St Mellion tops TG 2-Fore!-1 Top 100
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With now almost 1,000 courses on its books, the 2-Fore!-1 scheme’s Top 100 has never been more fiercely contested.
From next year’s Ryder Cup course at Gleneagles, to the former WGC venue at The Grove, this list brings together the very best of half price golf in the UK.
A hotly contested Top 5 in 2013 was made up of the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles at five, Turnberry’s Kintyre at four, The Grove at three, Gleneagles King’s course at two, and the winner, making its debut appearance at top spot…. was the Nicklaus layout at St Mellion in Cornwall.
We sent website guru Jake O’Reilly to find out what makes the venue in the South West so special…
After occupying third position for our last two listings, Jack Nicklaus’ debut UK course – which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year – has finally clinched the top spot in our rankings, so I made my way south with my non-golfing other half with high hopes.
The first thing you notice on arrival at the St Mellion resort is how well the growing hotel and its facilities sit in the Cornish countryside, subtly nestled on the hill only a 15 minute drive from Plymouth.
Having said this, the property is slightly more imposing from the rear (pictured above), especially when playing the Nicklaus course’s 18th, where you’ll be faced with a grandstand finish as the hotel’s many balconies overlook the treacherous final green.
Nerve wrangling when you’re faced with a five-footer on the last, but one of the many enjoyable elements when your feet are well and truly up, back in the luxurious surroundings of the four-star resort’s rooms.
Our room for the weekend – one of 80 modern, spacious suites – not only had a stunning balcony view (above) of the Nicklaus’ 18th and the neighbouring Kernow course, but it also had a much needed air conditioning unit on what was surely the hottest week of the year.
Having made the evening journey south and freshened up using the complimentary toiletries (it’d be rude not to!) we plumped for dinner in the less formal Bewdern Brasserie and Bar, where a combo of a delicious duck main and a sumptuous cheesecake with raspberry sorbet for dessert soon made our stressful journey down in the Friday evening traffic a distant memory.
After a blissful night’s sleep in the king size bed, and a quick bite to eat for breakfast (you name it, they served it) we headed to the pool and spa facilities to relax before my first encounter with the fearsome 7010-yard Nicklaus layout. With three pools, a jacuzzi, a stream room and a sauna all at your disposal as a guest, not to mention massage and treatments as optional extras, you really could go a whole visit at St Mellion without hitting a single drive, putt or chip, as I found out when trying to prize my girlfriend away for the afternoon’s golf.
Her disappointment at leaving was soon forgotten though when she was introduced to her ride for the afternoon and the stunning terrain around which she’d be chauffeuring me (a tip gents, if you want to get your partner into golf, choose a sunny day and let them drive the buggy!).
The Signature Course, as it is officially known, is breath-taking.
A regular feature in UK Top 100s and host to the European Tour’s B&H International Open from 1990-1995, the par 72 layout is not one for the beginner. However, there can surely not be a better course to plot your way around when you are playing well.
The opening hole of the Nicklaus design gently lures you in, providing enough room for a slight wayward first hit of the day, while also giving you an early glimpse of what’s to come, such as the perfectly manicured bunkers and sloping terrain.
The 2nd is where the fun really begins, as the par 5 is bordered by a steep rough bank on the right and a dense tree line on the left. It quickly became apparent that accuracy is key, with the following par 4 3rd and par 3 4th both calling for patience over power off the tee.
The dogleg 5th, which is arguably the highlight of the front nine, calls for a 200 yard carry from the tips over a lake to a fairway that sits sideways to your landing zone. If you navigate that then you still have a 100 yard pitch over a stream that meanders across the front of the green.
The straight and long SI2 7th and par 5 8th provide no let-up, before you finally get a chance to catch your breath, and possibly make up a shot, at the short, downhill 132-yard par 3. Don’t get too complacent here though, as a miss on either side will be met with a deep bunker.
The tough dogleg 9th leads you back through a valley of sand dunes to the resort and pro shop, before you descend the 10th for the start of what is an incredible stretch of golf.
The 10th itself is the most inviting tee shot of the 18, as everything unfolds in front of you over the 442 yards down to the green. It provides the perfect rest bite you need before St Mellion’s very own Amen Corner.
It starts with the signature hole, the stunning par 3 11th, which is played 202 yards downhill and over water. The elevated tee means you can see the danger in front of you, but that doesn’t make it any easier! I was pleased to see my tee shot touch down on dry land and run through the green, and happily took my resulting four and ran.
The 12th was my personal favourite hole on the course, and surely one of the best looking par 5s in the UK. The fairway splits a dense, tree-lined valley as the course plunges away from the resort and into a peaceful woodland setting. But don’t get too distracted, as anything left, right or too short on your approach will be punished.
The drive on the 13th is protected by a 70 yard bunker down the left of the fairway and a hill on the right. Navigate this and you’ve a severely sloping green to conquer to make your par.
Played uphill to a two-tier green, the last of the par 3s keeps you isolated in the stunning Cornish countryside.
The par 4 15th has the unusual feature of rough mounds dotting the doglegging fairway, meaning a smart positional tee shot is key to making your par.
The longest hole on the course, the 544 yard par 5 16th, is probably your last chance to attack the course and pick-up a shot. The most generous fairway on the course opens up the dogleg, but from here you will have to be very brave to take on six bunkers – from 100 yards out to greenside – to have any chance of making a birdie.
The key feature of the 17th is its bowl-shaped green, which may help the odd weary shot to run towards the flag, for most golfers though, their minds will already be on the stunning finishing hole that awaits.
Bravery off the tee on 18 will be rewarded with an easier approach to the final green, which is protected by a large lake that is overlooked by the hotel, bar and the many balconies. If you choose to play safe, you’ll be left with a daunting 190 yard approach to a narrow target. A par will feel like a birdie.
With the 18th nestling beside the hotel, a quick return of the buggy and the next thing you know you’re back in your room relaxing after a shower with chance to watch some live golf in the evening sun from your balcony.
With plenty to choose from for dinner, including a cocktail and kids menu (though perhaps don’t combine the two!), we enjoyed another night of comfortable dining, again served quickly by a friendly waiting team, before making use of the room’s large bath and freeview television.
Should you wish to venture further afield, and lets be honest, there’s no need to, you can choose from the likes of Newquay and Dartmoor National Park which are under an hour away, or tourist attractions like Land’s End at less than two.
For those looking for a spot of R&R, with a splash of luxury and a stunning round of golf, there can surely be no better place in the UK.
