CORNWALL, ENGLAND – During the last six days of May, I was on a fact-finding, photo-taking, video-filming editorial golf trip to England’s two most southwesterly counties — Devon and Cornwall. While there, I played eight rounds of golf in six days. Of the eight rounds of golf that I played, six of them were on authentic, championship links golf courses where the actual golf course is the ‘link’ between the nearby Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. Of course, links golf courses are used to conduct the (British) Open Golf Championship each July. Those six links courses were the West course and the East course at the Saunton Golf Club (Braunton, Devon); Royal North Devon Golf Club (Bideford, Devon); St. Enodoc Golf Club (Rock, Cornwall); Trevose Golf & Country Club (Padstow, Cornwall); and the West Cornwall Golf Club (Lelant, Cornwall). The other two courses which I played were the Carlyon Bay Golf Course (St. Austell, Cornwall) and the Bovey Castle Golf Club (North Bovey, Devon).
Each course was its own memory maker.
According to six-time major champion Nick Faldo, if the 36-hole Saunton Golf Club was in a more populated part of Great Britain, it would be on the (British) Open Championship rota. Without a doubt, the Saunton GC is one of the top golf venues in Great Britain. Here, many locals say the West is the ‘best’ and the East is the ‘beast.’ Frankly, both are brilliant, authentic and genuine links layouts. According to the Golf World Top 100 Golf Courses in England in 2025, Saunton West is ranked 70th and Saunton East is listed at 21st.
The Royal North Devon Golf Club is England’s oldest links golf course. In existence since 1864, Royal North Devon is nicknamed Westward Ho! and was the home course for five-time (British) Open winner J.H. Taylor, back in the early 1900s. At Royal North Devon, wild horses and sheep graze peacefully in the rough. Every golfer must make the trek to Royal North Devon, which also has a small museum of golf balls, clubs and artifacts inside its clubhouse.
There are very few, if any, adjectives that fairly describe the brilliance and beauty of the St. Enodoc Golf Club, which is ranked as the 82nd best golf course in the world, according to Golf Digest and it’s listed in Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. The 18-hole Church Course at St. Enodoc overlooks the Camel Estuary which feeds into the nearby north Atlantic Ocean. The St. Enodoc GC is the home of the Himalayas bunker, which is the tallest sand bunker in Europe. The last four holes at St. Enodoc – the downhill par-three 15th, the unique par-five 16th (which borders the Camel Estuary), the cleverly designed par-three 17th, and picturesque par-four 18th, with the clubhouse behind the green – cap off an amazing 18-hole journey.
The Trevose Golf & Country Club has been described as one of England’s coolest golf destinations. From any part of Trevose, you can always hear the sound of the surf crashing into the rocks along the nearby sea shore. Trevose’s green complexes are brilliant. The view of the golf course from the clubhouse veranda is a delightful place to unwind and relax after walking 18 holes.
Opened since 1889, the West Cornwall Golf Club is the oldest golf course in Cornwall. The course’s website states the West Cornwall GC is “one of the finest links courses in the county.” It’s true! It’s a classic links course where wind is always a factor, the greens are true and consistent, and you have many options on every approach to every green.
The Carlyon Bay Golf Course is a coastal golf destination. Perched high above the cliffs that tower over the Crinnis Beach and Shorthorn Beach, this golf course provides an enjoyable golf experience as you look out across the St. Austell Bay.
My final round was on the Bovey Castle Golf Course, which is perched in the middle of Devon’s rugged Dartmoor National Park. This round was a stark contrast from the links golf that I played earlier in the week. Playing golf in the shadows of an English castle was a memorable moment that can’t be replicated back in the U.S. Bovey Castle GC has well-crafted green complexes.
My accommodations provided lavish, first-class and relaxing experiences. The Saunton Sands Hotel (Braunton, Devon) is an iconic art deco property which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and the vast Saunton Sands beach. The Carlyon Bay Hotel (St. Austell, Cornwall) overlooks Cornwall’s south coast, with direct access to St. Austell Bay. The rooms are spacious, the in-house restaurants serve genuine Cornish cuisine, and the service is personal and professional. And, Bovey Castle is an iconic AA Five Star luxury castle, which stands sentry to the stunning Edwardian gardens and the nearby River Bovey. The quality of the cuisine at each destination was tasty, delicious, and beyond compare! For each property, it was difficult leaving each place, but it will be easy making a return visit.
In Devon and Cornwall, the charming, historic pubs are family friendly. The views of the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal paths are stunning. The hospitality is genuine. The Cornish pasties are delicious — especially from the St. Agnes Bakery in St. Agnes, Cornwall or Aunty Mays in Newlyn, Cornwall. And, the afternoon teas – especially at the Harbour Loft in the shadows of Cornwall’s St. Michael’s Mount — are in a class amongst themselves!
England’s Devon and Cornwall await your arrival….and my return.
PHOTO ALBUM
