Thats Golf!


Student Golf Enthusiasts Needed

University College Falmouth (UCF) is positioned on the cusp of the southwest British Isles which encapsulates the stunning beauty that Cornwall offers student golfing residents.

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The rolling hilltops spanning the cliff faces are decorously humbled by the pure blue tinted waters brushing the rocky shores, setting the scene for some of the most attractive golfing destinations the United Kingdom bestows.

BUT... it is not exploited by the students at UCF or Exeter University Cornwall Campus (EUCC). Falmouth and Exeter Union (FXU) is still relatively young but has failed to develop a golf society. The local golf clubs have shown an interest over the years towards playing against a team that represents the university in local competition, but to no avail.

A university golf team would benefit from the annual illustrious and historic varsity Bottle Match, which is played every year against the London based: Royal School of Mines (RSM) versus Camborne School of Mines (CSM).

In this coveted and fierce rivalry, golf is the first match to be played out of a compilation of sports over a weekend, and a win undoubtedly helps build momentum for either side. A fully functioning golf society would ease team selection and time management in the hectic student schedule building up to the event at the start of the year.

Why Golf?

A golf society will enable and promote students to get out of the more obvious sporting arenas, cramped and cluttered student accommodation and pubs. It would help students embrace the natural geo-sphere of the British Isles that isn’t necessarily accessible for the everyday rambler, and add to the experience of, and the reason for, studying at Falmouth.

Golf requires mental and physical fortitude: the same requirements needed to cope with the three years of university life. Being able to recover from self induced ethanol embolisms, which occur after only going out for one drink the evening before a deadline, are identical qualities needed to battle the golf course. Why UCF & EUCC?

The ongoing expansion of the university is a constant progression to put UCF on the university map, and attracts more and more students each year to study in this tranquil rural environment. For many ambitious students, sport advertised by the university is just as important as the different courses it offers, for many ambitious students.

The ceremonial event for any potential student picking up a catalogue of prospectuses and purveying the university sporting teams and acquired accolades, can often sway an active conscience.

The CSM football team is looking at promotion this year for the first time in their history; CSM hockey team plays in a high regional league with most of their players playing at county level. The cricket team has won every game convincingly this season in the 20-20 Mining League, with a possible return to Saturday one-day cricket due to the influx of players.

Falmouth Golf Club

Falmouth golf course was born in 1894 and is engraved into the hills of Swanpool, overlooking the Vegas-shaped strip of Falmouth’s elongated landscape, upon which it resides.

Steve Burrows, Director of Golf at Falmouth Golf Course, describes it as a friendly environment that offers an excellent standard of golf, with views to rival any other course in the county.

“A Good friendly golf club which encourages golfers of all standards.... The back nine is truly exceptional with great coastal cliff-top-views,” said Steve.

Students aged from 18-24 can become a member for an annual subscription of £205, which works out to be £4 a week. Exchanging the weekly Cornish pasty for a year membership at Falmouth is, surely, a preferable way to enjoy Cornwall.

The Course

The opening hole is an up-hill par-4, framed by a vista of Sycamore trees that offers the perfect introduction once having staggered the climb to the green. After punching-in a second low numbered iron shot into the 364-yard-hole, you bear witness to the unravelling of the curtains to the heart-stopping theatre of golf this course has to offer.

The next couple of holes offer a short par-3 and a sweeping 531-yard par-5, which guides you over the ridge that is situated among the front and back nine. The following holes mainly consist of par-4s that sets a comfortable pathway through a more in-land route, channelling the ball up-and-down over a challenging but rewarding front nine.

After finishing off an easily accessible pitching-wedge flop from the tee on the 11th to the green, and holing, for what should be a par or better, the time comes to refuel energy levels with the chance to pop into the Pro shop to gather various confectionary items.

For the remaining holes on the back nine: collect your thoughts and forget the putt you just missed on the 11th for birdie, and strap yourself in for the course’s pièce de résistance.

As you come to the 14th hole, once having played a blind drive up onto the fairway’s apex, the muscle fatigue and the current woe’s of the world seem to sink into the blue sparse bath of optimism, and everything that seemed to matter gets swept away by the noticeable lynx breeze.

Stepping onto the carpeted green that sits as the mantel piece to the stunning look-out-point, an eye-opening 180o degree view of Falmouth and Swanpool is complemented by numerous boats ranging from dinghies to tankers on the water.

The beauty of the cliff-top view carries on as you play the next few holes, and the inevitable inward journey towards the club house comes as a harsh reality when having to leave such a majestic environment. But, the soothing realisation of a waiting cold hard-fought beer makes everything seem right again.

Gavin Embley, Journalism student at UCF, loves playing Falmouth: “While the odd old-boy-golfer still lingers around the course and causes an inconvenience, the golf course is one of the best I’ve played and the staff that work there are extremely welcoming,” Gavin stated.

Course details

Budock Vean Golf & Country House Hotel

Budock Vean golf course is part of a four star hotel which is tucked away in the sublime landscape of the Helford River in Mawnan Smith. This course was designed by James Braid, five times Open Champion, who has created a short but pleasant 9-hole golf course, which is perfect for novice golfers who are trying to get a feel for the game.

Golf workshops, schools, and competition weeks are held at the course on a regular occasion, which are organised by the David Short golf school.

Tony Ramsden, hotel manager and retired golf professional, takes pride over this scenic course and is keen to see students coming to play this forgotten gem.

