Minehead and West Somerset golf club, Minehead, Somerset, England

 https://www.mineheadgolf.co.uk/

White tees 6233 yards, par 72, slope 121

Red tees 5508 yards, par 73 slope 130

Founded in 1882, Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club is the oldest in the county still playing on the original fairways. It was laid out by John Allan, the professional at Royal North Devon, along the south bank of the Bristol Channel close to the Exmoor National Park.  It was extended to its current 18 holes in 1901.

Looking back from the first green.
The town of Minehead is in
background

We approached the golf club with some trepidation because of the proximity of the Butlins resort but were pleasantly surprised.  We played on a sunny but windy day and had a friendly welcome from the club professional, John Bickerton, a three times winner on the then European tour.  The course is on proper linksland for the most part but is quite flat.  The prevailing wind is from the south-west, helping on the way out and hurting on the way in on this traditional out-and-back layout.  We found the first few holes to be a bit disappointing with rather worn fairways on the first three and the last three holes but the greens were in excellent condition.  The 6th and 7th holes share a fairway but playing in the opposite direction which is a bit disconcerting.  After the 7th hole the course comes into its own with the 8th and 9th being good holes despite the ditch which crosses the 9th twice!  

The well bunkered 10th green

The back nine offers views of the sea from most of the tees.  The 10th is at the furthest point of the course and is a well bunkered par 3 after which the course turns for home along the beach and into the wind.   A double level green sloping from left to right adds to the challenge of the par 5 11th, especially if the pin is on the top level.  With the drive from the 12th tee to a fairway at an angle, it is a solid par 4. The par3 14th is a tricky shot with a bunker on the right guarding the best line in to the green which slopes from right to left.  Temporarily turning away from home, the 15th has a narrow fairway and a well bunkered green.  The final three holes return to the clubhouse with the 18th being a long par 3 into the wind.

The 13th is a straightforward par 4

We liked the protection of wild life!

Worth playing? Yes - a good holiday course if you are in the area.

Burnham and Berrow Championship course, Burnham-on-sea, Somerset, England

https://www.burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk/

Gold tees 6706 yards, par 71, slope 127

Blue tees 5701, par 74, slope 123

Burnham and Berrow Golf Club lies between the town of Burnham-On-Sea and the south bank of the Bristol Channel, with views to Wales on the opposite bank. It was founded in 1891 as a nine hole course designed by Charles Gibson, the professional at Royal North Devon.  At that time the design of a true links course demanded that if there was a sand dune you played over it and if there was a deep hollow a green was built in it.  Five years later the club's name was changed to Burnham and Berrow when the course was extended to Berrow church.  In 1910 the course was extended to eighteen holes by William Fowler and subsequently redesigned by Harry Colt with advice from Alistair Mackenzie between 1913 and 1923.  The delay was caused by the intervention of the Great War. The first professional at the club was John Taylor who won the Open Championship on five occasions and captained the winning Ryder Cup team in 1933. From its early years Burnham and Berrow has hosted many high level amateur golf and Open qualifying tournaments 

Julie our starter with the
Saltire flying behind her

We encountered a very friendly welcome and Julie, the starter, assured us that the Scottish flag was flying in our honour - a lovely touch.  The day was sunny with a brisk wind into us on the way out and with us on the way back.  With a traditional out-and-back layout this is a proper links course winding through impressive dunes.  The first hole is appropriately named 'The Gap' with a drive and approach to the green through narrow gaps between the dunes.  You are well advised to keep to the left of the fairway as the approach is blind from the right.  There is a long carry from the 2nd tee and a long narrow green sloping steeply from back to front, with runoffs on both sides and a false front ready to trap a slightly short approach.  The drive from the 3rd is to an angled fairway, a common feature on this course.  It is named 'Punch Bowl' for its green.  The first par 3 is the 5th which has bunkers front, left and right and swales all round making an up and down tricky if you miss the green.  At the par 5 8th the drive is over a diagonal ditch to angled fairway with bunkers lying in wait for a pulled tee shot.  The fairway runs left to right so a short approach shot will run off to the right of the green.  A plateau green awaits on the par 3 9th with a steep slope up to a green surrounded by bunkers.  

The punch bowl 3rd green 

The 1st green is tucked behind sand dunes

The 5th green is typical of the par 3s

We thought that the 10th was the weakest hole with blind drive over a dune to a dogleg left to right, a rather nondescript hole.  Nondescript does not describe the 12th hole, named 'Church' because of the Berrow church on the left.  It is situated at what was the high water mark in the late 18th century.  It is a tough par 4 up to a green with a steep runoff at the front and surrounded by swales.  The 13th is another tricky par 5, uphill to a narrow landing area for the second shot, and to a green guarded by bunkers and a steep slope to its left.  There are great views from the par 3 14th green which is two-tiered with a very steep approach.  The only place to miss is short right if you want a chance of getting up and down. very steep to two tiered green, no bunkers.  The final par 3 is the 17th which is true to form - an elevated green with a steep runoff at the front. The 18th is a dogleg from right to left preventing a view of the green from the tee.  The second shot is through a narrow gap and an accurate shot has to take into account the softer ground in front of green which is easy to go through as it slopes from front to back.

The 18th with the clubhouse and Burnham lighthouse behind

Worth playing? Definitely.  A challenging true links course.

Burnham and Berrow Channel course, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England

https://www.burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk/the-channel-course/

Purple tees (men) 2898 yards, par 35, slope 115

Green tees (women) 2572 yards, par 35, slope 116

Lying to the north of Burnham on Sea on the south coast of the Bristol Channel, Burnham and Berrow golf club has two courses - the eighteen hole Championship course and the nine hole Channel course.  The latter, designed by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1977, was made possible by the retreat of the high tideline by about 100 metres after the second world war which opened up land to establish a nine hole golf course and also an area of salt marsh providing habitat for many species.  The Channel course lies on the Bristol Channel side of the Championship course.

The 6th green slopes from back to front

We played the Channel course on a bright and breezy day with a south west wind.  With a classic straight out straight back design, the first four holes head away from the clubhouse.  They are similar in nature  - on flat ground with a ditch running along the left side.  They are remarkable for the absence of bunkers with the first appearing greenside on the par 5 4th.  The 5th hole turns back towards home into the prevailing wind with large dunes on the left over which lies the Championship course.  We were greeted on the tee by a large flock of moorhens and their chicks feeding on the fairway.  The 6th is a lovely par 4 in the valley between the dunes leading up to a green which slopes from back to front.  The 7th tee has a good view of the Bristol channel and of the hole which is a dog leg from left to right with the green tucked behind a large dune on the right.  First time players should beware as the line for the drive is not the lighthouse - aim further left!  There are views of the water again from the high tee of the par 3 8th where an accurate shot is needed to the plateau green surrounded by swales.  The par 4 finishing hole has a long carry from the back tee and a high green cut into side of a dune on the left.

The 7th green is partly hidden by a large dune

Worth playing?  Yes - a good introduction to the big course.