Course recommendation in West Cornwall?

[Canfordhacker]

All,

I'm down in St Ives (Cornwall) for a few days with the family for half term this week, and have my bats with me and a pass for 1 round.

Any courses close by that you would recommend? Tregenna and West Cornwall are both less than two miles away, but I reckon anything within 15 miles would suit.

Cheers

 

[Cernunnos]

In Cornwall I've so far only played one course... Bude, which has 3 distinct characters to it. Across its 18 holes. Been past a fair few others when I was last down their & there seemed to be plenty of good courses to choose from.

Not played anything that far down, but knowing the scenery down there. I think you probably can't go far wrong wherever you play, especially if its as far down as St Ives you are staying.

 

[Mawgan]

Canford,

Tregenna is a par 3 pitch and putt, but West Cornwall is a quality track. Short but if you play it with a wind off the Atlantic, be prepared...
You could also head up the north coast a tad and try Perranporth. It's on the dunes and features several blind shots which I don't like, but it's a popular and testing course.
Good luck with the weather and the caravans!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Bude & North Cornwall is a decent enough track. Nothing spectacular but a fair test of golf especially if the wind gets up. I've heard good things about Hoslworthy although the last time I was there it was in a monsoon and we gave up after nine so probably not fair to comment on the course as it was submerged.

 

[Earl]

Get over to Falmouth you will love it.

 

[Qwerty]

Trevose is definately worth a go,it's quite open so you can really let go with the driver.
If the wind is up its a good test.if not a decent score should be on the cards.
Think its about £40 a round,Just outside Padstow.

 

[Cernunnos]

Went past Trevose & was impressed, If I had to prebook anywhere down there I'd be booking Trevose. Infact I'm getting itchy to plan the rest of my summer golf right now.

Good call on subject... Feeling warmer & summery already.

 

[Mawgan]

I was a member at Trevose for three years in a previous golfing life in the mid-90s. It's a lovely course (plus 9 holer and academy courses) but unfortunately the 'Golf and Country Club' is definitely set up to rope in the grockles in the holidays. May not be easy to get a tee time, and it's a fair way up the coast. Worth it, though...

 

[HarryMonk]

Bude is a nice course, I played there a couple of summers ago though, and it poored down.

I would love to play there with the sun out.

Eagled the 13th though!!!

 

[Cernunnos]

We played their in a heatwave & it was glorious.

Staqrt holes quite short but everything seemed hiddden by Marram grass, once back over the road to the clubhouse side it opens up & then there are loads of rolling fairways & hidden bits. Theres a really fun par 5 real risk & reward as you aproach the couple of hole that get a bit Parklandish for a bit, then its back to deep bunkers, open linksy fairways. Though having a public footpath coming through the middle of it can interupt play. So best avoiding that latter section of the course at lunch times & hometimes for workers & kicking out time for the schools.

We stayed at the Hotel Penarvor
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/penarvor.html

Very friendly,owners more than helpful. Barman/Owner, apparently a good golfer in his own right. Yes the food was good, prices very good for what you get. But on the downside it was a bit dated inside & the clientel made the pair of us feel very young indeed.

If we go there again, we'll be booking the Inn on the Green.
http://www.innonthegreen.co.uk/accommodation.html
If nothing else to get the sky TV in the rooms. We had a quick look in there before we came home & it looked quite nice.

 

[Canfordhacker]

Thanks guys.

Played Perranporth last year and loved it. Trevose is 40 miles and I may get there later this year (either there or St Enedoc) on a boys weekend.
Falmouth looks good but a little far.
Bude and Lolsworthy are 70 miles away!
I think I'll go with West Cornwall as it's only a mile away.

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I can thoroughly recommend the inn on the green. Have stayed there several times and the welcome and the food in particular are awesome (and the owners daughter was foxy too!!) I agree with the assessment of the course. The 1st is an easy par 4 and you do have the opportunity on the first five or six holes to make a good start. The are some tighter driving holes and several blind shots which add to the fun. I like the place.

 

[Handycap]

Thanks guys.

Played Perranporth last year and loved it. Trevose is 40 miles and I may get there later this year (either there or St Enedoc) on a boys weekend.
Falmouth looks good but a little far.
Bude and Lolsworthy are 70 miles away!
I think I'll go with West Cornwall as it's only a mile away.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Like many of the other replies you've had so far, I don't really know the courses as far south as you are going on this trip. However, I do know Rock and Padstow very well and can vouch for both courses you mentioned in that area for your boys tour later in the summer. I played both Trevose and St Enodoc in October this year. It was blowing an absolute hooley when we played Trevose: nothing stayed put unless it was tied down. Our balls weren't just oscillating on the greens, they were being blown off the green (I can see room for double entendre here).
The trollies would start marching down the fairway on their own or would levitate while being pulled along into the head wind. Then it started raining, horizontally!
It was a shame we had such poor weather when we played Trevose, as the course is a real belter and would justify a return trip this year to do it justice in clement weather. But that is the problem/luck of the draw with Trevose, the vast majority of the holes are totally exposed to what the North Atlantic weather has to offer.

St Enodoc on the other hand is far better protected: on as bad a day only 50% of the holes are affected. The topography is more interesting as the course has made good use of the Dunes that make up the lie of the land. As a links course, I find St Enodoc to be more of a challenge and closer to what one would expect a links course to be. There is really only one hole on Trevose that fronts the ocean, and it's a cracker at that, but you don't get the same back drop of links golf that St Enodoc has to offer.
My opinion is totally bias: I spent the majority of my summer holdays down there in my youth and fairly regularly since then. Others may favour Trevose, but in my book St Enodoc (Church course) is one of the best Links courses in the country and is hard to beat. I apologise to all devotees of Trevose and welcome civil argument in it's favour!

Have a great weekend and let us know how you get on.

 

[Canfordhacker]

Well guys, in the end when I phoned West Cornwall they were playing off "fairway mats", so I opted instead to play the most westerly course in England - Cape Cornwall. Had a fabulous 2 hours 45 minutes in glorious weather with the course to myself for £15, looking out towards Amarica on all 18 holes. Will try and post a review on the relevant part of the forum. Even managed to shoot 82 (level to handicap) to continue recent good form.

 

[Handycap]

Glad you had a good time, the weather must have been kind to you. looking forward to seeing the pictures.