a Some of the best (but not always best-known) British golf destinations.

ST. MELLION HOTEL, GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
St. Mellion, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6SD, England

        St. Mellion International is an American style resort providing golf with a split personality. St. Mellion offers two courses, one English-style parkland Old Course, and a newer, longer, more challenging Jack Nicklaus Course.
 

                                                                                                      Course photos: www.st-mellion.co.uk

LENGTH & PAR:
    Nicklaus Course:
        Championship Tees: 7008 yards, Par 72, SSS: 72
        White Tees:            6561 yards, Par 72
        Yellow Tees:           6273 yards, Par 72
        Ladies Tees:           5509 yards, Par 73
    Kernow Course:
        Championship Tees: 5782 yards, Par 68, SSS: 68
        Yellow Tees:           5508 yards, Par 68
        Ladies Tees:           5324 yards, Par 70

OPEN & PLAYABLE YEAR ROUND

GREENS FEES (daily):
    Nicklaus Course:  £20-£65 per round
    Kernow Course:   £13-£35 per round

TEE-TIMES: Strongly recommended

VISITORS welcome daily. Some times may be unavailable due to scheduled club events.

MINIMUM HANDICAP: None.

FACILITIES:
    Golf Carts: £30/round; £45/day
    Pull Carts (Trolleys): £3.50/round; £5/day
    Club Rental: £25 Taylor Made sets
    Pro Shop: YES
    Driving Range: YES -- £3.50 for range tokens
    Putting Green: YES
    Changing Rooms (Men’s & Women’s): YES
    Restaurant: YES
    Other Facilities: Gymnasium, spa, indoor swimming pool, aerobics studio,
        beauty salon, squash court, bars.

LOCATION: From Plymouth take the M5/A38 to Saltash. The club is on A388 northbound from Saltash in direction of Callington & Launceston.

BOOKINGS:
   Tel (outside United Kingdom): +44 (0)1579 352023
    OR e-mail: stmellion@crown-golf.co.uk
    Web Site: http://www.st-mellion.co.uk/index.asp
OR have HOME AT FIRST book a tee-time for you as part of your Devonshire travel itinerary—it’s FREE!

NEAREST HOME AT FIRST LODGINGS: Near Buckland Abbey in Devonshire north of Plymouth—35 min & 16 miles east of the course. See: DEVONSHIRE

OTHER GOLF IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA: About twelve courses within 1 hour’s drive of HOME AT FIRST’s Devonshire lodgings, including the short, but challenging YELVERTON GOLF CLUB course on the western edge of Dartmoor National Park just minutes from HOME AT FIRST's principal lodgings in Devonshire.


HISTORY OF ST. MELLION GOLF CLUB:
        The two championship golf courses at St. Mellion Hotel, Golf and Country Club have played host to the Benson and Hedges International Open on six occasions (1990-1995) and the English Men’s Amateur Championship in July 1999.
        St. Mellion’s is located on a rolling 450-acre site in southeastern Cornwall, not far from Plymouth, Devonshire. The signature course at St. Mellion’s is the Nicklaus Course. A challenging American-style parkland course, the Nicklaus Course was designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1987, who calls the results of his architectural efforts "one of the finest galleried golf courses in the world." Elevated tees with good views of the fairways, sand and water hazards that require players to place the ball carefully to score well, give character and beauty to Jack’s Cornish monster. At just over 7,000 yards from the tournament tees and 6,424 yards from the medal tees, the Nicklaus Course provides a truly offers challenging golf to club golfers as well as the pros.
        The Kernow Course at St. Mellion is a recent make-over of the 1976 Old Course designed by J. Hamilton-Stutt. At just under 6000 yards the Kernow Course is significantly shorter than the Nicklaus Course and plays much more like a traditional British parkland course. Its length makes it more enjoyable to higher handicap golfers.
        As well as golf, the golf club offers restaurant and conference facilities, as well as a gym, childcare, and swimming.
        There is also a Golfers’ Bar overlooking the 18th fairway of the Nicklaus Course. In 1997 the AERO leisure facilities opened at St. Mellion with two pools, a steam room, sauna, spa-pool, a fully equipped state of the art fitness suite as well as a skin care and spa center.


THE SIGNATURE NICKLAUS COURSE AND SOME NOTABLE HOLES:

The Nicklaus Course:
        "I knew it would be good...but not this good! I knew it was going to be everything I hoped for and more. St Mellion is potentially the finest golf course in Europe."
        So says designer Jack Nicklaus about his Cornish giant. Jack goes into greater detail about every hole on the course at St. Mellion’s web site. For instance, about the 344-yard par-4 5^th hole, Jack says, "The drive is over water and the second shot is played to a green with a stream running about 40 yards short of it which then runs to the left of the green. The green is one of the most severely pitched on the course. The players will probably play a three wood off the tee followed by a wedge or a nine iron." Want more of Jack? Visit the Mellion web site: ST. MELLION.
         Meanwhile, followers of the European PGA Tour can expect to hear more of St. Mellion's Nicklaus Course from 2011 onwards, as the English Open plans to use the course for this important event.


THE REGION:
        There are many reasons people come to this part of England for their holidays. Both the Bristol Channel and English Channel coastlines—with their beaches, coastal walkways, and fishing villages—are easy day-trips. The Dartmoor National Park area offers some of the best walking in England. Other outdoor activities include biking and pony trekking. The region is home to many glorious private gardens and historic homes that may be visited. There are many other interesting sites of historic and prehistoric interest, and the region is dotted with charming local villages with pubs and restaurants serving good beer and food. Nearby Plymouth, England, is a famous port city, especially noted for its historic associations with Francis Drake, the Mayflower, and World War II.