The Point at Polzeath
Information
Course Name: The Point at Polzeath
Location: The Point, St Minver, Cornwall, PL27 8QT, UK
Date Played: June 2022
Course Type: Parkland
Introduction
The Point at Polzeath is close to some much more famous neighbors in St Enodoc and Trevose. It was built on a parcel of former farmland and was designed by David Feherty, the professional turned commentator.
It was originally known as Roserrow but ran into financial difficulties and was eventually purchased by Jeremy and Eva Davies in 2012.
They set about bringing the course and other facilities up to scratch. Tim Lobb was brought in to oversee the work on the golf course.
The Layout
One of many courses created in the 90s on former farmland probably in some part due to the R&A reports suggesting there was a need for a big increase in the availability of golf facilities at that time.
The round starts with a gentle uphill par-5 whose main defense is probably the out-of-bounds down the right. The big challenge on the next couple of holes is avoiding the fairway bunkers before you reach a downhill par-4 that longer hitters may fancy their chances of getting close.
The first par-3 is a relatively short hole with a water hazard to the left and bunkers to catch you out if you don’t pick the right club.
The 6th features a blind second shot for all but the longest hitters and you also need to take care with your approach otherwise the slope may kick you off to the back of the green into a water hazard.
The 7th is probably the most interesting par-3, played slightly uphill to a multi-tier green with trees protecting the sides and rear.
A short and straight driveable par-4 with a narrow, raised green followed by a long uphill dogleg back towards the clubhouse closes out the front 9.
The walk from the 9th green to the 10th tee is almost far enough for you to flag down a taxi!
The back 9 starts with a slight dogleg that features a quite steep drop down to the green making it tricky to judge your approach.
There is a good walk up to the 11th tee and this is one of the tougher holes. It’s a partially blind tee shot with slightly more room to the right than you think. There’s also a little bit of a bank in the fairway which will help you back towards the middle.
Your second shot needs to cross a ditch that bisects the fairway and you also have to avoid going out of bounds right and long. A par on this one will feel quite satisfying for all but the longest hitters.
Fourteen is probably one of the more memorable holes and is a little reminiscent of some of the early holes at Bovey Castle although not quite as claustrophobic.
The round comes towards a close with two par-5s sandwiching a short par-3 drop hole. The fives would probably be reachable for bigger hitters depending on the wind you happen to be playing in. A 1-handicapper I was playing with hit driver and 9-iron on the 496-yard 17th for example.
The home hole is a slight dogleg back up the hill towards the clubhouse.
Condition
To be honest the condition is somewhat typical of courses from this era built on former farmland. Fairways tend not to be that great for golf.
Greens
The greens weren’t too bad to putt on although there did seem to be some evidence of moss in places. The speeds were acceptable and if you left yourself a downhill putt you had to pay close attention!
Bunkers
The bunkers appeared reasonably well-maintained with a decent depth of sand for the most part although it would be useful if people learned how to rake bunkers without merely pulling all the sand along with them as they head towards the edge. This often leaves little sand in the bottom of the bunker where your ball is most likely to finish!
Fairways
The fairways weren’t too bad for a course of this age and type. Obviously, it would be better to have nice firm links or heathland turf to hit it off but you can’t have everything.
Tees
Several of the tees were a bit uneven and a few were well used.
Challenge
Assuming you can avoid the bunkers off the tee then you should be able to put yourself in a strong position as there is little rough on most of the holes. You can also wander out of bounds although again you would need to be quite a long way off line most of the time to end up Oscar Bravo!
Although you do tend to play down some severe slopes I didn’t find the course especially hilly, which suggests the uphill bits are relatively gentle gradients. The exception is the walk from the 10th green to the 11th tee.
The greens tended towards more subtle slopes as a rule and there were a few holes where banking on one side or the other could be used to bring your ball back if you strayed a little bit off-line.
One of the big challenges for someone on their first visit will be judging where to go on one or two of the blind shots and also judging what to hit on several severely downhill approaches.
Off The Course
There is a restaurant and bar with some pleasant outdoor seating for the summer months. In addition, there is a variety of on-site accommodation should you wish to take a break in the area.
There’s a driving range so you can warm-up for your round plus the more athletic amongst you might like to try the on-site tennis courts. There’s also a health club with a gym, swimming pool and wellness center.
The Point at Polzeath: Summary
Overall it was a relatively uninspiring course with few holes that are likely to stick in the memory for any great length of time. Probably not a bad place to come for a society as it’s not particularly long or particularly difficult.
Maybe I am asking too much these days but given the peak season green fee of £45 I would have hoped for a little more.
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