Page 106 - Golf World (February 2020)

72 hourS

Cornwall

Deep into England’s far

southwest corner, Tony Dear
uncovers five supreme courses

and one epic long weekend.

W hen plotting our next regional

guide, we’d have very much liked
to have done as so many have
before us and grouped Cornwall
and Devon into a single article. We considered
this for a while, then came to our senses
and realised again that there is far too much
world-class golf spread across those two counties
to squeeze it all into one. So it is to Cornwall we
head first, home to four courses inside our Top
100 England ranking. Despite that concentration
of quality, the far southwest of the country really
hasn’t quite received the love or attention it
deserves for the quality of its golf. Distant from
Britain’s acknowledged golfing centres –
Southwest London, the Lancashire, Kent and
Norfolk coasts, Lothian, Fife and Ayrshire,
Cornwall is perceived as a little… lightweight
perhaps – great for a family holiday but maybe
not the sort of place you’d consider for a golfing
escape. Big mistake. Here’s how to show the
county the respect it deserves and experience a
long weekend of rare quality.

Where to Stay

Four of the five courses we’re suggesting you cram
into this thrilling and hectic 72 hours lie within
25 miles of each other on the north Cornish
coast. The outlier, St Mellion, is located in the
southeast of the county and is a fine place to
start. We suggest heading for Cornwall as soon
as you can get away from the office on Friday, and
spending the night at the excellent St Mellion
International Resort, 11 miles northwest of
Plymouth on the edge of the Tamar Valley. Golf
begins the next morning on the resort’s Jack
Nicklaus-designed course, after which you can
enjoy a leisurely drive west. Because the four
courses you play over the next couple of days are

106 Golf World February 2020 | golfworldtop100.com