such

as Henbury, Filton, Kingsdown and Minchinhampton, all of which offer superb tests for the holiday golfer.

And golfers can choose to stay in city centre hotels in Bristol, such as the Marriott at Cabot Circus, or base themselves further outside, in more peaceful locations, such as The Ormond in Tetbury, or the Royal Hotel at Weston.

With one-night, two-round breaks starting from just £90pp, and three-night, four-round breaks offered from around £250, and there is a wide choice of breaks to suit every budget on a golfing trip to Bristol.

TO FIND THE LATEST OFFERS AND BOOKINGS FOR GOLF HOLIDAYS IN THE BRISTOL AREA, PLEASE VISIT WWW.BRISTOLGOLFBREAKS.COM, OR CALL 01822 618181 FOR FRIENDLY ADVICE ON WHERE TO PLAY AND STAY.

Henbury Golf Club Swing into Golf this Spring /Summer

Golf Club

• Mackenzie course of distinction • Only 2 hours from London, 1½ from Birmingham and 3 from Manchester • An all year course never closed even in the worst weather • Ideal Society course • Catering available 7 days a week • Plenty of local hotels • ½ hour to Bristol airport

Tel: 01934 626968 www.westonsupermaregolfclub.com Weston-super-Mare Golf Club, Uphill Road North, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. BS23 4NQ

Society Packages start from £43 per person. (minimum of 12 players + 4 ball voucher to use as a prize)

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(£120 on a Sunday after 11.30am)

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Tel: 01179 500044 www.henburygolfclub.co.uk

WEST COUNTRY | MARCH 2017

GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

[87]

HIGH LIVING AT

BOVEY CASTLE NICK BAYLY DISCOVERS THE PERFECT ALTERNATIVE TO HOTEL-BASED HOLIDAYS AT BOVEY CASTLE’S LUXURIOUS LODGES OVERLOOKING THE DARTMOOR COUNTRYSIDE

F

inding accommodation suitable for young children is a perennial problem whenever you go away for a short break or holiday. Hotel rooms just don’t suit the way family holidays are organised these days, where privacy is dispensed in favour of communal living. Which is why self-catering, be it in form of an apartment or villa, is the way most big families tend to take their holidays these days.

Not only does it take you out of the public eye – children should still be neither seen or heard by most hotel guests – but it allows you the freedom to eat, sleep and drink whenever you choose, and generally make lots of noise and mess without fear of upsetting other hotel residents. A good number of resorts have cottoned on to this trend in recent years and, anxious to grab a share of the family holiday spend, have set about offering a greater variety of accommodation. In addition to the dreaded ‘family room’, many places now offer completely separate accommodation in the form of chalets, lodges and private villas.

Bovey Castle, located in the heart of Dartmoor, has taken this concept to its heart with its 22 lodges, but in line with how they do things at this five-star luxury resort in Devon, has ramped up the offering by a peg or two. The word ‘lodge’ doesn’t really do justice to these magnificent three-storey granite buildings, which are impressive structures both inside and out.

Designed for people who demand the finer things in life, they are kitted out with every modern convenience, from tumbler driers (essential on Dartmoor, where it has been known to rain) and dishwashers, to plasma TVs and Bang & Olufsen sound systems in just about every room. All three bedrooms are on different floors, each with its en-suite bathroom, the triple-height sitting room has a floor-to-ceiling granite fire place, while the open plan kitchen is show home material, with guests arriving to well-stocked fridges and all the cooking implements you’d ever need and some you’d never use.

Tucked away around the castle’s gardens, the lodges resemble a Swiss mountain village, and although they are quite tightly packed, you don’t get the sense that you are being overlooked in any way. The front rank of properties has a view over Bovey’s main attraction: the 18-hole John Abercromby-designed golf course. The 6,303-yard, par-70 layout is far from your traditional resort course, offering a beautifully landscaped design that sweeps between woodland, rolling hills and the Bovey and Bowden rivers. Renowned golf architects Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie were brought in to restore the course, while offering a few modern touches, and the pair has improved upon an already hugely entertaining layout. There are thrills and spills aplenty, with water hazards and plunging chasms to cross, occasional blind tee shots and a fine collection of par threes. The par-four 7th is Sir Henry Cotton’s favourite par four, with an island fairway and rivers right and left framing this snaking two-shotter, while

■ THE LUXURY LODGES OVERLOOK THE GOLF COURSE

the 18th remains one of the toughest par fours around, with anything overhit to the green in danger of clattering into the blacked out Range Rovers in the car park.

Away from the fairways, there is an embarrassment of off-course activities, from archery, horse-riding and fishing – the Castle owns 11 miles of the River Bovey – to tennis, mountain biking or a quiet game of croquet on the front lawn. Each day there’s a full itinerary of organised events such as the unmissable falconry display on the terrace, where hawks and owls swoop around the battlements like a scene from a Happy Potter film. And with the Dartmoor National Park on your doorstep, all kinds of outdoor adventures can be arranged – 4x4 driving, quad biking, rock climbing, canoeing and boat trips on the River Dart.

A more relaxing time can be had in the spa and leisure centre, which is housed in the basement and offers one of the most spectacular pools, with swimmer provided with views of countryside as they do their lengths. Upstairs is

the state-of-the-art spa, where you can chill out and be pampered.

If you get fed up with all that cooking and self-catering, the hotel is well placed to take over the apron strings, whether it be afternoon tea on the terrace or a four-course dinner in the 20s-style Palm Court restaurant.

Kids are supremely well looked after, with the supervised Bovey Rangers Club providing numerous activities from woodland adventures, camping, pony trekking or golf lessons. An indoor games room has a model train set, table tennis and a DVD library with a private cinema.

All in all, you could leave the kids at breakfast and not see them again until bedtime. Having said that, there’s also a babysitting service, although I’m not sure that stretches to baths and bedtime stories. Let me check.

For details of golf break packages, visit www.boveycastle. com or call 01647 445000.

Isle of Purbeck Golf Club Come and Experience one of the Most Picturesque Courses on the South Coast

Visitors and Societies Welcome Including Weekends “I’ve always felt the club is certainly one of the most spectacular in the whole of the UK and the general ambience of the club and course is absolutely delightful.”

Peter Alliss

Membership Packages Available Proud to host the Trilby Tour Championship of Dorset 2017. Spots still available through our Open Qualifying.

Please visit www.purbeckgolf.co.uk for further information.

Tel: 01929 450354 Email: proshop@purbeckgolf.co.uk

WE ARE WESTONBIRT BEAUTIFUL 9-HOLE GOLF COURSE IN THE GROUNDS OF WESTONBIRT SCHOOL Open to the public - £10 to play 18-holes Please check website for opening times www.westonbirtleisure.com/golf-course

e: sportscentre@westonbirtleisure.com t: 01666 881404 w: www.westonbirtleisure.com Westonbirt Schools, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QG

FOR ALL YOUR SOUTH WEST GOLF BREAKS… PLAY SAUNTON AS PART OF OUR ATLANTIC LINKS TOUR... THREE ROUNDS, TWO NIGHTS... FROM £279PP

The South West of England offers an amazing choice of golf courses to visit, if you wish to play any of the courses featured in this supplement call the Golf Desk on 01822 618181 Whether a large group or small, Exclusive Golf Breaks have over 20 years experience in arranging and organising Golf Tours and Breaks for our clients.

Exclusive Golf Breaks can cater for your requirements and provide a first class efficient service, we take pridein our attention to detail and our aim is to ensure our clients get the very best value and experience.

Tel: 01822 618181 Email: info@exclusivegolfbreaks.com Web: exclusivegolfbreaks.com