The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 21st November may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
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November 2024, Cornwall, UK: The James Braid-designed Church Course at St Enodoc Golf Club in Cornwall, England has been awarded fifth spot in Golf World’s recently launched ‘Value for Money’ Ranking for its GB&I Top 100 golf courses.
This high position serves as a huge feather in the cap of the golf club which was established back in 1890, especially as the north Cornish championship links is in esteemed company with Silloth on Solway, Machrihanish, Royal St David’s and the Championship Course at Cruden Bay securing the top four slots.
“St Enodoc is pleased to have achieved such a high position in Golf World’s ‘Value for Money’ in GB&I ranking and proud to be in the top five alongside such elite courses,” comments George Tunbridge, General Manager.
“St Enodoc takes pride in providing an exceptional golf and social experience for all. From the warm welcome on arrival to a relaxing post-round drink in the clubhouse, we want every visitor to enjoy their time here as much as the challenge of our championship links course. Guided by the expertise of world-renowned course architect Tom Doak, we continue to invest in our course and strive to maintain our reputation as one of the finest golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland.”
The opening hole of the Church Course at St Enodoc
Editor Chris Bertram, who put together the Golf World ranking based on 2024 green fees, explains the method he and colleagues employed to define the term, ‘Value for Money’.
“Playing courses on our GB&I Top 100 list can be very expensive and that’s what got me thinking – what *is* value, which of our greatest courses offer most of it, and therefore if you’re going to treat yourself to a game at a GB&I Top 100 course, where should you go?” Chris says.
“Value is not cheap, or budget, or bargain, or low-cost. It is getting the most for your money. So to try and pinpoint the elite courses that offer the best value, an overall monetary value was calculated which incorporated both cost and course quality. The courses could then be listed in value order.”
An expert in the compilation of golf course rankings, three trends jumped out at Bertram, one of which was the exceptional value for money offered by two south west of England tracks, one being St Enodoc and the other being Saunton (East Course) which both charge £150 per round in peak season.
Add to these revered links, Burnham & Berrow at 13th on the list with a £150 green fee and Royal North Devon for an “impossible-to-ignore £120” that comes in at number 40, a trip to the south west to play this set of tracks is irresistible.
These courses (plus Trevose) make up the Atlantic Links, a collection of championship links courses in South West England that has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s premier golfing destinations.
“What I hope is that this Top 100 shows even the very best courses in our islands – which are some of the very best courses in the world – are available for much more affordable fees. They are not cheap, but for the quality of golf, lots of them are exceptionally good value,” adds Bertram.
Aerial shot of the Church Course at St Enodoc Golf Club
Indeed the fact that St Enodoc’s green fee will rise by just £10 per person in peak season in 2025 will preserve the club’s position at the top of the country’s value for money courses.
In addition to the Church Course which is regularly recognised as one of the top championship links courses in England, St Enodoc is also home to the Holywell Course, a shorter and less challenging layout compared to the main course so ideal for juniors, beginners and higher-handicap golfers.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 24th October may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 28th August may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
Ladies, Men, Seniors, Super-Seniors, Juniors, Office Staff, two labradors and a spaniel turned out in the rain at 0700 today to support William Smith and his greenkeepers on a 3 hour session of divotting. In just under three hours literally thousands of divots on eighteen holes of the Church course were repaired. Lots of chat and banter was enjoyed and the sun come out ! General Manager George Tunbridge and William Smith thanked all those who worked and invited them to a full English Breakfast upstairs in the restaurant.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 25th July may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Management Committee –
“Golf Monthly” magazine has just published a lengthy interview held with George Tunbridge our youthful General Manager who was appointed to the position in February 2024 after having been at the Club since July 2023. It is no secret to say that the Management Committee are delighted with the appointment and with the fresh approach George brings to the position. The full article may be read here
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 27th June may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Management Committee
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 30th May may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Management Committee
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 25th April may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
Prior to the Meeting the Committee welcomed Past Captain and Chairman David Elliott and who addressed the Committee. Mr Elliottt expressed concerns about the implementation of the Doak Report. A summary of Mr Elliott’s remarks may be found in an Appendix to the Minutes. Amongst other matters the Committee discussed –
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 28th March may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.The Committee received reports on
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 21st February may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The driving range will be closed on the 14th and 15th March for essential maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
St Enodoc Golf Club in Rock, has appointed George Tunbridge as its General Manager.
George joined the club last July as Deputy General Manager (Operations) and was quickly promoted to interim General Manager when the incumbent GM departed at the end of last year.
During this time, George has played a pivotal role in enhancing member experiences, nurturing a sense of community, and upholding the highest standards of service and professionalism. This, plus his unwavering commitment to St. Enodoc’s values and his fresh approach to club management earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and members alike, meant that he was always a front runner for the full position of General Manager.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce the promotion of George Tunbridge to the position of General Manager of St Enodoc Golf Club. Following his period as interim General Manager and thorough consideration, George emerged as the perfect candidate to lead our club into a new era of excellence,” said Martin Trees, Club Chairman.
