Bude & North Cornwall

Bude & North Cornwall is a proper links course, located as its name suggests, in the north of the English county of Cornwall.  

Tom Dunn laid out the original course back in the 1890s, and Harry Vardon was the course record holder for a number of years.  

It may only be 6,000 yards, but with tough greens and with the views out to the Celtic Sea as a possible distraction, you will find it a great challenge.

Visit the Bude & North Cornwall website here.

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The course was established in 1891 on the common land known as Summerleaze Downs and quickly garnered a reputation for quality. 

Tom Dunn was the man to design the original golf course when it opened, with his layout being extended to the 6,000-yard course Bude is today. 

Legendary player and course designer Harry Vardon was a regular visitor early on in the 20th century and held the course record for a number of years. 

Bude & North Cornwall is a fantastic linksland challenge that is well worth a visit on any golfing trip to the Cornish coastline. Subsequent updates to Tom Dunn's original design work have extended it just past the 6,000-yard mark. The course boasts natural all-weather, undulating fairways and excellent drainage which means that it is very rarely unplayable, ensuring that your golf break will not be dictated by the unpredictable seaside weather. The greens are lightning fast and feature both harsh and subtle borrows that will seriously test your ability to read a putt.  

The front nine boasts a run of treacherous par 4s, with six of the opening seven holes coming under that category. The opening five holes at Bude & North Cornwall play on the north side of the road, with the first three all less than 355 yards. You might think you can get away to a quick start, but you need to think your way through these opening holes to make sure you don’t fall behind on the scorecard. The 3rd hole features a sharp dogleg fairway and an elevated, undulating green that is protected by bunkers on the left, right and front. The 4th is the first of four short holes at Bude, with six bunkers protecting the front and sides of the green. It is only 144 yards from the back tees, but accuracy is vital to coming away with a par.  

The 5th is the last hole before you cross over the road, and although straight enough, there is plenty of bunker trouble to keep you on your toes. 6 is another great test, but the 7th is arguably the best hole on the course. You will most likely require a fairway wood or strong iron shot to avoid the mounds and marshy water hazard that flank the fairway, while overshooting the blind plateau green on this 346-yard par-four could prove costly. The 8th green is long and narrow, with two pot bunkers on the left side of this par 3 green. The closing hole on the front nine is the first of the three par 5s on the par 71 layout. The tee shot is played to a wide fairway, but it is over a marker post so make sure to get your line right. The hole then gets much narrower with your second. Trees encroach on all three sides of the green bar where you’re coming from, making it a difficult approach, even with a wedge in hand. 

A narrow stream runs across in front of the 10th green, and it is another short par 3 where club selection is vital. The 11th is the longest hole on the golf course, but it is still only 485 yards from the tips. This par 5 is reachable in two for most, especially if the wind is in your favour. Two bunkers short of the green and a swale to the right mean your approach has to be accurate. The 12th is a gentle enough par 4, before you come to the longest par 3 on the property – the 202-yard 13th. Played to a long, but narrow green, this can even extend to more than 220 yards with a back pin. Two bunkers in front of the green mean that anything running up to the surface has to be very carefully done. 

The closing stretch at Bude starts with the 14th and 15th, two holes that run very close to each other. The tee shot on 14 is out to the left to avoid the fairway bunkers, while the approach to the 15th has to cover a stream, but with out of bounds behind the green, make sure to take the right club out of your bag! 16 is the toughest hole on the back nine, a long par 4 that bends from right to left. There are no bunkers by the green, but you will probably be coming in with at least a mid-iron in hand. You will encounter the same stream as on 15 in front of the 17th green, along with the same problem of the OOB as the guard at the back. The closing hole at Bude is a short par 5, one of just 460 yards. It plays as a dog-leg left, and you must make sure your drive doesn’t run out too far as there are trees and gorse awaiting anything that overruns the fairway. The green is guarded by two pot bunkers short of the surface. 

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Where is Bude & North Cornwall located?  

As the name suggests Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club is located in the northern part of the English county of Cornwall, in the southwestern region of the country. It is just to the north of the town of Bude, with the course overlooking the coastline and out to the Celtic Sea. The A39, which runs from Bath to Falmouth, runs past the eastern boundary of the golf course. Newquay and Plymouth are both just over an hour away from Bude. 

Barnstaple and Okehampton are the two nearest train stations to Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club, but neither is within 25 miles of the golf club. Newquay Airport is an hour away down the coast to the southwest, with Bristol Airport closer to three hours away in the opposite direction. London Heathrow Airport – the biggest airport in the United Kingdom – is five hours to the east of Bude.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?  

Bude & North Cornwall is one of several NCG Top 100s: England venues to be situated in the southwest of England, across Cornwall and Devon. Trevose and St Enodoc are both an hour away down the coast, while Yelverton is the same distance to the south towards Plymouth. Royal North Devon and both the West and East Courses at Saunton are just over an hour up the coast to the northeast.

What golf facilities does Bude & North Cornwall offer?  

Due to the lack of space, there is not a driving range at Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club, but there is a short game area and a putting green, two things you will want to make the most of before taking to the course with all of its nuances around the surfaces.

What are the green fees at Bude & North Cornwall?  

The price of a green fee at Bude & North Cornwall changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Bude & North Cornwall visit their website here.