If you’re after a golf tour in Devon, Pitt Farm Holiday Cottages is a perfect option. For a great golf tour you need great courses, a central location (relative to the courses), and somewhere to stay where you can all get together in the evening to enjoy food, drink and stories of world-class moments of excellence (or perhaps, more usually, missed opportunities).
South Devon is below the radar of many as somewhere to visit for golf, but should be on your shortlist for a long weekend, or a mid-week golfing break.
The admin
We know that arranging a golf tour can be time consuming, and securing the right tee times can be tricky. So, help is available with tee times and we have access to some preferential rates for your group at the courses mentioned below (regardless of the size of your group).
We recently hosted a 12 person tour over a weekend in October, arranging the group’s tee times (tee times Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday morning) and ensuring they were well fuelled (and where they needed to be at the time they needed to be there).
The Courses
This is the most important bit. You want a challenge, a bit of wow, and an opportunity to score. So, how about these:
The Challenge – Dartmouth Golf Club – Dartmouth’s Championship Course is a 7,200 yard, par 72 Championship Golf Course, which has played host to the West Region PGA Championships six times. Hilly, with fantastic views of the South Hams countryside, it boasts some excellent holes. (There is also an academy course at Dartmouth kept to the same standard).
The Wow – Thurlestone Golf Club – Often described as England’s Pebble Beach, Thurlestone is spectacular. A Harry Colt designed classic along the cliff edges of the South Devon coast, with views of Thurlestone Rock, South Milton Sands, Burgh Island and the Avonmouth Estuary. It’s hard not to keep saying “wow” as you go from hole to hole.
The Opportunity – Bigbury on Sea – This is not an easy course, yet it does present some great opportunities to score. The fairways are wide and the greens fast, but things can get a little complicated by sea winds as well as the trees and bunkers. The hospitality (including the giant-sized pasties which were waiting for us as we finished our round) is second to none. The signs reminding golfers to keep to a brisk pace of play are probably a result of plenty of people stopping to admire the views.
All three of these exemplify what is great about modern golf. Plenty of tradition in the course; fantastic conditions, great greens; but most importantly of all, a very friendly and relaxed welcome. These are not stuffy places. They all have well stocked pro-shops, good practice facilities (a long range at Dartmouth and shorter facilities at Thurlestone and Bigbury) and great food and drink offerings.
The Après Golf
We hosted a group of 12 golfer friends on their annual tour. Each wanted their own room. Together they wanted a communal space they could chat / play cards / unwind after the day’s on-course exertions. Our group were split between a couple of cottages, the largest of which could comfortably host them all for the evening’s food, drink and card games that has become the ritual of this group. Although the cottages are self-catering, the group ordered freshly baked croissants and bread from our honesty shop for breakfast. We helped them to arrange post-round food at the golf clubs. A local caterer provided the food for the Friday evening, and a fantastic local takeaway delivered a banquet for the Saturday evening.
For those looking to go “out”; there’s a great pub within walking distance. The vibrant (year-round rather than seasonal) towns of Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Totnes and Dartmouth. These are a short drive away with restaurants, pubs and bars to suit all pockets and tastes.
Give us a call if you’re organising a golf tour in Devon, and we’ll see what we can do to help you.