“Whilst George’s journey at St Enodoc has been relatively short, he has consistently demonstrated exemplary dedication, leadership, and a deep understanding of the ethos that defines our club. His passion for our beloved game of golf, coupled with a relentless pursuit of operational excellence, has been instrumental in shaping our club’s recent developments,” he concluded.
Despite only being at St Enodoc for just over six months, George already feels a deep connection to the club whilst his forward-thinking mindset positions him perfectly to navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with managing a club that boasts one of the top links courses in England.
George was recently awarded a CMAE management diploma and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from Bournemouth University. In addition to an extensive knowledge and love of the game, he is a three-time club champion across two clubs and currently enjoys a handicap of +1.
George, who was previously at The Berkshire Golf Club commented –
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be the General Manager of St Enodoc. I would like to thank the Management Committee, membership, and staff for all the support I have received from the Club since I arrived in July 2023. It is a very special team and Club to be a part of.
Since starting at St Enodoc, I have enjoyed playing both of our courses greatly. The Church Course is a fantastic, and sometimes brutal, examination of your game while the Holywell is a brilliant compliment of shorter holes which is a wonderful asset for the Club. I have also enjoyed the company of several members whilst playing both courses and have tried to be a regular face on Saturday for the Competition, as well as representing the Club in the Cornwall Team Championship, where we have made the final! It is great to have met so many members and be part of this fantastic team.
Whilst appreciative of St Enodoc’s fascinating past, I am incredibly excited for the future direction of the Club. We have both a Management and Captain’s Committee that work tirelessly for the best interest of the membership. This, supported by staff who go above and beyond day-in and day-out to help us in our pursuit of excellence. I hope to represent the Club well moving forward and take a huge amount of pride in now being the General Manager of St Enodoc.”
Golf Monthly magazine has recently featured a piece on what they consider are iconic golf club logos. The abstract above is taken from the article. The full text may be seen here https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/from-sleepy-hollow-to-st-enodoc-10-of-our-favourite-golf-club-crests-from-the-uk-and-usa
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 17th January may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 28th November may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 26th October may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
Amongst other matters the Committee discussed
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 28th September may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
Amongst other matters the Committee discussed
In the winter of 2019 storms destroyed our beach side fencing at Daymer Bay. A failure to understand how to protect the dune and assist in it’s recovery could have threatened the 11th green, the 12th tee and the SW Coast Path. The Management Committee sought expert advice on the most appropriate mitigation measures. Following a comprehensive study and having obtained the necessary consents new fencing was installed in the spring of 2020. The design of this aims to trap wind blown sand and to restore the face of the dune whilst simultaneously resisting winter storms. These storms can be severe and one such sadly destroyed the fence of our northerly neighbour with a loss of sand dune. This can be seen in the photo above. (Photo courtesy of our Member Jenny Justice) The pair of photos below compare the state of the dune in August 2022 with August 2023. The photos show stability at the foot of the dune and complete recovery from the winter storms. This seems to be a consistent pattern as the photos are similar to those taken in 2021. The marram is slowly spreading and there is new (this year) growth of what looks like sea buckthorn. This is good news as the roots will help bind the face and the foliage will trap wind-blown sand.
BBC Cornwall recently reported that Cornish Choughs have had a successful breeding season and were spreading further along the North Cornwall coastline. Our Member Simon Marquis, a member of the British Trust for Ornithology, spotted these Choughs (top photo) on the 16th fairway recently. Let us hope they feel welcome and stay around.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 27th July 2023 may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there. Decisions and updates taken on various matters including 2024 Green Fees, Visitor Experience, Kitchen Refurbishment and Strategy for Finance are minuted
The Chairman of the Greens Committee would like to invite you to a course walk on Tuesday 8th and/or 21st August to give you an opportunity to give you more information about the planned remodelling works to the Church Course in October.
The changes have been designed by Tom Doak and will be implemented by Clyde Johnson (Cunning Design) and Chris Haspell (Chris Haspell Associates) who have worked with Tom on many of his projects. Clyde has worked for St Enodoc in the past completing the redesign of the 18th tee complex.
