The ultimate 18 holes from South Devon golf courses

The golfing season is finally basking in some glorious spring sunshine and the best courses in South Devon are all glowing in green.

Riding the wave of golf enthusiasm, we have created the ultimate 18 holes from six iconic South Devon courses: Torquay, Churston, Dainton Park, Teignmouth, Dawlish Warren and Dartmouth.

The six courses will contribute three holes each to this dream round of golf but, just to make our challenge a little spicy, the selected holes must be in the right position for our ultimate course.

For example, if we select hole one from Torquay, it must be hole one in our fantasy course, and so on…you’ll get the picture!

The first thing to note on our dream course is that we have some spectacular Par 3 holes in South Devon, so we do include six ‘short’ holes, but this is balanced by four Par 5s, making our course a Par 70 in total.

Hole 1 – Churston – Par 3 We start with an absolute brute of a Par 3 at Churston. It plays as long as 240 yards from the back tee and you hit this incredibly daunting shot in full view of the clubhouse, people arriving from the car park, those on the practise greens, basically everyone in a two-mile radius. It is a cruel starter but wonderfully rewarding if you come away with a par.

Hole 2 – Dainton Park – Par 4 The second hole at Dainton Park is one of those tee shots you do not want early in the round. Playing from the white tees, you are perched on a grass mound, with a small pond in front to gobble up the dreaded ‘top’ and then what feels like Lake Superior all down the left. Driver is the only club choice for most players and too much draw will get you wet. Even if you nail the drive, the second shot approaches a green with water to the right…and the green slopes violently from back to front…great hole!

Hole 3 – Teignmouth – Par 4 Just 311 yards from the back tees, this inviting Par 4 at Teignmouth is often played into the wind and that is a general feature of the course. It is open to the elements, which makes it a wonderful challenge for those who like to shape different shots.

Hole 4 – Dartmouth – Par 5 Dartmouth is a brilliant golf course and it’s also a long walk! The Par 5 fourth hole is 529 yards from the back tees, downhill and visually imposing, as there is more forest than fairway. Even if you hit a good drive, the second shot is also very narrow. There is watery trouble all down the left, a super hole!

Hole 5 – Churston – Par 5 A long Par 5 from the back tees, this is another hole that needs a solid drive, as that opens up an inviting uphill second. The green slopes steeply from back to front and a tricky up and down if you miss the putting surface.

Hole 6 - Dawlish Warren – Par 4 Links golf in Devon is a rare treat and this relatively short Par 4 at Dawlish Warren offers the classic risk and reward. Pound a driver and it will either get wet or give you an easier second shot into a green surrounded by more water. It is another great hole that showcases South Devon scenery.

Hole 7 – Dartmouth – Par 3 A long Par 3 with a narrow entrance, this hole is another example of why Dartmouth is probably the toughest test of our six courses. The hole measures 236 yards from the back tees, even around 200 from the forward tees, so a seriously good shot is required.

Hole 8 - Dainton Park – Par 3 A delicious downhill Par 3 at Dainton, this is where you stop for a comfort break, chocolate bar and mid-round therapy. The elevated tee to a fairly generous two-tiered green looks so inviting but bunkers await to the right and at the front, while a hook takes you out of bounds. The glory of this hole is watching your good shots sail into position.

Hole 9 – Torquay – Par 3 Our first trip to Torquay is a delightful Par 3 with sea views out to the left. The Torquay GC website has fantastic videos of each hole, giving you a flavour of the challenge that awaits, and hole nine is all about a straight tee shot to a relatively small green.  

Hole 10 – Dawlish Warren – Par 4 A fairly long Par 4 for the amateur golfer but another great hole. Just like every turn at Dawlish Warren, the views make up for any wayward golf.

Hole 11 – Torquay – Par 4 A long Par 4 dogleg, playing 446 yards from the white tees. If you can steer the drive to the right side of a narrow fairway, this provides the best angle to attack the green, which has wooded trouble on the left. For the amateur golfer, the challenge of this superb hole is two big hits required to make the putting surface.

Hole 12 – Churston – Par 4 This fabulous Par 4 is all about the second shot. There is a hefty bank on the left that will help the ball down on to the putting surface but the opposite side of the green is fraught with danger, hit it too far right and you face a very difficult chip shot. Our final hole from the Churston selection and a course blessed with sensational views of Torbay.

Hole 13 – Teignmouth – Par 5 Back to Teignmouth and a delightful Par 5 that all leads to a well-protected green. The bunkers seem to draw in balls but it is still a hole that demonstrates all the charm of the course.

Hole 14 – Torquay – Par 3 Put water on any hole and most amateur golfers will panic, and this Par 3 is a visual nightmare from the tee. There are ponds to the left, to the right and to the front. Admittedly, it would take a monumental duff to get wet here but we’ve all done it!

Hole 15 - Dawlish Warren – Par 4 The tee shot from the 15th at Dawlish is a place to enjoy the views. It is the one time you don’t mind the group in front playing slow, as you can unwind with a vista of the Exe estuary. It is also a relatively short Par 4 and welcome respite after a stretch of tough holes.

Hole 16 – Dainton Park – Par 5 Three holes to go and the legs are weary, thoughts of a cold pint on the clubhouse veranda taking precedence over sensible golf shots, which makes this downhill Par 5 very welcome. For the long hitters, it is a genuine eagle chance with a good drive, especially if it catches the slope in dry conditions. The second shot, however, is tough! Out of bounds on the left, trees and a stream on the right, but still worth taking on at this stage in the round.  

Hole 17 – Teignmouth – Par 4 Our penultimate hole is another relatively short Par 4 from Teignmouth but any tee shot pulled to the left will lead to trouble. The beauty of this fabulous little hole is the second shot into the green, as anything too far or slightly off target leads to a brutal up and down. This late in the round, it is a potential card-wrecker!

Hole 18 – Dartmouth – Par 3 We finish our round with a spectacular Par 3. Playing down from an elevated tee, over water to a two-tiered green, this is a show-stopping hole and a beautiful way to complete the dream South Devon course.