The South West of England is the perfect place to choose for a golfing holiday. It has plenty of sunshine, beautiful scenery and some challenging golf courses. Choosing a self catering holiday home and sharing it with a group of friends is a very budget-conscious way to enjoy all the amenities of a top golf club, without the huge bill.
St Mellion International Resort
St Mellion Golf Club, just over the border in Cornwall, is easy to reach along the A38. This premier club is a top choice for a round of golf with a choice of two championship courses. Tee off on the Nicklaus Signature Course or take the challenges of the newly named Kernow Course, with tees to suit all abilities. The recent £20 million refurb has prepared St Mellion to host the English Open for the next 5 years, so you will be following in the spike-marks of some great international golfers!
Carlyon Bay Hotel
Combine a beach vacation with great golfing at the Carlyon Bay Hotel Golf Course. There are a host of self catering holiday rentals in the St Austell area, so while the kids surf and sunbathe, the grown-ups can be doing their own thing on this fabulous golf course. Perched atop the cliffs above beautiful Carlyon Bay, the only distraction players have to contend with it's the superb views. The 6,578 yard course provides a series of challenges for serious and social golfers. PGA Professional, Mark Rowe, is also on hand to offer tailor-made tuition and golf clinics.
Dartmouth Golf and Country Club
The year-round destination of Dartmouth, on the South Devon coast is ideal for an off-season break ‐ when golf deals are at their best. Choosing a holiday home in the scenic Dart Valley, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, provides delightful village pubs for dining, naval history, boat trips and a gorgeous coastline as well as great golfing around this historic harbour.
Elfordleigh Hotel and Golf Club
The Elfordleigh Hotel and Golf Club is just a short drive from Plymouth, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. It offers a 5.690 yard parkland course with some treacherous lakes midway. On rainy days, book a session on the golf simulator which allows golfers to experience 33 of the world's best courses.
Bovey Castle Golf Club
Opened in 1926 as the sister course to Gleneagles and Turnberry, the course enjoys magnificent parkland within the Dartmoor National Park. As well as hiking, pony trekking and Dartmoor letterboxing, a round of golf at Bovey Castle will make any self-catering holiday in Dartmoor a real delight. What you save on the accommodation, you can splurge on treats!
Born in Cheshire, Gillian Birch moved to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity and never looked back. After 20 years, her ongoing discovery of popular attractions, quiet footpaths and local eateries has made her a fount of knowledge as she entertains readers with her informative articles on the hidden gems of Devon & Cornwall from a local point-of-view.