Further information may be found in an email sent to you by Phil Hine Chairman of the Greens Committee.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 29th June 2023 may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
Niblick was pleased to receive an email recently from the General Manager advising our Members of the appointment of a new Deputy General Manager; however, it was a little short on detail and Niblick being of an inquisitive nature decided to dig a little deeper and ask a few questions directly.Niblick – George please tell us a little of your golfing background – GT – “I grew up playing golf in Essex and had aspirations of playing professionally. I reached a 3 Handicap when I was 16 and was then advised I would not be good enough to play professionally (they were correct!). I then completed my A Levels and went to Bournemouth University where I represented the University for four years and was coached by Scott Godfrey, who I understand played his amateur golf at St Enodoc.”Niblick – And after University ? GT –“I left university to work in Abu Dhabi for a year at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, and my golf suffered. I returned to England and started playing properly again in 2021.”NibIick – And your golfing ambitions? – GT – “I currently have a HCP of +0.8 and try to play in as many Open Competitions as possible. My golfing aspiration currently is to try and get a World Amateur Golf Ranking. I have won three club championships at two different clubs. I had a once in a lifetime golfing achievement this year (03/06/2023) where I made a hole in one, albatross, on the 270-yard Par 4 18th (36th hole of the day) at Lyme Regis Golf Club in a Dorset County Golf Union competition. Thankfully the bill came in at under three figures!”Niblick – What are you looking forward to in Cornwall ? GT – “I am looking forward mostly to try and improve my surfing. I would give myself a 36 HCP currently at surfing, but I am very enthusiastic about trying to improve! I know I will enjoy being in a more picturesque part of the world and being closer to the sea. I have a number of friends who live in Cornwall so it will be great to be able to visit them more frequently. One of my friends is Brandon Armitage, who is a member of St Enodoc. We played and lived together at University, so I am looking forward to trying to beat Brandon again!”Niblick – And what do you think are the challenges that await you at St Enodoc ? GT – “Learning everyone’s name! I was told at my interview there were circa. 2000 members so it could take a while. I am really excited to be taking on a broader role at the Club. I have predominantly worked in the golf department at previous clubs, so it will be interesting to have more a varied role. I try to always take all challenges on with a positive attitude and hope to keep this in mind when starting my new role.A golf related challenge would be adjusting to the links conditions. I feel Heathland golf and Links golf share a lot of similarities, with the former having heather as the main penalty and the latter having long rough! I think it will take a while for me to get used to playing Links golf regularly but believe I will adjust with time!”Niblick – What were your first impressions of the Club ? GT – “I was taken aback by the scenery. I was amazed by the size of Himalaya on the 6th hole of the Church Course. I did not know about the Church being submerged for a number of years either, I am a bit of a golf-nerd so niche stories like that really interest me. I really liked the Holywell Course. I am really passionate about growing the game and a slightly smaller course, with its own challenges, can be a great place for younger or novice golfers to start understanding the intricacies of the game. The Clubhouse is brilliant, especially the balcony. I have been lucky enough to have a spectacular view of the 1st hole of the Blue Course at The Berkshire for the past 3 years but I think the view down the 18th of the Church course may be better!”Niblick – What do you think will be the principal difference between the Berkshire and St Enodoc ? GT – “At The Berkshire both courses are treated equally and are therefore equally difficult. I think it will be nice to be at a Club with 36 holes where 18 are accessible to all and 18 are tailored towards the more accomplished golfer. I think the Summer Holidays will be incredibly busy at the Club whereas, The Berkshire is almost completely empty – I suspect I will find a few of The Berkshire members in Cornwall at that time!”
The highly respected and authoritative US golf journal “Golf Digest” has just published it’s latest ranking list of courses outside of the US. We are delighted to have been ranked #82 in the world. This is an unbiased and independent ranking and one of which is a tribute to the continuing work of all of our Staff and Committees. Here’s what Golf Digest says about the Church course –
“This is St. Enodoc’s first appearance on this list since the inaugural World’s 100 Greatest Courses ranking in 2014, when it came in at No. 99. The layout, located in Cornwall in the extreme southwest corner of England, traverses some of the most ideal natural golf land in the UK, bumping through sand hills on the banks of the River Carmel estuary. The routing takes full advantage of the land, turning, twisting and crossing at it works out to far fields, having too much fun to be in any hurry home. One of the world’s most famous hazards is located here, the Himalaya bunker on the short, blind par 4 sixth, a massive crater carved into a dune that was once over 70-feet high, though less so now due to wind and erosion.”
We are delighted to announce that George Tunbridge has accepted the role of Deputy General Manager (Operations) at the Club following our recruitment process over the last couple of months.
George will work alongside Nicki Reader who has been promoted from her current role of Accounts Manager to Deputy General Manager (Finance) This reflects the roles and responsibilities Nicki has in undertaking the administration and organisation duties of the Club and deputising when required.
Joining us from his current role of Golf Operations Manager at The Berkshire Golf Club, George has recently been awarded a CMAE management diploma and has a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management degree from Bournemouth University. A three time club champion across two clubs as well as a current +1 handicap add to the knowledge and love of the game.
We are sure George will be made to feel very welcome by his colleagues and Members of the Club when he joins us on the 24th July.
The Minutes of a meeting of the Management Committee held on 30th May 2023 may be found in the Members only Meeting Notes archive under the “Information” tab. On the main menu of the website click on “Members” then “Virtual Club House”, click on the “Information” tab, click on “Committee Minutes & other notices” and the Minutes may be found there.
During this period of drought please do not smoke on either course. Thank you.
Both courses are now showing the effects of a the prolonged period without rain. During this dry period do, please, respect the green markings around the greens and keep trolleys and buggies away from the protected areas. Please also keep buggies and trolleys out of the rough. There are many ground nesting birds on the course and also a number of rare and protected plant species.
