Bude and North Cornwall (No Tom, it's not a 3) IMO ;) (All 18 complete)

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Garland

I'm enjoying this and one day I will make it there.  With my predilection for links golf I have to say It wouldn't get a 3 in my book either!

No lack of confidence in your opinions!


 I know Whitty and Wardo headed down to Cornwall a couple of years ago, but the West country is underappreciated as a Golf destination.
Add in world class views and one of the longest seasons and I don't understand why its not more popular with the golfers from London to the Midlands?

I am spending New Year in St Ives so if anyone is within striking distance of Lelant or Perranporth (keen to see her in a different wind) please shoot me an IM. 

[Garland Bayley]

Thirteen is a long par three. The demands of the tee shot stressed me enough to cause me to duck hook my ball OB right.

[Garland Bayley]

At 13, we were down near the stream at the bottom of the property. Therefore, 14 plays up the hill that nine descended.



Once again, the approach is blind, which is a concern to the best players, but for high handicappers that are not that accurate is of much less consequence. You have your rough yardage, you have a rough target, so it is possible to fire away.



Topping the rise before the green, we find much to our pleasure that the green lies in a dell. Since the dell provides a gathering effect, it is not necessary to have the large accepting green that we saw on the seventh hole.

[Garland Bayley]

Fifteen presents a heroic carry from the tee to get across the bunkers running across the fairway. The weak hitter can easily play short and take an extra shot to reach the hole.



With the stream running across the fairway 20 yards short of the green, another decision must be made on whether or not to try to make the carry, here typically with a downhill lie.

[Garland Bayley]

Sixteen travels back up hill with a par four and a half, as the length is beyond what an older player like I can reach in two, but it is assigned a par of four.



It also provides the third and final blind approach. Once again the green is situated so that a long approach can hold the deep green which is set back from the base of the dune as you descend from the crest.

[Garland Bayley]

Back down the hill for 17.



I don't have a picture from the landing zone for the drive, as the details of the approach are not visible from there. The stream shown below is not visible when hitting the approach, so I lost my second ball of the round in the stream who's channel is quite deep at this point in the course.

[Garland Bayley]

Eighteen plays back up the hill to the west of the practice area which is OB and inside the corner of the dogleg of the hole. Since the hole is farther west, the land is closer to the sea, and not quite so steep. Therefore, once again we have a hole that can be reached in two by the bigger hitters.



The approach is to the green sitting in front of the club house.

[Ed Tilley]

Thanks Garland for the excellent tour. I drove past this course maybe 10 years ago on the way to the beach and thought it looked flat and uninteresting. Looking at the overhead this must have been past the flatter land to the west (1-5). These pictures show that I was mistaken.

I'm in north Cornwall at the end of October for a week. I think I need to drag myself up from St. Enodoc for a round here - unless you think I should bypass Bude and make the long drive to Saunton East

[Garland Bayley]

...unless you think I should bypass Bude and make the long drive to Saunton East

LOL

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thank you Garland. Bude gets missed as it's just into Cornwall and a bit off the main road. However thanks to you I've got another place I need to play.


So what would be the hole you take for your electic 18?


PS I hope Mark B is taking notes - top surfing location.  I once had a lesson here.

[Garland Bayley]

Tony,

To do an eclectic, I would have to have a few candidates available to mesh with other courses.
My candidates would be
Somewhat standard holes 3 & 6
Pete Dye bend it opposite holes 11 & 12
Blind approach holes 7 & 14

I hesitate to put holes in whose greens lie in the lower wetter areas of the course 9, 10, 15, and 17. However, if push came to shove I might have to chose 17.

[Garland Bayley]

Bumping this after converting the pictures from photobucket to flickr. Sean Arble is indicating in his signature that he plans to play here soon. So here is a review before his report. After all, I am anxiously awaiting his report on what clubs he used for his approaches.
 

...
I played B&NC this summer.  Some nice land with a few very good holes.  My over-riding impression is there are one hell of load of driver-wedge/9 iron/8 iron holes.
...

[Sean_A]

Garland

I may venture up to Bude next week if the weather is decent.  The course should be well browned out by now, judging by my grass    If its any consolation, a think a 3 is quite mean.  I have a theory that any decent links is worth at least 5 unless there are unusual circumstances involved.  You look at an unheralded place like Bude and it has just as many compelling holes as many top flight inland courses...that has to be worth something.  Holes like 6, 7, 12 & 14 are high on the funk scale even if 7 is nuts. 

Ciao