Burnham & Berrow is comfortably regarded as one of the finest links courses in the UK with the Championship Course having hosted over 40 major men’s and ladies’ amateur events including the Brabazon Trophy. Most recently it held the English Women's Stroke Play in 2020.

 

The club is situated 30 miles south west of Bristol and presents incredible views of the Bristol Channel. It’s a traditional out-and-back links whose very best holes come at the beginning and end of the round as it builds to a brilliant climax. 

There is also the nine-hole Channel Course which is a test for the experienced golfer as well as someone looking to get going in the game.


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Berrow Church and the resultant 18 holes became known by their present name. Like many other of our finest courses, Burnham & Berrow has been fashioned by many hands.

Herbert Fowler, a member here and a significant influence over the likes of Walton Heath, The Berkshire, Cruden Bay and Royal Lytham, extended the course to over 6,000 yards in 1910 and Harry Colt, assisted by Alister MacKenzie, applied the finishing touches.

 

Actually, Colt did rather more, removing several of Burnham & Berrow’s blind shots that dated back to an era when nothing was thought of playing over dunes to unseen fairways and greens beyond. Now all but five holes (those around the turn) are played amid dramatic duneland but, by and large, you can at least partially see where you are going.

A good example of a hole that sits in front of you is the 1st, where the fairway pinches in at driving distance to such a degree that briefly we need to walk in single file. Only the most accurate of drives will be rewarded with a view of the pin for the approach.

 

The 2nd, a longer par 4, calls for a fine iron shot to hold a green all too eager to reject balls to the right, while the 3rd is more sporty, and has a punchbowl green that means certain pin positions are very accessible.

 

The secret at the 4th is to play well left and not try to cut the corner before the first of a series of excellent short holes, this one to a delightfully situated green in the heart of the dunes. 

Accordingly, it comes as something of a relief when you arrive at the extremely short 5th, just 120 yards. 

Now we emerge on to flatter land with the 7th a fine test of golfing nerve and nous, if less attractive than what has gone before.

 
The short 9th marks the furthest end of the course, from where Cheddar Gorge, the Bristol Channel and the islands of Steep and Flat Home can all be seen, as well as Weston-super-Mare.

 

If the back nine begins with perhaps the least remarkable hole, it soon bursts into life at the 12th, an unusually contoured par 4 to a table-top green, the kind of hole that only exists in one place and that reminds you why these seaside courses are so treasured by the purists.

 

Next comes one of those 5s where you must plot your way to the green. Awkward angles and a fairway of inconsistent width make aggressive play fraught with danger and, in reality, the vast majority of us will be delighted to escape with a par.

 

Now we are into the exceptional closing stretch, the holes varying wildly in terms of difficulty in length but never anything less than compelling.

 

The brilliant 15th is long and sinuous, the 16th playful and the 17th a short hole that demands a high-quality long iron. Finally, the 18th turns left, unseen from the tee, before opening out towards a large, flat green.

18 holes will cost £130 from Monday to Thursday and £155 on weekends. To play with a member is £45 and there is a buggy hire at £35.

It is a championship links and therefore the wind and elements may not always play ball. The men’s Handicap Index limit is 22 and the ladies 30. The nine-hole Channel Course is a brilliant introduction to the game.

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club is located on the south west coast of England, in the county of Somerset. It is situated around 30 miles south from the city of Bristol.

Bristol Airport is the nearest airport for international visitors, located around 35 miles from Burnham & Berrow. London Heathrow Airport is the biggest in the country, and is approximately three hours from the club by car.


Visit Burnham & Berrow's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage Great Britain & Ireland list.