Forum > Arrange a game or Find Playing Partners

John Pettitt

As some of you will know, a few of us golfshakers and some of my fellow club members did a three day tour playing two courses in Wales and finishing off on the East course at Saunton, which I had managed to get for £120 per tee time.

It was a great success and everyone felt that they would have to go back and play Saunton again.

I have emailed the secretary and he has said that I can have the same deal this year with just a slight increase in the rate to £130 per tee time. This is £32.50 to play a course that really should be on the Open rota.

I am looking to either do a two round playing Saunton East and West or trying to get a deal to play Royal North Devon as well as the East at Saunton. RND is the oldest golf club in this country and is unlike anything you have ever played on, it is still in its original form apart from moving of the very large cross bunker on the fourth which will still require a carry of 200 yards to get to the fairway.

David Marshall, David Ley, Kevin Hewitt, Darren Atkinson and myself are most certainly wishing to go, so anyone else feels they would like a bash at these famous links then please give me your thoughts. No one will be disappointed.

Wayne Santorini

Tim Hawkins

John Pettitt

Here is a copy of the email and as you will see there is only a short window for this deal.

Dear Mr Pettitt

I have spoken with the Club Management Committee about the summer offer that the club ran last August.

It has been agreed that this will be offered again on a limited basis between the 16th and 27th August.

The offer will be £130 per tee time irrespective of the number of players for 18 holes, starting mid-morning.

If this is of interest please contact the office so that we can arrange the booking.

Peter McMullen

General Manager

The usual is that I have to pay a £10 deposit for each person and the balance in full one month before the actual game, so no point in making a committment unless one is certain.

I would like to go for the 16th and 17th of August with an afternoon time at hopefully RND and then play the east the following day. This would allow travelling time down on the first day and only entail one night out.

Ideas and thoughts are welcome.

David Marshall

I found a perfect B & B 3 miles from the course. If I can book within the next few days, I can enquire about booking for others too. Although August can be a tricky month to find accommodation if you leave it too late and you will find it hard to get anywhere nearby to stay.

If the 16th and 17th is definite, John, I will book a few days down there cause my wife and I love the area so much.  

John Pettitt

Stuart Govan

I would love to come John. Like Tim, tentative until I check holiday dates and so on, but in principle I am interested.

David Marshall

Dave ley

Wayne Santorini

Stuart Govan

Since it's a tough couse, with lots of blind shots, and one I've never played before, I would have to be that bit more methodical. More standing behind the ball, more assessing yardages, more practice swings, more standing over the ball

David Marshall

Wayne Santorini

Stuart Govan

I was thinking maybe three Wayne. 13 or 14 holes a day before dusk falls, then up the next morning to finish yesterday's round before starting the new one, Ryder Cup style

David Marshall

It might be best if you go down a few days before us, then we can all finish together on the 18th Green on Tuesday afternoon.

No need to worry about you marking your own card. We trust you.

Besides, you'll only end up with 20 points after 3 rounds anyway. It would be a different matter if Mr Battery/Bottery was going with you...  

Gerard Mahood

Hi John ,

Would love to included in your games .I am new to golfshake but am a great fan of links golf ,Played links in Scotland (turnberry,gailes) to name a few ,some in Ireland,and only one in England..I am a 15 H/C

     Many thanks Gerry

John Pettitt

Stuart Govan

This won't clash with planned holidays so I am more definite now.

David Marshall

Darn it..I booked the B & B yesterday, too.

Now I will have to phone back and cancel 

Dave ley

Chris Perry

John Pettitt

Dave ley

Well done JP can't wait but first we have some North bashing to do!!  Me and Ron had a run down to Cornwall today had an invite to Lanhydrock, which I suspect you would have played?

Stuart Govan

John Pettitt

Dave ley

John Pettitt

Dave ley

John Flood

Good luck to all those attending Saunton.

Will look forward to hearing stories & maybe photos! 

Stuart Govan

I’ve just got round to logging my score for this trip. 

It was my first experience of playing a championship links course, and just to make it more fun we had torrential wind and rain the whole way round. True links weather. 

I scored 105, off the white tees. 

For me it just showed the difference between golf on a championship links course and golf round my local course at Stevenage (which is not an easy course at all), where I have been shooting high 70s and low 80s this summer. 

On many holes at Saunton you have to carry the ball a long way to clear thick rough, especially as the wind is often in your face, so that tempts you to take driver. Too far left or right and you’re in the thickest rough I’ve ever seen. I lost three balls on the first three holes, despite driving the ball quite well. 

Even if you keep your drive in play, you then have a long to medium iron into the green. You have to be very straight. Slightly off and you’re in the thick stuff again. After losing balls on the first few holes I found myself very quickly punching 8 or 9 irons up the fairway to keep the ball in play. The dangers of the course play with your mind and force you to take a conservative approach. So you’re then playing for a two-putt bogey. Except two putts is not guaranteed, so double bogeys and worse were all too common for me. 

Even in good weather this would be a real test, but we were soaked through by the end of the first hole, water was squelching in our shoes, grips were wet and slippy, hands were freezing cold, umbrellas were blowing back down the fairway whenever you put them down to play your shot. Testing conditions! My old sparring partner David Marshall scored 94, which I thought was a fantastic round in the conditions. He couldn’t see the ball because the rain was streaming down his specs, which we both agreed was why he played so well.

A real experience!