Trevose: A good example of why these golf courses in England are called the "Atlantic Links."
While Scotland and Ireland often command the spotlight among those considering European golf vacations, England has some excellent layouts of its own, not the least of which is Royal Birkdale, site of this year’s Open Championship.
To capitalize on the attention the Open will bring (and a long-overdue effort to put the country on golfers’ radar screens) several worthy golf courses in England’s Southwest region are being bundled together to form the “Atlantic Links.”
Why the Southwest? Well, thanks to its milder climate, the area is already the country’s most popular vacation spot. In summer, the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset are absolutely mobbed with tourists enjoying the sun, sand, and surf.
The particular golf courses in England composing the Atlantic Links, most built in the late 1800s and now largely linked by the A39 “Atlantic Highway,” include:
- Burnham & Berrow, the work of the great Harry Colt
- Royal North Devon, England’s oldest links course (also known as Westward Ho!)
- Saunton West and East, ranked among the top-100 in the British Isles
- St. Endoc, designed by five-time Open Champion James Braid
- Trevose, another Harry Colt design
London Golf Tours (londongolftours.com) is the outfit handling stay-and-play packages for the Atlantic Links. And while there’s no monetary savings by booking with LGT, you do benefit from their access to preferred tee times, the convenience of consolidating your arrangements (golf, hotel, transportation), and local knowledge and assistance should you need it during your trip. Package prices start at £350 per person (about $700) for three nights lodging, three rounds of golf, and a rental car.
My colleagues at Golf Odyssey have played all of these golf courses in England and report that several of them fall in the “not-to-be-missed” category. Want to know which ones they are? If you click here and take a free trial to Golf Odyssey, I’ll email you the back issue that contains their expert recommendations. Back issues normally cost $17 and are only available to subscribers, but I’ll send you this one — absolutely free — just for trying Golf Odyssey.
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