Slime
Tour Winner
Get yourself a coffee and get comfortable, this goes on a bit!
I've just got back from a week in North Devon and had several courses in mind, thanks for all the recommendations.
Ilfracombe was the closest, Saunton was the one I was looking forward to the most, having played the East and West Courses a few years ago.
Anyway, Ilfracombe was booked for the Monday.
It's perched high above the sea on the North Devon cliffs, the views were awesome from EVERY hole on the course.
We made ourselves known to the pro, Mark, who immediately made us feel most welcome and was more than happy for our wives to walk round with us.
He also did us a deal on the green fees .......................... most welcome and appreciated too!
Now the bad bit ..................... the driving range. It was an uphill trudge directly away from the 1st tee to the 3-bay range. Such a pity, but the range was adequate and sheltered and the balls were real balls, not range balls :thup:.
Then we hit the course!
Quirky .................................... that's the word that best describes it, quirky!
Par 5, Par3, Par 3, Par 3, Par 5, Par 3 ........................ now that's quirky!
But they were all good holes, (played badly though), even the 75yd 4th played over a quarry!
It gets quirkier too!
We got to the 16th tee which is shared with the 17th tee. We were told to drive down the 17th before driving to the 16th, a par 3, play out the 16th and then cut across to the 17th fairway and then finish that hole!
The course finishes with a 200yd par three with a green hidden in a big dip. The top of the flag was just visible from the slightly elevated tee!
All the greens were in superb condition with many undulations and down hill putts were real knee-knockers.
The fairways were equally good, also undulating, thankfully fairly wide but rarely were we playing from a level lie. The ball was usually above our feet.
The course isn't particularly long .......................... but don't let that fool you, especially as we played it on a pretty windy day. You really have to think your way round ......................... it's a plotter's golf course.
Get out of position and you are done for!
The wind is also a major factor too!
I'll give you an example of that. On the Monday the wind was blowing toward the sea and on the downhill 390yd 15th I measured my drive at 315yds and I was left with a lob wedge in. On the Thursday the wind was coming off the sea, I hit another good drive and then came up short of the green ............................ with a four wood! Mental!
And now for the best bit ........................... the members.
Never, and I mean NEVER have I been made to feel so welcome.
Everybody we met had time for a quick chat and everybody was just so damned nice and friendly.
Despite playing badly, I'll blame the wind for that, we decided that Saunton was off the radar .................. we had to play here again.
We rocked up on the Wednesday to find the course closed due to fog, visibility was virtually nil ..................... bugger!
So we went back on the Thursday .............................. and the Friday!
The wind was still very strong, the people were still very welcoming.
So we played the course three times in all ............................. and it still cost us less than one round at Saunton!
I know Saunton are better courses, we all know that, but, next time I'm golfing in North Devon, I know where I'll be headed!
It's a gem, a real hidden gem.
I also had a chat with the club president, who was practising on the course, and when I told him that I'd sooner play Ilfracombe than Saunton he was so happy I thought he was going to cry, he was a real gent.
So, a big thanks to everyone I had the pleasure of bumping into, a big thankyou to Mark Davies, who has one of the best jobs in the world and a big thanks to pokerjoke for the heads up.
And yes, the back nine plays easier than the front nine, although on the Friday I managed to go out with 22points but only 15points coming home and I managed to birdie the 4th, which was playing at just 66yds and I also managed to birdie the 13th, (stroke hole 1), into a strong headwind by hitting a reasonable drive, a fabulous four iron before draining a 55ft putt!
I'm head over heels in love with the place.
If ever you find yourself in North Devon, do yourself a favour, play it. I know you won't regret it.
I'm sorry I've gone on a bit, but I can't recommend it enough.
Slime.
P.S. No-one has ever heard of pokerjoke, maybe he's a mythical figure!
I've just got back from a week in North Devon and had several courses in mind, thanks for all the recommendations.
Ilfracombe was the closest, Saunton was the one I was looking forward to the most, having played the East and West Courses a few years ago.
Anyway, Ilfracombe was booked for the Monday.
It's perched high above the sea on the North Devon cliffs, the views were awesome from EVERY hole on the course.
We made ourselves known to the pro, Mark, who immediately made us feel most welcome and was more than happy for our wives to walk round with us.
He also did us a deal on the green fees .......................... most welcome and appreciated too!
Now the bad bit ..................... the driving range. It was an uphill trudge directly away from the 1st tee to the 3-bay range. Such a pity, but the range was adequate and sheltered and the balls were real balls, not range balls :thup:.
Then we hit the course!
Quirky .................................... that's the word that best describes it, quirky!
Par 5, Par3, Par 3, Par 3, Par 5, Par 3 ........................ now that's quirky!
But they were all good holes, (played badly though), even the 75yd 4th played over a quarry!
It gets quirkier too!
We got to the 16th tee which is shared with the 17th tee. We were told to drive down the 17th before driving to the 16th, a par 3, play out the 16th and then cut across to the 17th fairway and then finish that hole!
The course finishes with a 200yd par three with a green hidden in a big dip. The top of the flag was just visible from the slightly elevated tee!
All the greens were in superb condition with many undulations and down hill putts were real knee-knockers.
The fairways were equally good, also undulating, thankfully fairly wide but rarely were we playing from a level lie. The ball was usually above our feet.
The course isn't particularly long .......................... but don't let that fool you, especially as we played it on a pretty windy day. You really have to think your way round ......................... it's a plotter's golf course.
Get out of position and you are done for!
The wind is also a major factor too!
I'll give you an example of that. On the Monday the wind was blowing toward the sea and on the downhill 390yd 15th I measured my drive at 315yds and I was left with a lob wedge in. On the Thursday the wind was coming off the sea, I hit another good drive and then came up short of the green ............................ with a four wood! Mental!
And now for the best bit ........................... the members.
Never, and I mean NEVER have I been made to feel so welcome.
Everybody we met had time for a quick chat and everybody was just so damned nice and friendly.
Despite playing badly, I'll blame the wind for that, we decided that Saunton was off the radar .................. we had to play here again.
We rocked up on the Wednesday to find the course closed due to fog, visibility was virtually nil ..................... bugger!
So we went back on the Thursday .............................. and the Friday!
The wind was still very strong, the people were still very welcoming.
So we played the course three times in all ............................. and it still cost us less than one round at Saunton!
I know Saunton are better courses, we all know that, but, next time I'm golfing in North Devon, I know where I'll be headed!
It's a gem, a real hidden gem.
I also had a chat with the club president, who was practising on the course, and when I told him that I'd sooner play Ilfracombe than Saunton he was so happy I thought he was going to cry, he was a real gent.
So, a big thanks to everyone I had the pleasure of bumping into, a big thankyou to Mark Davies, who has one of the best jobs in the world and a big thanks to pokerjoke for the heads up.
And yes, the back nine plays easier than the front nine, although on the Friday I managed to go out with 22points but only 15points coming home and I managed to birdie the 4th, which was playing at just 66yds and I also managed to birdie the 13th, (stroke hole 1), into a strong headwind by hitting a reasonable drive, a fabulous four iron before draining a 55ft putt!
I'm head over heels in love with the place.
If ever you find yourself in North Devon, do yourself a favour, play it. I know you won't regret it.
I'm sorry I've gone on a bit, but I can't recommend it enough.
Slime.
P.S. No-one has ever heard of pokerjoke, maybe he's a mythical figure!
