Royal North Devon Golf Club

Royal North Devon Golf Club, founded in 1864, holds the distinction of being the oldest links course in England still played on its original site. Located at Westward Ho! on the North Devon coast, the course occupies a stretch of common land known as Northam Burrows, where sheep graze freely across the fairways as they have for centuries. The club received its royal designation in 1867, making it one of the earliest courses to carry that honor. The layout was shaped by Old Tom Morris and later refined by Herbert Fowler, though much of its character derives from the natural duneland terrain. The course runs out along the estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge before turning back, presenting golfers with a traditional out-and-back links routing. The land features substantial dunes, rushes, and the distinctive "Great Sea Rushes" that define several holes and create natural hazards more formidable than many bunkers. The terrain is relatively flat in places but punctuated by dramatic elevation changes and blind shots that require local knowledge. Prevailing winds from the Atlantic add significant challenge to club selection and strategy. Royal North Devon has hosted various amateur championships and remains a venue for regional competitions. The course maintains a deliberately rustic character, with minimal modern intervention in the landscape. The clubhouse overlooks Bideford Bay, and the club preserves traditions of links golf from the Victorian era, including the shared grazing rights that keep livestock on the course year-round.