Tee Off in Cornwall
A Golfer's Guide to North Cornwall's Finest Courses
"Where the fairways meet the Atlantic and every round tells a story"
Tee Off in Cornwall
A Golfer's Guide to North Cornwall's Finest Courses
There's something quietly magical about playing golf in North Cornwall. The salt-tinged air, the tumbling dunes, the glimpse of a church tower between holes — it's golf as it was always meant to be played: close to nature, unhurried, and utterly absorbing.
Whether you're a serious low-handicapper chasing a bucket-list course or simply looking for a relaxed round with family after a morning on the beach at Trebarwith Strand, North Cornwall delivers one of the finest golfing landscapes in England. Here are the courses worth knowing about.
St Enodoc — A Golfing Pilgrimage
If there is a single course that defines North Cornwall golf, it is St Enodoc. Situated in Rock, alongside the Camel Estuary, with picturesque Padstow on one side and the Atlantic to the north, it sits amongst glorious natural sand dunes with wonderful seaside views.
The former Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman — who loved this place so deeply — ended his poem Seaside Golf with the words "splendour, splendour everywhere," and Sir John himself is buried at the far end of the course in the pretty churchyard beside the 10th green. That tells you everything you need to know.
The famous sixth hole features the legendary "Himalaya" bunker — one of the largest in the United Kingdom — while the 10th hole finishes at the base of the old church, with other holes playing high above the Camel Estuary offering views across to Padstow. The course has been largely unchanged since the 1920s, and that feels right. This is not a place that needs improving.
St Enodoc also offers a second course — the Holywell — making it a wonderful option for mixed-ability groups. Keen golfers can take on the Championship Church Course while less experienced players or teenagers enjoy the shorter layout. After the round, the upstairs restaurant serves a Sunday carvery lunch with wonderful views of the 18th green and out towards the estuary and the open sea.
Good to know: Visitor tee times are available but booking in advance is essential, particularly in summer. The Church Course is a premium experience — and worth every penny.
Trevose — The Complete Golf Break
Just a short drive from Trebarwith Strand, Trevose Golf and Country Club offers a rare sense of connection to land, sea, and the freedom of the open horizon, with days moving effortlessly from the course to the coast, from salt-air mornings to golden sunsets.
A top-drawer golfing venue, Trevose boasts a superb Harry Colt links championship course as well as shorter courses, meaning it's playable for all the family. The club also boasts tennis and padel courts, an outdoor heated pool, and a fitness centre. For a group staying at Cumbrae House where not everyone plays golf, Trevose offers something for everyone — making it a perfect day out for a mixed house party.
The menus celebrate the best of Cornwall, with locally sourced seasonal favourites served with sweeping views of the Atlantic. After 18 holes in the sea wind, that's precisely what you want.
Bude & North Cornwall — Links Golf at its Most Accessible
For those who want a classic links experience without the formality, Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club is as close to the town as the Old Course is at St Andrews and is very much part of the local community. The Tom Dunn design is an easy-walking, sporty layout — and the club's adjacent pitch & putt course is a charming throwback.
Visitors and societies are warmly welcomed throughout the year, and the clubhouse is open to the public for food and beverages. It's unpretentious, well-kept, and genuinely enjoyable — the kind of round where you find yourself booking again before you've even reached the car park.
Holywell Bay — Fun for the Whole Family
Not everyone in your group will be a single-figure handicapper, and that's where Holywell Bay Golf comes in. Situated on the North Cornwall coastline, it offers two 18-hole courses and a 16-hole mini golf, with something for every level of golfer — all set against coastal views overlooking the National Trust-protected beach at Holywell Bay.
The famous cliff-hanging 17th hole on the pitch and putt course alone is worth the visit. This is the course you play when the children want to join in, when Grandma fancies a gentle round, or when the whole house party wants a few hours of laughter outdoors together.
Bowood Park — The Parkland Alternative
If links golf isn't your thing, Bowood Park Golf Club sits in 230 acres of the Black Prince's historic deer park near Camelford, positioned between North Cornwall's championship links courses. It offers dramatic terrain with year-round accessibility — a beautiful escape inland, combining the grandeur of North Cornwall's landscape with the more sheltered feel of a classic parkland course.
Plan Your Golfing Stay at Cumbrae House
Trebarwith Strand sits at the heart of all of this. St Enodoc and Trevose are under an hour away; Bude and Bowood Park are well within reach for a morning round before lunch back at the house. And when you return — tired, windswept, and probably arguing pleasantly about that bunker on the sixth — Cumbrae House is waiting: the long table laid, the evening meal, the view out to sea.
"When the celebration is simply being together."
Interested in planning a golfing break at Cumbrae House? Get in touch and we'll help you make the most of everything North Cornwall has to offer.