Somerset Gold
Award-winning Clevedon Golf Club is a true gem offering a supremely well-maintained course and a friendly welcome
levedon Golf Club boasts one of Somerset’s must-play courses and was recently named in Golf Monthly’s 100 Hidden Gems in the UK and Ireland.
With a rich history, Clevedon celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2021. As part of those celebrations, Clevedon once again welcomed the PGA Europro Tour’s Wright-morgan Championship after a one-year hiatus owing to the pandemic. The 2021 event was won by American Stephen Shephard, who prevailed in a play-off against England’s Dan Brown. The PGA Europro Tour players and organisers were full of praise for the quality of the presentation and layout: “I can honestly say the course was the best presented venue of the year,” said PGA Europro Tour lead tournament director Ash Weller in a message to the Clevedon team.
The quality at Clevedon was further recognised when Richard Ponsford and his team won the Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year award at the 2022 BIGGA Awards.
The original 18-hole course was the work of five-time Open Champion JH Taylor, and the great English golfer’s layout remained largely unchanged for the majority of the
20th century. But, in the early 1990s, the length of the course was increased by more than 1,000 yards and the greens were rebuilt to USGA specification, with a view towards keeping pace with the modern game.
The course is beautifully maintained all year. Tree-lined, there are a number of memorable holes, none more so than the stunning 8th. Some 200 feet above the fairway on the tee, you look across the town towards the Severn Estuary and the Mendip Hills – it’s an amazing view.
The 14th is another downhiller – a cracking little par 3 called ‘the drop’. It’s only 155 yards, but the wind can play a big part in club
selection. The 16th is a fine, testing par 4 of over 400 yards. Named ‘Barry’s burn’, you have to decide whether you have the length, or nerve, to try and carry the water.
The club has been named as host venue of the Somerset Men’s Scratch Pairs Championship for 2022, the Somerset Ladies County Golf Association (SLCGA) County Championship of 2022 and the SLCGA Inter County Championship of 2022. It will also stage Somerset Men’s & Senior Men’s County First Team Matches. With the PGA Europro Tour returning in September, it promises to be another exciting year.
Clevedon also offers excellent off-course facilities. A highly qualified team headed by Ryan Crowley provides great advice and instruction from a fully stocked pro-shop. The friendly clubhouse offers full catering and bar service. Visitor green fees start at just £30 for weekday twilight rates and the full weekend rate of £70 represents excellent value for money. For more information, visit clevedongolfclub.co.uk