Royal North Devon

Welcome To Royal North Devon Golf Club

Royal North Devon at Westward Ho! can rightly claim to be the cradle of English Golf. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest golf course in the country and is regarded as the St Andrews of England. The course is as tough as any of the UK’s better-known links and is ranked at number 69 in Golf Monthly’s Top 120 Course Rankings and it also features in Golf World’sTop 100 courses
in the world that every golfer “must play”, and to read FineGolf’s review, Read Here.

Windswept, wild and interesting, England's Southwest counties of Somerset, Devon & Cornwall host the oldest and some of the most enigmatic golf courses in the UK.

Royal North Devon or RND, as it’s often referred to, is not only a great course but it’s also a place of huge historical importance. Inside the warm, welcoming clubhouse, the golf museum, honours boards and club trophies tell the story of the game from its birth and RND’s unique place within it. Alone they are reason enough to make the trip to North Devon.

The club prides itself on its friendly atmosphere and rather than the stuffiness you might associate with such an old club, we pride ourselves on being open and progressive. Many golfers are amazed to discover how relaxed and informal the atmosphere is at RND and we like to think the “craic” in the clubhouse is just as important as a great day on the links. We are also proud to have the biggest junior section in England and the facilities to encourage future generations.

Many of the great players of the last 100 years were regular competitors at RND but the greatest of them all is undoubtedly John Henry Taylor. Born in the village of Northam, overlooking the course, J.H. started his long association with the club as a caddie boy and he soon became an accomplished player. As students of the game will know he went on to form one third of the great triumvirate, winning five Open Championships. Alongside Harry Vardon and James Braid, he dominated the game for 30 years. The club honoured Taylor with a presidency in 1957 and his portrait and some of the clubs that he used to win his Open titles are proudly displayed in the clubhouse.

RND’s General Manager Mark Evans is a scratch golfer and a former Devon County captain. He prides himself on producing a natural golf course with greens that will test your nerve and your touch to the limit. Like St Andrews a first sighting can be deceptive, many new arrivals look out from the clubhouse and ask where the golf course is! It is the sort of course which draws you back and many top golfers who have played half a dozen rounds or more will tell you it’s their favourite course.

Our playing surfaces are second to none, boasting year-round fast and true greens, firm tees and tight fairway lies, which require crisply struck iron shots. To sum it up, this is true golf played out under big skies and against a backdrop of crashing surf. Everyone who loves golf should play here, if not to walk on a genuine golfing heritage site then to soak up the unique atmosphere.

If you love links golf, you will surely want to return many times to experience golf as it should be played!