Devon and Cornwall Golf Holidays: Where to Stay and Play
England's southwest is the country's best kept links secret: four top 100 caliber seaside courses within ninety minutes of each other, green fees that undercut Scotland and Ireland by half, and a coastline of surf beaches, fishing harbors and serious food between the rounds. Here is how to build the trip, what the golf costs in 2026, and where to base yourself on each leg.
Photograph: Saunton Golf Club, via Google
Who this trip suits
Golfers who love proper links but not links prices. The southwest rewards a group that would rather play four sandy, wind shaped courses for the cost of one marquee Scottish tee time, and couples and families do unusually well here, because the non golf case for north Devon and north Cornwall, the beaches, the coast path, the pubs of Rock and Padstow, is as strong as the golf. It is a driving trip: distances are short but the lanes are slow, so it suits groups happy to settle into two bases rather than chase one new hotel every night.
The courses to build it around
Two pairs, one estuary apart. In North Devon, Saunton's East Course runs through the huge Braunton Burrows dune system and is regularly called the best course in England never to have hosted an Open, with the West Course alongside it for a 36 hole day. Ten minutes around the bay, Royal North Devon at Westward Ho! is the oldest links course in England, golf played across common land shared with sheep and horses since 1864. Across the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, St Enodoc's Church Course is James Braid's masterpiece of tumbling dunes above Rock, home of the towering Himalayas bunker, and Trevose's Championship Course is Harry Colt seaside golf above the surf at Constantine Bay. Perranporth and West Cornwall are the pick of the supporting rounds if you stretch the trip.
A 5 night Devon and Cornwall structure
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1 · Arrive | Drive or rail to Barnstaple, base in Braunton, Croyde or Saunton. Evening walk on Saunton Sands |
| Day 2 · Saunton East | The headline round, around £125 to £175. Add the West for a 36 hole day if legs allow |
| Day 3 · Royal North Devon | England's oldest links at Westward Ho!, around £100, about 30 to 40 minutes from Saunton. Afternoon transfer down the coast to Rock or Padstow, roughly 90 minutes |
| Day 4 · St Enodoc | The Church Course, from around £105. Ferry across to Padstow for dinner |
| Day 5 · Trevose | The Championship Course at Constantine Bay, around £100 to £115, about 30 minutes from Rock. Final night on the harbor |
| Day 6 · Depart | Newquay airport is 20 minutes from Trevose; Exeter and Bristol are the larger gateways at roughly 90 minutes and 2 hours 30 from Padstow |
Four marquee rounds total roughly £450 to £500 per person at 2026 high season rates; with B&B or seaside hotel stays and a hire car, five nights commonly costs well under a comparable Scottish links week. Indicative only, always confirm directly before booking. Check tee times · Browse stays.
When to go and when to book
May, June and September are the months to aim for: the links are firm and fast, the days are long, and the coast has space to breathe before and after the school holidays. July and August bring the warmest weather and the fullest fee card, plus real holiday traffic on the A39 and the scarcest beds around Rock and Padstow. Because these are true sand based links, April and October golf is genuinely playable at softer rates if your group accepts a weather roll of the dice.
Book four to six months ahead for high season, longer for groups of eight or more. Saunton requires a £20 per person deposit when you book, visitor times at St Enodoc and Trevose are limited in peak weeks, and the best small hotels in Rock and Padstow sell out before the tee sheets do. A shoulder season trip can usually come together in six to eight weeks.
Where to stay
Split the trip across two bases. For the Devon leg, Braunton and Croyde are the practical golf bases, with Saunton Sands the big beachfront hotel option above the links. For the Cornwall leg, Rock puts you a short walk from St Enodoc's first tee and a foot ferry from Padstow's restaurants, while Constantine Bay and Padstow itself serve Trevose. Booking the stays before the tee times is the classic mistake here; lock the golf first, then the beds. Browse partner stays.
Plan your Devon and Cornwall golf trip
Tell us your group, your month and the courses you care about, and one concierge books the tee times, pairs the right bases on each leg and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Devon and Cornwall trip questions
How much does a Devon and Cornwall golf holiday cost?
The golf itself is remarkable value by top 100 standards. At 2026 high season rates the four marquee rounds, Saunton East at £125 to £175, Royal North Devon around £100, St Enodoc's Church Course from £105 and Trevose around £100 to £115, total roughly £450 to £500 per person. Add seaside hotel or B&B stays and a hire car and a five night trip commonly lands well under a comparable Scottish links week. All fees are indicative for the 2026 season; always confirm directly before booking.
Which courses should the trip be built around?
Four courses anchor it: Saunton East and Royal North Devon in the North Devon dunes, then St Enodoc's Church Course and Trevose across the Camel Estuary in north Cornwall. Saunton's West Course, Perranporth and West Cornwall are the best supporting rounds if you have extra days. All are genuine links and all welcome visitors.
When is the best time to go?
May, June and September are the sweet spot: long days, firm links turf, and the coast before or after the school holiday crowds. July and August bring the best weather but also peak fees, heavy holiday traffic on the A39 and the hardest tee times and beds to find. The links drain superbly, so April and October are real options at lower fees if you accept the weather risk.
How far in advance should I book?
For May to September play, book tee times and accommodation four to six months out, and earlier for a group of eight or more. Saunton takes a £20 per person deposit at booking, and the popular Rock and Padstow stays around St Enodoc sell out first in summer. Shoulder season trips can usually be put together six to eight weeks ahead.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Green fees verified June 2026 against club published rates. Last reviewed June 2026.