Course of the Week - St Enodoc

The 11th-century church adjacent to the 10th hole at St Enodoc is the final resting place of poet laureate Sir John Betjeman. He loved the north Cornish coast and St Enodoc?s Church Course was his favourite track. The great man even dedicated verse to the links in his work Seaside Golf.

James Braid was the creator of this layout and it remained largely unchanged until Peter McEvoy and Bruce Weller remodelled it last spring. Offering stunning views of

the sea and over the estuary towards Padstow, this is a striking and exhilarating setting for a game. Due to the Gulf Stream and dry, sandy ground St Enodoc is in consistently good condition all year round. Firm, fast and not always fair, this is rugged coastal golf to satisfy even the most puritanical links connoisseur.

The Church?s scorecard is a refreshing one as the layout stretches out to just over 6,200 yards and has a par of 69.In an age of power hitting and monster courses this track demands the application of more traditional skills. The undulating terrain makes for all manner of stance and shots can bounce off the rolling fairways at confusing and frustrating angles. Indeed

a portion of luck is required for a successful navigation of this ingenious layout. To score well around here you?ll need a heavy dose of creative imagination ? every element of the game is tested by the course?s 18 unique holes.

Perhaps the most memorable feature on the links is the magnificent Himalaya bunker on the 6th hole. Carved out of huge sand hills it provides a daunting prospect. Leak your tee shot to the right and a successful approach must carry this sandy behemoth. There is another, less testing, course at St Enodoc. The Holywell is a pretty, par-63 layout that?s a thoroughly enjoyable alternative to the main track.

Address: Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6LD

T: 01208 863216

W: st-enodoc.co.uk

STATs: par 69, SSS 70, 6,243 yards

GF: £45wd per round, £65wd

per day; £55we per round,

£70we per day

Designer:

Opened:

GM TOP 120 RANKING: 47