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| Royal North Devon Golf Club at
Westward Ho! Bideford is a very changeling links course
however on first impressions it looks like a flat heath
land course. Make sure you visit the club house it is very
impressive and you immediately get a feel for the age of
the place, you only have to look at some of the clubs honors
boards and famous names on them. Leaving the club
house for the tee the first thing that is very noticeable
is the wind coming off the sea to your left which will
play a major part in your round. The first hole a par 5
is called Burn, the first shot is a straight forward drive
with the only difficulty is avoiding the sheep and the
burn on the right which runs the full length of the
fairway until it passes in front of the green making your
second shot onto it difficult best laid up and wedged on.
You will notice that the green is protected by rope fence,
as with all the other greens these are there to keep the
horses, cattle and sheep off. In addition most of the
greens are undulating and tiered by mounds making them
very difficult to put on. The second hole is called Baggy
you’ll need a long straight drive between the stones and
the wind off the sea behind you should help. Your next
shot will be a difficult long shot into a raised narrow
green so think hard about your club selection or you will
land shot like I did. The third called Crest has two large
pot hole bunkers which are right on your drive once you
are in them they are a pig to get out as you will need
steps to get into the one on the right as I found out to
my dismay. The next shot into the green is fairly easy if
you have missed the bunkers. The fourth hole called Cape
will have you shaking in your boots as you walk onto the
tee as all you can see in front of you is one of the
widest and tallest bunkers you will see on any golf course
(see pictures). The bunkers are actually 180 yards to the
top from the tee so a good drive should see you over the
top and down into the fairway on the other side leaving a
short iron onto a well protected green if you not amongst
all the mounds on the fairway. Hole five called Table is
the first of the par threes this one is only 136 yards but
you may need a driver as it is all up hill and you are
playing right towards the sea. The day we played I took a
five iron and was just short by one of the two front
bunkers, which is only 120 yards from the tee. Number six
is called Alp aim your drive between the two stones should
leave you with a mid iron to the green avoiding all the
hollows just before it. Next hole the seventh is called
Life Boat hit you shot between the two bunkers this will
leave you on the top of a rise in the fairway you next
shot is over gorse to a heavily contoured green so good
luck with your putting. The
eight is a long par three and is called Bar make sure you
take enough club as the ball wont roll onto the green.
Ninth hole par five is called Dell there is some
water about 160 yards in front of the tee and a ridge in
the fairway around 250 keep to the right of the fairway if
you can as there is gorse all up the left of this hole.
Your second shot should also best kept to the right given
you the best chance of hitting the shallow green with your
third. |
 Pictures
supplied by Colin Giles
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Hole ten par four is called Rush as you have play your
drive straight at a marker over rushes or gorse if you hit
to far over the fairway there are some pot bunkers to save
you going into the gorse the other side, nice easy green
to hit but bunkers in front and all up the left. The
eleventh called Appledore nice drive will see you with an
easy short iron to a green. Hole twelve call Trap is
another straight forward par four. Hole thirteen is an
easy par five you should get there in two but the green is
a putting nightmare. Hole fourteen Iron Hut is a nice par
three over gorse on to a raise green with difficult
putting. Number fifteen keep left of the marker as there
is pit on the right next shot is also difficult mid iron
into a green protected on both sides. Number sixteen is
another lovely par three with a table top green and
bunkers on all sides. Hole seventeen a very long par five
it took me five shots to reach it into wind of the sea
well that's my excuse! even without the wind I think is
would take three very good shots. You also have to play
across a road so watch for the cars leaving the beach and
the ditches on both sides this is why it is call Road.
Lastly hole eighteen called Home you will need beer after
this one as it is a great finishing hole even though its
stroke 18. You will need a good drive to get a shot across
a burn protecting the green
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