Stay & Play
There are two historic golf courses within swinging distance of Saunton Sands Hotel.
We know that keen golfers love ticking interesting and historic courses off their bucket list - we meet lots of them when they stay at the hotel in order to play a round on the oldest course in England.
The north Devon coast is home to both Saunton Golf Club, right next to the hotel, and Royal North Devon Golf Club, which is just 30 minutes away. Both are championship links courses ranked in the Top 100 in the World by Golf World, and both can be played all year round, thanks to their sandy coastal soils that are always firmer and drier than inland courses.
Links courses offer a distinctive golf experience
The game of golf was born amid similarly sandy dunes on the Scottish coast in the 16th century. The first English course, the Royal North Devon, opened in 1864 and was followed a few decades later by Saunton Golf Club, in 1897. Both were formed from the voluptuous and utterly unique coastal landscape for which links golf courses have become renowned the world over.
Links courses offer a distinctive golf experience. They’re more closely aligned to the undulations of the natural landscape than the heavily developed parkland courses, so offer golfers a more challenging – and rewarding – game. The milder coastal climate means better weather across the year, although exposed locations favour golfers with good ball-flight control.
More about the iconic golf courses..
Saunton Golf Club hosts two championship 18-hole courses – East Course and West Course – each with their own unique characteristics, which command concentration, wit and dexterity, and make both worthy of adding to your scorecard collection. A pro team is on hand for tips and tuition, to give you a fighting chance of success. If, despite this, your game unravels, you can unwind in the clubhouse bar and restaurant before heading back to the joys of the spa, pool and a good dinner at the hotel.
Royal North Devon Golf Club was given the Royal title in 1867 by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. The 18-hole championship course plays the original fairways over 170 acres of the common land of Northam Burrows. It plays firm and fast, with the possibility of sharing the rough with a grazing sheep. An iconic course with the status of being the ‘cradle of English golf’, it’s a must-play for any golfer.
Game for playing a round on these historic courses? Let the Guest Relations team know when you book your stay at the hotel and they’ll sort everything out for you.
