Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club

Op een maandagochtend de eerste 11 holes gespeeld. Aangezien hole 9 in een uithoek ligt, is 11 een uitstapmoment. Baan was droog, greens snel. Tof om zo in een dorp te spelen. Zicht op supermarkt, huizen en zee. Baan is lastig als je hem niet kent. Blinde shots. Bal doorgaans vindbaar. 50 pond vond ik aan de prijs maar linkservaring was tof.

Bude & North Cornwall is located right in the heart of a bustling town and is surrounded on all sides by buildings, including a supermarket and a row of houses with a church. The first five holes are straightforward. The real excitement begins on the sixth hole. Blind drives and shots to the greens, which, like the sixth hole, are elevated. Some of the flagsticks are perhaps 3 meters high. The deep bunkers between the 14th and 18th holes are fascinating. Playing this course for the first time is definitely not boring. To get a decent score, you’ll need a little luck. Don’t forget to register your car for free at the clubhouse; otherwise, you risk a fine.

We have a tradition of playing a nice course on 1 January each year. Due to the very wet conditions throughout the tail end of January, the course we had booked was closed due to being waterlogged. We decided to try Bude & North Cornwall based on reviews saying that it held up well in wet weather. We were not disappointed, you would hardly have know it had been raining solidly for the 7 days prior to our round. There were a few small puddles in the rough but the fairways were firm and bouncy.

The course is set slightly inland and the views of the ocean are somewhat marred by the supermarket on the edge of the course.

The back 9, in my opinion, is much better than the front nine in terms of interest (the maintenance quality is high throughout the course). This is where you enter the dunes and there are plenty of elevations changes and a few blind shots. Hole 16 has a blind tee shot to a wide fairway and the the green is mostly surrounded large sand dunes meaning that the approach shot into the green is also taken blind (remember to check out the pin position when passing the 16th green earlier in the round)

Early on in the round we caught up with a a five-ball (which I was very surprised was allowed out together on a busy day). They then proceeded to hold us up for 12 holes and only let us through when one of them broke their driver on their teeshot (their decision may have been aided by the fact they witnessed me chipping in from 120 yards away for an eagle on the 15th)

The clubhouse is dated and does not make the best use of the views available. The service and food before the round was good and inexpensive. However, after the round the staff only seemed interested in serving members several of whom pushed in ahead of us.

The practice facilities are good for putting and chipping but are lacking when it comes to warming up for longer shots. There is no driving range but instead a couple of driving nets in the carpark.

The course has a fair amount of history, and that is evident in the natural look of the course. This is links golf the way it used to be played, using the area’s natural hollows and elevated points to its advantage. The course is also situated right in the centre of Bude, with holiday homes lining the north edge of the course and adding to the relaxed atmosphere. There is a practice area and also a putting green but no range. This isn’t surprising due to its location, and there is a net to help warm up. 

Course - After all the rain we have had and being in the depths of winter, the course played exceptionally well. The fairways were firm and the greens were quick and responsive. There isn’t much rough to speak of; any wayward shots usually just result in an awkward lie with the ball either below or above your stance on one of the many banks. The course is separated by two roads, resulting in holes 1,2,3 and 5 located in a middle portion. Hole 4, a small 140-yard par 3 on its lonesome on a small triangle parcel of land at the point closest to the sea. The rest of the course and clubhouse is located on the most significant portion of land and furthest away from the coast, and this is where you will find the most prominent elevation changes and the more exciting holes (in my opinion) reside. A small stream runs across four holes, adding a nice water feature which does prevent taking the more straightforward bump-and-run approach. Not the longest course, and for the longer hitter, a decent score is definitely there to be taken, but there are plenty of hazards to cause the average golfer issues.

Clubhouse - A Clubhouse that has expanded over the years with the extensions obvious; from the outside, not the prettiest and inside, not the best layout, but it has all the amenities you would expect for the 6th-rated course in Cornwall. There are limited but great views from the restaurant/bar areas and a patio, which in the summer, I would imagine to be packed with post-round drinks). The Pro shop was well stocked for its size. Car Park has an ANPR camera which meant it was nice and easy to park (remember to enter your reg plate; otherwise, a £100 parking fine is coming your way).

Staff - Friendly staff in the restaurant and the pro shop. Service was a bit slow, and members would queue jump, with the staff seemly happy to oblige. The food was hearty and of good quality. The price for food and drinks was also excellent (3 x Breakfasts with two coffees and a pint of orange juice costing £27)

Highlights - The quirky nature of the course, with well-placed hollows and pot bunkers and great views down to the bay and Atlantic Ocean. Hole 14 with the blind tee shot on a fairway, only to have a blind approach into the green.

Lowlights - We played behind a five-ball which, on a busy day, I was very surprised were allowed out together. They then proceeded to hold us up for 12 holes.

In order to provide robust and credible rankings the Leading Courses Panel provides a rating based on their own experience, interviews and rankings of the most reliable sources in the industry.

If you have played Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club or if you disagree with the current rating, then please also share your opinion!

Your review will help many other golfers!

#bygolfersforgolfers