Trevose

Its three courses, on-site accommodation and reputation for excellent catering make it a highly popular and desirable venue for golfers and their families flocking to this part of the country.

Each time I have visited there has always been a lovely feel and buzz to the place.

The main links, designed by Harry Colt, regularly ranks as one of the top golf courses in the British Isles and as the proud host of The Brabazon Trophy (2008), The McGregor Trophy (2012) and the English Men's County Finals (2017) Trevose enjoys a real championship status. A maximum yardage of 7,172 from the blue tees confirms the challenge.

All lies before you from the 1st tee with an expanse of small sandhills to the right, larger dunes to the left and the sight of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance; a truly breathtaking vista. You can also spot several flags fluttering nonchalantly away, many of them perched up high on the top of plateaus, and you just know that your creativity will be tested.

The greens are quite large and the fairways certainly generous although new bunkering on many of the holes has tightened up the drives significantly. The greens themselves ran beautifully in the early season and were a joy to putt on.

There are some real high points at Trevose which compare favourably to the very best of British links golf. The intimidating opening tee shot, the knob-to-knob par-three third and the iconic fourth hole, with white horse waves crashing behind the green, are early highlights. The seventh is also an exceptional golf hole with a green complex that is arguably the best on the course. Holes eight and nine complete a sterling outward half.

In keeping with most Colt designs the course is set out in two loops of nine holes. The front half hugs the sand dunes and coastline, offering some spectacular views out to sea, and covers the best of the golfing terrain at Trevose. Meanwhile the back side offers a different, but no less demanding, test of golf as you head more inland.

The wonderful green sites and putting surfaces at the 10th and 11th continue the strong momentum of the round and whilst the 12th is where the course starts to lose its linksy feel it is no doubt a strong hole. Indeed the first two-thirds of the course are mightily impressive.

If I had to be critical of what is undoubtedly a very fine course for me the round does wain a little over the closing stretch. There’s nothing wrong with the long 13th, and new work being carried out around the green when we played it in March 2016 should make it even better, but the two shortish par fours at 13 at 14 don’t excite me and whilst the 16th and 17th are certainly good tests of golf they don’t have the sparkle that was in abundance earlier in the round.

Fortunately the round finishes in style with the brilliant 18th hole which has a green setting that is almost as good as anything that has gone before it and sitting under the shadow of the clubhouse there is an amphitheatrical feel to it.

Another appeal of Trevose is that it has a real family atmosphere to the place; not surprising since the complex has been family-owned and managed by the Gammon family since 1941 (solely from 1955). And with accommodation just a few paces away from the 1st tee this emphatically gives Trevose something that many other top links venues are undoubtedly envious of.

Read the review of Trevose (Headland) here.

Read the review of Trevose (Short) here.