Saunton Golf Course Review: Arguably the finest 36 holes of English links golf

Saunton Golf Course Fact File: 

• Location: In North Devon, alongside the famous Saunton Sands and near the village of Croyden
• Year Established: 1897
• Par: East 71 West 71
• Length (yards from whites): East - 6,427 West - 6,200 
• Green Fees (weekdays): £175 - £265 for a day pass
• Signature Hole: East, the opening hole is a majestic start along with the 16th. West, the par-3 4th looks and plays beautifully
• Website: sauntongolf.co.uk

Devon offers some very diverse golfing options but top of the pile would be the East and West at Saunton. The East would sit around the top-20 mark in an England Top 100, so in among some very exalted company, with the West a top-50 layout. So we're talking two outstanding courses with plenty of history.

Unlike some of the other 36-holers here there is a bit of a gap between the two. The club was founded in 1897, starting out as nine holes, then adding another three before becoming 18 in 1908. This became the East and  significant modifications took place in 1919 by Herbert Fowler, who we will read plenty about at the likes of other 36-hole layouts such as Walton Heath and The Berkshsire.

Plenty of big names played exhibition matches in the early days here and six-time Open champion Harry Vardon commented that he would like to retire and play his golf at Saunton and it would soon become the perfect host to some prestigious amateur competitions.

The East staged the Brabazon Trophy as recently as 2022, the fifth time that it had held the English strokeplay event, and Sergio Garcia is a notable name on the winners' board having captured the British Boys on its centenary in 1997. Two years later he would nearly win the PGA Championship.

The West came along in 1935, with Fowler again at the head of controls, and Frank Pennink would make further and significant alterations in the 70s after the course lay dormant for decades.

Saunton sits on the North Devon coast on the edge of Bideford Bay and the edge of the River Taw and it's notable duneland and 36 holes of sweeping and rugged links golf.

Saunton Golf Course Review

Bernard Darwin wrote this of Saunton: "It is almost impossible to describe true seaside golf to those who have never had the chance of playing it. If such a one was entrusted to my care, I would take him straightaway to Saunton – yes, before St Andrews or Sandwich – and say to him, 'Now here is the real thing'."

Starting with the West, this is certainly less dramatic than the East and shorter on the scorecard, but it has been improved immeasurably over the years with Tom Mackenzie was employed in 2016 to close the gap between the two courses with new bunkers and tees and realigned ditches.

What stands out on the card are not just that there are five par 3s but that four of them will require your longest iron and two come in the last three holes. So that means there are clusters of par 4s on both nines which offer less severe elevation changes than the East but are suitably subtle with plenty of movement around the course.

The 1st is a fantastic opener, doglegging to the right and different to what comes next, and from there it offers a varied challenge. The par 3s quickly come into your mind when recollecting a round here, with the 4th being an excellent one-shotter and it ends with another superb short hole.

You need to plot your way round here and it's certainly a lot more than fun, seaside golf.

The East begins with an absolute bang with a spectacular par 4, played at 470 yards from the elevated white tee, which sets the tone for what's to follow. You'll hear a lot about the par 4s on the East, there are seven on the trot from the 6th, and there is a beauty of a short hole at the 5th (don’t go long!) that breaks up these and the formidable opening.

In prolonged bursts this is as good as it gets in terms of championship links. If Saunton was located somewhere on the North West coast and not in North Devon then you really do feel like this could host The Open. In large chunks it's really that good; the dunes, turf, greens and layout and everything is there in front of you.

There are only two par 5s, spaced well apart at 2 and 15, and the highlight maybe comes with the 16th which is named after the man who shaped the two courses here.

The tougher back nine rounds off with an elevated par 3 and one final par 4 which is a fitting end to a quite brilliant 18 holes of golf.

Final Verdict

A day at Saunton might not be the easiest place to get to but it is so worth the effort. Would you want two tests that are the equal of the East? Probably not. Do you want a bit more, for the ultimate day on a world-class links, than the West? Again, yes.

Playing golf between the dunes to greens perched perfectly in the distance can make golf very satisfying if you can get it right. The opening tee shots on both courses are pretty dramatic, the East might be your favourite first drive of the day anywhere, and it's genuinely hard to pick a weak hole on the entire property.

Not enough golfers make it as far as North Devon but, those who do, will always return. It's a remarkable landscape and to even suggest that it might host The Open should tell you everything about the test that awaits you.  

The club's social media channels read: 'Welcome to Saunton. The finest 36 holes of links golf in England'. It's quite a statement and it might well be true. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ️️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For more information, please visit the club's website here