East Devon Golf Club finds itself on a clifftop between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, set in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It really doesn’t get much airtime outside the local area, but this place is the real deal.
Peter Alliss regarded the view from the 16th tee here as one of the best views in golf, but East Devon certainly doesn’t rely on its looks alone.
It’s a heathland for the most part, measuring 6344 yards and rising to 450 feet at its highest point, with a touch of moorland and one hole, the 7th, which seems to be on a completely different piece of land and is parkland in nature.
All you need to know about East Devon Golf Club
History
Golf has been played in Budleigh Salterton since 1894, with the original Budleigh Salterton Golf Club being a 9-hole course situated on the east bank of the River Otter.
Although benefiting from commanding views (like those of the current course) there were problems with the location, notably the lack of a full 18 holes and difficult access.
East Devon Golf Club as we know it today opened in 1902, but the current course was largely created in the 1920’s.
Harry Colt, with notable contributions from Herbert Fowler and James Braid, is responsible for the design of this classy layout. At times, you could be in Surrey or Berkshire.
Not just for the look of the holes but also the impeccable conditioning with wonderfully firm fairways and greens.
What makes East Devon Golf Club special
The natural heathland of East Devon is rarer than rain forest.
In 2020 the club, in partnership with Clinton Devon Estates who own the land, embarked on a programme of restoration to return much of the land to that which Colt would have seen. This will allow the heather and other native plants to flourish.
It is not uncommon to see deer crossing the fairways or grazing behind a green and buzzards and peregrine falcons flying overhead. As well as the beautiful heather there is also an array of wild flowers including orchids displaying at different times of the year.
We should also offer a tip of the hat to the greens staff here – this is one of the best conditioned courses we have played across England’s south.
East Devon is a cracker and it should enter the wider conversation more frequently when discussing great heathland golf.
Where is it?
East Devon Golf Club is around four miles east of Exmouth on the East Devon Jurassic Coast, near the picturesque town of Budleigh Salterton.
Get in touch
For more information about the club and course, visit East Devon’s website or call them on 01395 443370.
Have you ever played at East Devon? What did you think of the course? Let us know with a post on X/Twitter!