“The golf course is an undulating parkland course that sits upon 65 acres of outstanding natural beauty. The hotel is only five miles from Falmouth town centre, which only takes 15 minutes in a car,” said Ramsden.

He continues: “There is no joining fee and it is only £24 a round with a student membership set at a reasonable annual rate of £100.”

The Course

The winding rural roads around Mawnan Smith are shrouded by trees and wildlife which doesn’t give any hints to the hotel’s position, and casts certain doubts that the left turn after the Red Lion pub was such a good idea.

But, once you’ve skipped past the Ferry Boat Inn the sudden declaration of the burgundy awakening sign of Budock Vean sets your mind at rest. The narrow sheltered road leading to the golf course sends a surge of excitement through the body that something special lies wait at the end of the road.

The first hole begins with a dog-leg right as it starts with a manageable 301 yard par 4, setting you on your way around a well kept landscape. This golf course follows a trend in each hole being named after an iconic moment in the course’s history, such as the intriguingly titled: “To Stokie’s Corner”, where, up until recently, it was the longest par-5 in the county at 518 yards.

The 9th hole par 3 is a great way to finish the round with a raised green residing next to the hotel’s outdoor seating area. This hole can be extremely costly if missed from the tee box, but can also make for a marvellous post-round spectacle while enjoying a cold beverage and watching other misdirected shots help re-establish your confidence in the game.

The entire course plays beautifully but will prove to be a hard-day-at-the-office if you don’t bring your putting A-game to these unforgiving undulating greens. But any day spent playing golf around the Helford River is well worth it.

Tom Grant, Geography student at Exeter University, praises the course for its majesty and prowess, “when I played it, it was noticeable that the course is missing some young golfers, and it’s doesn’t have the best practice facilities, but it plays well and is a great short golf course with a relaxed and mature atmosphere around it.”

Course details

Killiow Park Golf Course

Killiow golf course is positioned just off the round-a-bout after the Shell garage on the A39 that leads to Truro, and takes roughly 10 minutes by car. This course, out of the three, is the only one that is not immediately surrounded by memorising natural beauty, and attracts a more business-like player than the enthusiastic nomad golfer wanting to play anywhere and everywhere.

It services a quick-fix golfing appetite, being placed on a frequently used road for students and locals alike travelling from one town to the other. But don’t be fooled. The sharp turn into the driveway leading up to the course snakes deeper and deeper into the magnificent grounds of the Killiow Estate, conjuring up optimism and intrigue in equal measure.

John Crowson, Killiow Park Club Secretary, is eager to attract more student golfers to the course and offers a rare and unique payment scheme, which is new to golf.

Killiow state that instead of signing up for a whole year when, realistically, the fair-weather-golfer plays only during the summer months, golfing aficionados can pay on a month-by-month basis, similar to a gym membership.

This concept stops the money-stricken student from wasting precious pennies when the notorious English rain clouds gather overhead for the winter solstice.

Crowson added: “We have a reputation of being a really friendly golf club,” and, pausing with a wry smile crossing his lips when asked about attracting students to play here, added: “the food is good and the beer is cheap!”

The course

The 1st is a welcoming 432-yard par-4 that encourages the player to immediately unsheathe their wood and send the ball careering down the wide fairway. But the tactlessness of this shot soon becomes apparent once the ball is sent sailing out-of-bounds on the right-hand-side. Brute force, it seems, is not always triumphant.

Hopefully, Mother Nature guides the “slicing” ball back into play for a small dink onto the green, where two putts will guarantee your par and set you up for a positive day’s golf.

The next tempting drive comes at the 3rd tee when faced with a short 304-yard par-4 that dog-legs to the right, sectioned-off by a stone wall with an intimidating oak tree planted on the cusp of the distorted fairway. If driven accurately, the hole should create an early gambit to attacking the course in a Tiger-like manner.

The 4th, 5th and 6th holes render themselves effortlessly into the Killiow estate which navigates you past a therapeutic country pond befriended by densely populated woodland.

The blossoming red and purple rhododendrons nestled next to the modest stately home, instils a gentlemanly nostalgia of playing in one’s own estate with Fanny and Tarquin: fashioning a baggy cap, three-quarter-lengths, and waistcoat, topped off with a rather excellent moustache.

The front nine finishes with a moderate par-5 that requires playing to selected parts of the fairway due to a ditch which traverses up the hill towards the green, also encompassing bunkers and water hazards. This hole will test any golfer who is trying to put together a good score on the opening nine holes.

The back nine is stationed at a higher altitude to the club house and front nine. These holes are long and sparse with hardly any trees to cause major problems. So, poorly struck drives can be recovered easily.

The lack of hazards on the back nine, however, do make the course slightly arduous which is highlighted by trekking from green to tee. But the rolling hills offers a cathartic response to the prosaic structured back nine, and does amount to a decent bit of exercise.

Killiow is always a fantastic place to receive coaching advice as the club professional, Richard Sadler, happens to be Cornwall’s county coach. It is a great place to learn more about the game.

To finish the day, the club house provides Oxford Chesterfield leather armchairs from which to imbibe the local ale in contemplation of the day’s round – a perfect way to finish the day.

Pete Taylor, Geology student at CSM, has played Killiow a few times and considers it his preferred course: “It’s a friendly place and, in golfing standards, quite an informal course with a challenging par. The back nine is a bit marshy but generally a nice place to spend some time.”

He goes onto say: “...having played a number of courses, it’s nice to have a beer without other members looking down upon you,” said Pete.

Course details