Tiverton - "one of the best 18-hole parkland courses in the region"

Preview:

Tiverton golf club will see the 2017 champion crowned.

It was originally designed by James Braid who won The Open five times and designed Gleneagles, Carnoustie and St Enodoc among about 200 others, and opened in 1932.

If you want to have an early look at the course then you'll need to click through a view of each hole. It looks long, fatigue could play a part.

What actually happened:

After a cooked breakfast-missing drive to Tiverton a close finish to the 2017 Tour was in the offing. It was a grey start but soon turned into a hot finale.

It was pretty unanimous that this was course of the weekend, living up to its proud boast. Very well kept and very fair, there were opportunities for players who could keep it in the straight and narrow. The front nine in particular got a lot of love.

Scoring wasn't that high (just Ben F over 31 which ended up securing him the title) which might have been more fatigue than the course. All round nice club and good clubhouse too.

Best scores:

35 points - Ben F (off 17) 2017
31 points - Ben W (off 8) 2017
31 points - Matthew (off 11) 2017
31 points - James (off 36) 2017

Ilfracombe - "See the sea from every tee"

Preview

"Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Ilfracombe Golf Club boasts one of the most spectacular locations in South West for an exhilarating round of golf." (It says on the website.)

If you want to find out more about the course you'll need to watch the flyover videos. Peter Alliss does the voiceover. He tells me there are six par threes and I reckon this could be a beast if the wind's blowing.

What actually happened

The wind blew alright. And it was a beast. And it poured down.

Before I get onto that though I need to talk about this 'see the sea from every tee' business. Now I know it was chucking it down but we did wonder whether you might have needed a ladder to see it from 11 and 12. If we go back it's one to check out.

On a nice day this might have been viewed as a very interesting challenge. Lots of up and down holes, short holes (a 68 yard par three!), long holes, elevated tees, elevated greens. It could have been great.

Without the wind, which was blowing a hoolie. And the rain which lashed down later on. It was a miracle all of us completed the full 18. Scores were naturally affected but to the point that an 'Exceptional Circumstances' rule was enforced and fewer people had their handicaps raised than would have on a normal day. We won't forget this one in a hurry.

Best scores:

27 points - Ben W (off 8) 2017
27 points - Ben F (off 17) 2017
27 points - Stuart (off 36) 2017

It also ended up being the first course to have a poem written about it...

The Avengers? Overrated.

The Famous Five? Fine.

If you want real heroes try the Ilfracombe Nine.

Nine teed off, nine finished eighteen

But what happened in between?

The forecast was grim, there were no ifs

It would be rough on the Ilfracombe cliffs.

The bloke in the Pro Shop, he had no doubt

‘Sure, take a buggy - but the glass might blow out’.

The wind was howling as we stood on the first

We all suspected it would get worse.

It did.

The rain started gently, like the hotel shower

(cold, and no power)

Then someone turned on the taps

The rain found the gaps down the neck, through the hat

(Water’s like that)

Soon it seeped through the shoes

Then the trousers (bad news!)

The scorecards were like a damp rag

As was the stuff in your golf bag

The people in glasses struggled to see

I should know, one of them was me.

But no one gave up, no one walked off

Which poses the question, are we daft or tough?

(We’d have given up on another day but the clubhouse was too far away.)

The scores were much lower but it hardly mattered

The Ilfracombe Nine were totally shattered

It was much later when our very own Vorders

Read out the scores in no particular order.

An exceptional day, it was so strange

That for future Tours the rules will be changed

Fighting the course, getting throughly wet

This is one round we’ll never forget.

So fill up your glass, your choice, beer or wine

And let’s raise a toast to the Ilfracombe Nine.

Minehead and West Somerset - "a great classic links course"

Preview:

The 2017 Kylie Tour will get under way at Minehead and West Somerset which, according to the site, "is a great classic links course set against the rugged backdrop of the Brendon Hills with captivating sea views."

The oldest course in Somerset (Bath moved theirs), it started as 12 holes on an old rabbit warren before going to the full 18 in 1901. Changes have had to be made to the course at times because of the encroachment of the sea. Let's hope for a good day!

Checking in at 6,213 off the yellows it looks like it might be particularly challenging around the turn.

What actually happened:

There were definitely rabbits. I nearly fell down one hole and Stuart retrieved a Ben F ball from down another. We did get a good weather day so no fear of sea encroachment. Starting off in the shadow of Butlin's you get some good musical backing before heading off into the country.

It's linksy alright - is it classic? Not sure, it's a decent enough course though. There's some waiting around with who should tee off and who should wait in places but that's an occasional hazard. The par threes look like they might be there for the taking but don't play that way.

The beauty of a links is its forgiving nature if you hit a wide one off the tee. That might have helped some of the scores which saw six players in the thirties.

Best scores:

35 points - Matthew (off 11) 2017
35 points - Brian (off 15) 2017
33 points - Kevin (off 9) 2017
33 points - Ben F (off 17) 2017

2017 - Ilfracombe awaits

The Devon village of Ilfracombe is soon to host the 2017 Kylie Tour.

It looks like being a good turnout with only 2004 winner Mark not due to attend.

Ilfracombe will be the course for Saturday's round with Minehead opening, and Tiverton closing, this year's tournament.