Review: St Enodoc Golf Club

THERE is a whoa factor to this stretch of links like no other I have played before!

With a history stretching back to 1890, it was James Braid who laid out a full 18 hole course in 1907 that currently sits firmly in Golf Digest's top 100 courses of the world. Yes, it's that darn good.

After a warm welcome by general manager Tuck Clagett I was on the first tee of the Church Course wishing I had hit some balls given the bottleneck landing area with rough either side. Beware the false front to this tough par 5 opener, with camel estuary in the background.

The tee shot on the third hole is the first of many blind shots where I was thankful of my caddie's good judgement before leaning on her heavily again at the sixth with its blind approach.

Other memorable holes on the front nine include the par 3 eighth at just 150 yards, a hole that rewards a well struck shot but should you miss the green you'll likely find one of seven bunkers protecting one of St Enodoc's flatter greens.

Onto the back nine and I was presented with my favourite hole of the round immediately at the 10th. Stroke index one and likely the toughest par 4 I will play this year because it required strategy and execution beyond my ability. With OB left and heavily roughed sand dunes down the right flank I went against my caddie's request to play iron off the tee... "I didn't come here to lay up" = Z Star donation via OB on the left. You could do worse than play the 10th as a par 5!

The stretch from 11 through 13 is played in a triangle around the St Enodoc church at the base of Bray Hill and plays with a slightly more inland feel to it, while the 14th offers a fantastic vista from the tee and although short in length at 355 yards, the tee shot must be aimed at the hungry bunker on the left as the fairway slopes dramatically from left to right with heavy rough on the right. Another blind approach to a small slick green with OB long, I took my par and ran!

Then there's the par 5 16th that welcomes more great views of the camel estuary and dare I say a good birdie opportunity if you can find the plateaux in the fairway and avoid the well placed collection bunker on the approach.

A superb finish ensues at St Enodoc with the uphill par 3 17th, a tee shot which is placed into a bowl green. With player-caddie relations back on par, we agreed on one more club and thankfully found the dancefloor.

The 18th proved that accuracy with the big dog is paramount around this Church Course and I thankfully threaded my ball into the middle of the fairway sandwiched between OB right and more heavy rough on the left. The uphill approach to another raised green will bring a hard fought par before the best ham, egg & chips this side of Padstow.

The Holywell Course was a fun afternoon knock that will test every club in your bag. A par-63 with nine par 3s, it proved a good test with blind shots aplenty none better than the finishing hole.

Verdict

A caddie will be worth the extra cash when striding around the demanding Church Course with the layout's false fronts and blind tee shots, not to mention it's actually a pretty tough walk in and amongst the sand dunes.

This stretch of links at St Enodoc Golf Club is as natural as they come with a fantastic variation in holes most of which looked picture postcard and time for oil on canvas rather than me having more hits than The Beatles.

This is the most fun I have had on short grass in recent times and there is value to be had as St Enodoc remains extremely reasonable to play with green fees in the summer priced from £75 and £45 in the winter whilst the shorter Holywell Course costs just £25. During the summer, the club also offers a Twilight Green Fee of £45 for a late afternoon round of golf.

Additional information

Since 2009 St Enodoc has been a member of the Atlantic Links, a partnership of the six premier links courses in the south west of England, that has quickly established itself as one of the leading golfing destinations in England. St Enodoc is joined in this group by Trevose, Royal North Devon, the two courses at Saunton and Burnham & Berrow.

Countrywide Golf Holidays

Countrywide Golf Holidays is well placed to promote the Atlantic Links as it has been organising golf tours in the UK for over 20 years and, thanks to being based in Cornwall, has indepth knowledge of the five clubs, nearby accommodation providers and off-course attractions and activities.

With strong focus on personal service, tailor-made itineraries and a commitment to offer value for money, combined with a passion for the West Country, Countrywide Golf Holidays is a natural partner for the Atlantic Links.

For more, go to www.countrywidegolfholidays.com or contact info@countrywide-golf.com or tel: +44 (0)1637 879991.

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