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The beauty of St. Enodoc

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NAF:
I've been all around the world to play golf in the last 4 years but few places prepared me for the fun, beauty and tranquility of St. Enodoc.  I hope this picture (my approach to the par 5 1st from 150 yards) with the Camel Estuary merging and unfurling into the Atlantic in the backround inspires more people to put it on an itinerary to Westward Ho and Saunton.

NAF:
St. Enodoc was home to the decesased poet laureate John Betjeman who is buried in the 12th century church by the 10th hole.  He wrote a eulogy poem to a former club secretary Mr. E.A.R. (Ned) Burden that is one of my favorite poems I've ever read.. The first and last stanzas are my favorite.

The Hon. Secretary
By John Betjeman

The flag that hung half mast to-day
Seemed animate with being
As if it knew for who it flew
And will no longer be seeing.

He loved each corner of the links
The stream at the eleventh,
The gray-green bents, the pale sea-pinks
The prospect from the seventh;

To the ninth tee the uphill climb,
A grass and sandy stairway,
At the top the scent of thyme
And long extent of fairway.

He knew how on a summer day
The sea's deep blue grew deeper,
How evening shadows over Bray
Made that round hill look steeper.

He knew the ocean mists that rose
And seemed forever staying,
When moaned the foghorn from Trevose
And nobody was playing;

The flip of cards on winter eves,
The whiskey and the scoring,
As trees outside were stripped of leaves
And heavy seas were roaring.

He died when early April light
Showed red his garden sally
And under pale green spears glowed white
His lillies of the valley.

The garden where he used to stand
And where the robin waited
To fly and perch upon his hand
And feed till it was sated.

The Times would never have the space
For Ned's discreet achivements;
The public prints are not the place
For intimate bereavements.

A gentle guest, a willing host
Affection deeply planted--
Its strange that those we miss the most
Are those we take for granted.
  

James Edwards:
NAF,

Great position coming down...
Great Course aswell.

James

Paul_Turner:
Noel

It really is one of THE spots to play golf, with its constantly changing vistas.  I think Tom Doak sums it up perfectly, it's a course with different mood swings.

The poem evokes the course and its church.

The links are playing nice and fast in the UK this year?  (They had a dry Spring)

NAF:
Paul-

The courses in the UK with the great spring they have had on on the cusp of starting to get burned out.  RT noticed the grass was getting stressed.. RYE must be a bowling alley..

One thing I forgot to add. How in the hell did Tom Doak shoot a 68 on St. Enodoc..The course record is 64.. Good on him..hopefully he'll respond on here and explain that round.. The course has so much rub of the green in it anything in the low 70s is a marvel.

James--Thanks, it was a good approach to about 10 feet but I only made par!

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