Bovey Castle on Dartmoor Natl. Park Est. 1926

There is no doubting Bovey Castle's 5-star credentials as a great sporting estate and ideal weekend retreat - England's equivalent to the likes of Gleneagles and Turnberry in Scotland, or the K Club in Ireland. However, in terms of the golf course's length and grandeur, Bovey Castle is not quite up there with its celtic rivals. The front-nine, played on pleasant and flattish parkland terrain, contains some of the tightest holes you'll play on a championship golf course. Small ponds and the River Bovey ensure that water is never far away - the river has to be crossed on the opening seven holes. The tightness and relative shortness of several of the par-4's calls for great accuracy from the tee. From the back-tees, the par-5 4th requires a very precise drive, later matched by the "eye-of-a-needle" tee-shot needed at the longish par-3 12th, and the pencil-thin landing area for your (blind) second shot at the par-5 10th. The back-nine brings with it some slightly more open and forgiving terrain. The picturesque scenery changes from views of the stunning castle on the front-nine, to more distant vistas of neighbouring wooded hills and up to the open expanses of Dartmoor. The more undulating back-nine, has much less water in play, but severe rough often takes its place. Three blind drives on the closing three holes may well be accompanied by blind approach shots to the 16th and 18th holes. With good maintenance throughout, Bovey Castle provides a very scenic, enjoyable and challenging test, even if the accuracy versus length theme remains ever-present.