Saunton Golf Club West Course, Braunton, Devon, England

Blue tees slope 131, par 71

Red tees slope 123, par 71

In the 1930s it was decided that Saunton needed another 18 hole course and Herbert Fowler was asked to design what is now the West course.  Construction was interrupted by the Second World War when, along with the East course, it was used as a battle training ground for the US Army, resulting in very significant damage to the duneland.  It was left dormant for many years until the early 1970s when Frank Pennink redesigned the course.  Nine holes opened in 1974 followed by the full eighteen in 1975.  It has since been modernised by Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie.

The first green is nestled in dunes

We played the West course on a warm, calm day, peppered by big thundery showers.  Built on proper linksland on the coast side of the longer East course with similar beautiful wildflowers, it lacks the star quality of the East course but nevertheless is still an excellent links course. The first three holes lie between big dunes, with the rest of the course mainly on flatter ground although many of the greens are undulating with subtle borrows making putting a challenge. We felt that the course was a bit worn, and looked overplayed, with the green quality not as good as the East course.   

The 1st hole is a nice curving par 4 with the green nestled in dunes.  The par 5 3rd winds uphill through a narrow gap. The green is on the left and it is tempting to take a short cut over a guarding dune but a well placed bunker must catch many such shots.  With runoffs around the 4th green, rough close to the right side and a bunker on the left and on the right, an accurate shot is required to this par 3. The 7th is a tricky but short par 4 with a very small landing area on the  fairway for the drive with a ditch running diagonally across the line.  It comes in play again as it crosses the fairway short of the green.  

The ditch on the 7th comes into play twice

The 10th is a dogleg left to right with bunkers guarding the corner, narrowing the landing area for a drive and bunkers on the left also narrowing the landing area for the second shot.  A long par 3 follows which plays into the prevailing wind but is a little featureless.  With bunkers on the right to catch the drive, a ditch crossing the fairway around the landing area for the second shot and a sloping green, the 12th is a testing par 5.  The par 3 16th has a high tee and a tricky, undulating green.  There is a long carry from the tee at the 17th, a par 5 with a ditch crossing the approach to the green.  Unusually the 18th is a par 3 which is downhill to a  green sloping from back to front.  If the tee shot misses the green it is a difficult up and down.

The 16th hole

The par 3 finishing hole

Worth playing?  Yes - especially when paired with the East course.

Saunton Golf Club East Course, Braunton, Devon, England

Blue tees slope 134, par 71

Red tees slope 142, par74

Lying on the north Devon coast, Saunton golf club has two golf courses, the west and the east. The area has been designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and a site of special scientific interest because it is on Braunton Burrows, the largest sand dune system in England with an abundance of wildlife.   The club was founded in 1897 originally with nine holes but extended to twelve and then eighteen holes over the ensuing eleven years.  Following its use by the armed forces in the First World War it was completely redesigned by Herbert Fowler who also designed Walton Heath and the 18th hole at Pebble Beach.  Used as a battle training ground during the second world war, there was serious damage to the courses after which the East course was not re-opened until 1952.  Since then it has hosted many amateur championships including the British Boys Championship in 1997 won by Sergio Garcia. 

The 4th hole has a pinch point short of the green

With fairways winding through dunes, undulating greens in pristine condition, stunning wildflowers, the sun shining and larks singing this is a beautiful place to play golf.  The East course is a true and fair but tough test of golf and deserves the comments that the Open championship could be played there.  The 1st is played from a high tee surveying the whole area of Braunton Burrows and  winds in an S shape to an undulating green.  The 2nd is a lovely par five, again curving to an elevated green,  typical of many greens at this course. Named 'Gap', the 4th is a par 4 for men and 5 for ladies.  It is well named as the ladies 2nd shot lands in the gap, the narrowest part of the fairway just short of the green which lies between guarding dunes.  A short par 3 named 'Tiddler' follows.  It has a plateau green with two bunkers at the front and needs a shot of accurate length.  The first nine finishes with a

'Tiddler', the 9th hole

 succession of par 4s.  The 6th starts from a high tee with a long carry but is a short par 4 guarded by a ditch across the start of the fairway which extends up the right hand side of the hole.  There is a blind drive over a large dune onto a wide fairway on the 8th with a two tiered green tucked in dunes to the left. 

The 13th is a lovely par 3

The first three holes of the second nine are also par 4s.  'Plateau', the 10th hole, is well named with a very high green sloping from back to front.  With bunkers on the right of the landing area of the drive and  water to the left on the approach to the green the 11th rewards the straight hitter.  There is a long carry from the tee at the 12th over bullrushes to a diagonal fairway and another area of bullrushes on the left just short of the two tiered green.  The 13th is a par 3 with an upturned saucer green.  The next two holes are par 4s for men and par 5s for women, similar to the opening holes.  There is a blind drive on the 16th, where we felt that the direction post needs to be resited.  The green is tricky with a ridge of dunes on its right and a bunker short.  A straightforward par 3 follows although there is a carry over daunting rough and then a lovely finishing hole which is a gently uphill slight dogleg right to a large green framed by the clubhouse and bunkers.

The approach to the 18th green with the clubhouse in the background

Worth playing?  Golfing heaven - not to be missed.

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.