Golf Courses in Somerset

Minehead Golf Club — Photo Geoffrey Baker

Introduction

Somerset is probably more famous for its cider making or the Glastonbury Festival than golf! Nevertheless, there are still some nice golf courses to play if you are in the area.

I think most golfers would recognize that the Championship course at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club is the best course in the county and of the courses I’ve played in Somerset I would agree.

The oldest club in the county is Bath Golf Club which was founded in 1880. The county union was only created in 1907 and now has 29 affiliated clubs. The first county president was William Herbert Fowler, the famed golf architect and also cricketer for the county of Somerset.

Courses Reviewed

Unfortunately, I’ve only played one course in the county since I started photographing my exploits:

Cricket St Thomas Golf Club. Probably a little on the short side for today’s big hitters! Some quite tight holes that require more brains than brawn with reasonable quality greens.

Hopefully, I can add a few more to the list over the coming years!

golf courses in Somerset — Photo Geoffrey Baker – Minehead Golf Club

Courses Played

I’ve played the following courses during visits to Somerset in the past and will no doubt be revisiting so I can get some photos to add to a written review.

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club – Championship Course. A regular host to local and national championships down the years. A true links test that has generally bested me on my visits to the club.

There is also a 9-hole course which is a bit less taxing called the Channel.

Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club Somewhat less taxing than Burnham and Berrow, this is a mixture of links and inland right next to the seafront at Minehead and the accompanying Butlins holiday resort! By modern standards, the green fees are pretty good value for money.

Enmore Park Golf Club. I played the course in the Enmore Stag, their 36 hole competition. The course is a pleasant tree-lined parkland track of around 6500 yards with a few water hazards thrown in for good measure.

Bath Golf Club. The oldest club in the county is another I’ve played in competition. The current layout was most recently worked on by Harry Colt in the 1930s and offers a pleasant challenge due to springy turf on well-draining limestone.

Clevedon Golf Club. This was lengthened considerably during the 1990s increasing from around 5500 to 6500 yards. The tree-lined fairways are set overlooking the Bristol Channel and you can get some wonderful views on certain holes.

Taunton and Pickeridge Golf Club. Originally laid out by Fowler and Simpson. The course was redesigned by Fred Hawtree in the 50s. Although the course doesn’t get off to the greatest of starts there are some wonderful holes influenced by old mine workings and it’s well worth the short diversion from the M5.

Brean Golf Club. From what I recall this was a fairly basic beginner’s type golf course with relatively few hazards and not particularly long. Although it would appear that some changes have taken place since I played the course. The normal green fee seems a little steep to me from what I remember of the club however there is a generous discount on the twilight rate.

Courses I Haven’t Played Yet

Finally, the ones I haven’t got round to playing yet:

Bleadon Hills Golf Club
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club – Channel Course
Cannington Golf Club
Farrington Park Golf Club
Fosseway Golf Club
Isle of Wedmore Golf Club
Kingweston Golf Club (Somerton) Golf Club
Long Sutton Golf Club
Mendip Golf Club
Mendip Spring Golf & Country Club
Oake Manor Golf Club
Orchardleigh Golf Club
Saltford Golf Club
Stockwood Vale Golf Club
Tall Pines Golf Club
Tickenham Golf Club
Vivary Park Golf Club
Wells Golf Club
Weston-Super-Mare Golf Club
Wheathill Golf Club
Wincanton Golf Course Golf Club
Worlebury Golf Club

Which ones should I play next? What are your thoughts on the courses of Somerset?

How Many Golf Courses in Somerset?

29 golf clubs in Somerset are affiliated with the County Union. The main course at Burnham & Berrow is the pick of the bunch. There are also five 18-hole par-3 courses (one has a couple of par-4s) and a 9-hole par 3 course.

What Are The Green Fees At Burnham And Berrow Golf Club?

The green fee for the Championship course is £130 ($162). This rises by £15 ($18.73) on Fridays and a further £10 ($12.50) on weekends/holidays to £155 ($193). The junior green fee is only £20 ($25). Players with a county card can a reduced rate after 2pm.

The channel course green fee is £25 ($31) for 9-holes and £35 ($44) for 18-holes with a reduced rate of £25 for county card golfers. Juniors can play for £10 ($12.50)