- We have played
Bude more times than I can remember as our base up to
2004 for the annual golf break was Hotel Penarvor which
is over looks Budes Crooklets Beach and the course.
The clubhouse located on the main one way system
at the top of the town and has recently been modernized
so the facilities on are last visit were very clean and
tidy it also has a well stock pro shop and a large bar
which serves hot and cold snacks throughout the day.
- From the putting green at the rear
of the club you have magnificent view out to the bay the
links style course. The bay will give you an indication
on the type of weather you will receive during your
round as most of it will come from that direction. The
first five holes are played on the other side of the
road towards Crooklett’s Bay the wind direction on
these holes can be very changeable and you will find the
wind straight into your face nine times out of ten. The
first is a par four which has two bunkers either side of
the fairway just on the length of your drive if you can
miss these you’ll have a short iron a large blind
green. The second hole takes you back towards the tee
again you will find bunkers either side of the fairway.
The third is a lovely driving hole with a difficult
green from the tee you hit towards the house to what
seems to be small landing area over a large area of
rough. The green is situated on top of a mound and the
green is like an upturned bowl you’ll be lucky if you
hit it and stay on. There is a short walk to the fourth
which is a par three around 150 yards the green
undulates all over the place and from the tee looks very
small also the out of bounds is just behind the rear of
the green. Hole five runs to the left of the first hole
as the wind will probably be behind you if you hit a
straight shot you should leave yourself a medium iron
over the bunkers. The trouble starts if you do not hit
the green as it slopes from to top right hand side to
the left and back towards the front, you really need to
be just on the front edge to stand any chance of walking
a way with par.
- You now make you way back over the
road to play the other holes and this is were things
start to get very interesting. The sixth to the
eighteenth on this course could probably go in my book
of favourite holes played in England. The sixth is a 377
yard par four, from the tee you’ll will see a mound
with a marker you need to be on the left hand side of it
for the best position to the green which is on top of a
large plateau. From the left you will be confronted by a
large bunker short of the front of the green if you over
hit there is plenty of room to chip back on but leaving
it short will leave you in heaps of trouble.
From the tee on the seventh all you can see is a
large mound straight ahead of you, I found the best
approach was on the right hand side of it this gave me a
sight of the marker and the top of the flag. Your short
iron shot is to a blind green on top of the hill is a
hit and hope you have the right length of shot to keep
you on the large green. Hole eight is a very difficult
par three and all the times we have played the hole we
have always had the wind straight in our faces. The
green is on a platoe anything right or left leaves you
with a difficult chip back on. The ninth is one of my
favourite holes on the course a par four that begs you
to play for the green with your second shot depending on
your drive which should be slightly left of centre of
the fairway. In the summer your tee shot will run and
run down the hill and you will be tempted to get your
wood out for the green but there is trouble all down the
left (out of bounds and a stream) and on the right a
steep hill full of brambles. The green is tiered and
puts go in all directions so making it on in three will
still test your ability to walk away with a par. The
tenth is a pretty par three around 150 yards it has a
small stream running right round the front and right
hand side with bunkers to catch anything short or left. You
can see much from the tee on the eleventh apart from the
large bunker that crosses the hole in front of you, play
towards the marker on the rise and watch the wind
balloon your ball up and to the right. The wind is
always in your face on this hole making par and hitting
the very large green two difficult. The next hole you
will the wind behind so if you a straight drive you will
be left with a short iron to a blind green. If you
manage to hit the green you will probably find it
resting over the back as the green slopes from front to
back steeply. The thirteenth is a great par three just
over 200 yards to a tight green which protected on all
sides if you make it on you probably wont make a birdie
because of the contours. Your tee shot on the fourteenth
is very strange you will hit your ball over a path
cutting between to hills when you get to the fairway you
cant see anything other than a large green which you hit
over to the green which is behind it. Hole fifteen from
the elevated tee you will see a large bunker in front of
you which can be easily cleared but does put you off
your shot. Your next should be around 150 yards to the
green over the stream don’t over cook your shot as out
of bounds is just beyond the green. The sixteen has a
similar tee shot to the one on the fourteenth again you
will also find the green protected by a large mound in
front of it, the green is also a lot smaller.
Seventeenth tee shot is very tricky you need to be
straight and long to give you any chance of having a
shot at the green. The fairway splits in to with a ridge
running straight through the fairway anything right will
be over the ridge and in trouble. The green sits over
the other side of a deep stream and protected by bushes
on the left however there is plenty of room at the back
to bail out. The last hole is a tricky par five straight
into wind the tee shot will sail up
into the air and covers no distance. If you hit
the fairway you will have another two good shots to make
the green.
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