The Royal North Devon Golf Club — Local services in Torridge District

Booked a tee time for 12.28 on Thursday 8th December. The weather was as benign as it could possibly be. Chilly but not cold and not a breath of wind. Called in to the pro-shop in plenty of time and could not have received a warmer welcome. Having checked me in the chap went out of his way to sort me out someone to go out with. In this case a member called Simon who played off 2. I play off 13 but even so some low handicap players prefer to be out with players of similar ability. Not a bit of it with Simon. He not only hits a 'lovely ball' but was terrific company. He guided me round the course, including the history of the club with some stories about J H Taylor the 5 time Open Champion and lifelong member. It was clear members take great pleasure in their club and welcome visitors to do the same. The course is quirky, as many links are, and unusually flat. It is also 'used' by sheep and horses for grazing. As a consequence there is no rough. Nevertheless Old Tom Morris knew how to create a course and in RND he has a beauty. Also it is the oldest course in England. For me the 4 par 3 holes are the best mix I have played in a long while. All extremely playable and all capable of wrecking a decent round if your bunker play or short game is out of sorts. On getting back to the club Simon insisted that he purchased the drinks and introduced me to some other members. Again they could not have been more welcoming or more genuine. In summary RND is a wonderful place to test your golf and enjoy the company of the members. A must play for sure and not just because of the historic aspects. There are some holes which might be described as fairly plain but look at the entire package and appreciate what it is all about. A course laid out as nature allowed, not tricked up with huge earth movements, and with a clubhouse / museum to enjoy to end the day. I will be going back and would recommend anyone who loves their golf to...

Royal North Devon was the highlight of our recent golf trip to the UK. From the moment we arrived, we felt like part of the family. I’d found the course from my home in California during the Pandemic. The roving-eye webcam that moves and zooms in on the players, sheep, an array of grasses, and sometimes even a horse grazing on the fairway made up for two years of no travel. It was the webcam that captured my family’s attention, too. When we started planning our next golf trip, we worked the itinerary around RND, which became the most memorable of the 13 courses we played.

From my California vista, the course looked like a flat and friendly seaside links. On the windy day we played with sheets of rain blowing through, it required everything we had in our bags, including an extra hat! With member, Richard Hughes, as our guide, we had inside knowledge about where to place our ball, how much club to use, and where the hazards lurked. On hole 10, we hit over the rushes into the wind and away from the hole, but on 11 we hit over them again downwind, flying the thickest part with ease and no lost balls (that I remember). RND is a beautiful course of colors, the sea, wide fairways, tricky carries, deep bunkers, and animals everywhere (but never in the way.) Afterward, over drinks in the bar, we shared stories, and had a tour of the dining room museum that spans all 158 years of golf history. What a terrific place this is! We have a few friends there now and some unfinished business in a bunker or two so we’ll be...

Played Sat 20th Sept. In great condition but boy was it slow. 4 hours 45 minutes and no marshals patrolling the course which is pretty poor if you have paid £70 for a round. Not their fault as golfers should be more aware of how long they are taking but a popular course should be a bit better these days. It can be tough but its one to tick off the to do list. ##in response to RNDGC there were a few 4 balls off at 3pm who had lost 3 to 4 holes on the groups in front and we were not informed of the potential slow round at the pro shop. It was dark when we got to 16,17 and 18. Even an American Foursomes should not take over 4...