| Club Name | Royal North Devon Golf Club (Westward Ho!) |
| Designer | Old Tom Morris (original design, 1864) |
| Par | 72 |
| Type | Championship Links Course |
| Length | 7,085 |
| Website |
https://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk/ |
| Club Address | Royal North Devon Golf Club Golf Links Road Westward Ho! Bideford Devon EX39 1HD United Kingdom |
Royal North Devon Golf Club is located in Westward Ho!, Devon, England, on the North Devon coast. Established in 1864, it is the oldest golf course in England and one of the oldest continuously played golf courses in the world. The original layout was designed by Old Tom Morris, with later refinements preserving its traditional links character. The course comprises 18 holes and is a true links course, laid out across the protected dunes and common land of the Northam Burrows.
The course is recognised for its historic significance and authentic links golf experience. It has regularly featured among England’s leading links courses and has hosted numerous national amateur championships, including events organised by England Golf and the R&A. Its natural setting remains largely unchanged from the Victorian era, with firm fairways, undulating greens, pot bunkers and coastal winds providing the primary challenge. Sheep, horses and other grazing animals are a distinctive feature of the common land and have shared the course with golfers for generations.
Royal North Devon plays over common land at Northam Burrows, a flat-to-gently-folded stretch of linksland shared with grazing sheep and horses under ancient common land rights. Old Tom Morris laid out the original course in 1864, and Herbert Fowler revised the layout in 1908, adding bunkering and reworking several one-shot holes. Coastal erosion in more recent years prompted further adjustments to holes 7 to 9, carried out by Mackenzie and Ebert. The routing has otherwise changed little in over 150 years, and the course is widely regarded as the least altered of England’s historic links.
The terrain is genuinely natural rather than shaped by heavy machinery: firm, fast-running turf, hummocky ground, dry ditches and burns that cross several fairways. Sea rushes, known locally as the Great Sea Rushes, come into play from the 9th through the 12th and are among the course’s most distinctive hazards. Wind off the Bristol Channel and the Atlantic is a constant factor, and the course can play very differently depending on direction and strength.
The clubhouse doubles as a small golf museum, displaying historic clubs, trophies and honours boards linked to the club’s Victorian origins, including items connected to five-time Open champion J.H. Taylor. A restaurant and bar serve food from early morning through the afternoon, with lighter snacks and a full sit-down menu both available. The pro shop operates from a recently refurbished golf studio and offers PGA coaching, custom club fitting using launch monitor technology, and equipment hire. Locker rooms and changing facilities are available for visiting golfers. Other nearby golf courses worth playing on your South West golf trip include Burnham and Berrow, and Saunton Golf Club’s East Course.
Practice facilities are extensive for a club of this age and character. There is a practice putting green in front of the clubhouse, a separate chipping green and practice bunkers near the 1st tee, and a large practice ground for full swings. Golfers can also warm up on Taylors Course, a nine-hole par-3 layout open to non-members for a modest fee, with hire clubs available from the pro shop. Caddies can be arranged in advance through the club’s caddie master, useful given the course’s blind shots and natural hazards. Buggies, electric trolleys and pull trolleys are available for hire.
BOOK YOUR GOLF TRIP WITH VOYAGES.GOLF
Planning a golf trip shouldn’t be harder than playing the course itself. Voyages.golf is an International specialist golf travel agency, built by golfers for golfers who want access to the world’s best courses without the booking headaches. Our services go well beyond golf, with curated travel services creating the best package to suit your needs as described by our thousands of travellers.
Our Approach
We handle the details so you can focus on your game. Every itinerary is custom-built around the courses you want to play, with accommodation, transfers, and logistics coordinated to maximise your time on the greens. No budget stay-and-play, no minimum group sizes, no automated responses – just personalised service from golf travel specialists who understand what makes a great golf trip.
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Every Voyages.golf package starts with a minimum of two nights’ accommodation paired with your golf rounds, then builds from there based on your needs. Our comprehensive services include:
Tee Time Access
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Golf clubs on flights. Vehicles with proper storage. Multi-course routing that doesn’t waste your day driving. Caddie requests. Optional additions like wine tours, golf lessons, or non-golfer programs. We coordinate everything so your trip flows seamlessly from arrival to departure.
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Before reaching out, it helps to have clarity on your preferred travel dates and confirmed group members (who’s definitely in, who’s still deciding). This allows us to move quickly when availability opens at sought-after courses.
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Contact our team with your ideal travel window, preferred courses or destinations, group size, and any special requirements. The more detail you provide, the better we can tailor your itinerary. Keep in mind that popular courses and travel periods book out months in advance; early enquiries give you the best selection.
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