St. Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club

St Pierre of Caen was one of William the Conqueror's most faithful lieutenants and his reward was a domain overlooking the Severn Estuary which became the site of a 14th century manor house. It was here that King Henry V, who came from nearby Monmouth, stored the Crown Jewels while he defeated the French at Agincourt. The house and an adjacent church form the heart of the Mariott St Pierre hotel and around it two courses were created. The first was designed by Ken Cotton in 1961 from a deer park thronged with highly prized trees that dominate the scene and subdue most of those trying to thread their way through. The most brazen is the giant chestnut that rules the second fairway but even its victims tend to be calmed by the fact that it has been there since 1600. St Pierre has hosted the Dunlop Masters and the Curtis Cup and in 1996 staged the Solheim Cup between the USA and Europe. The course has seen many improvements recently. Professionals and amateurs alike find the par three 18th across a lake and uphill towards the ancient chimneystacks both daunting and memorable.More