Hele Bay, Ilfracombe, EX34 9RT
Perched dramatically on the clifftops above Ilfracombe, Ilfracombe Golf Club is one of the most scenically spectacular golf courses in the South West, with stunning panoramic views of the Bristol Channel, the Welsh coast and the North Devon headlands accompanying virtually every hole on this challenging and characterful eighteen-hole course. The combination of elevated clifftop positions, sea views and the ever-present coastal breeze makes Ilfracombe a golf experience that is memorable as much for its setting as for the quality of the course itself.
Founded in 1892, Ilfracombe Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in Devon, and the track has the kind of quirky, undulating character that comes from a layout designed around the natural contours of a genuine clifftop landscape rather than engineered for convenience. Some holes play along cliff edges with dramatic drops to the sea on one side, others drop steeply into hidden valleys before climbing again to elevated greens with views that demand your attention even as you are trying to focus on the shot in hand.
The course is not particularly long by modern standards but more than makes up for this in terms of interest, variety and the sheer fun of playing golf in such a remarkable location. The wind is the ever-present fifth club in the bag here, capable of turning straightforward holes into genuine puzzles and rewarding creative thinking and good shot selection throughout the round.
You are warmly welcomed at Ilfracombe Golf Club and green fees represent good value for an experience that genuinely cannot be replicated anywhere else in North Devon. The clubhouse offers a comfortable post-round environment, and the views from the terrace on a fine day are simply extraordinary.
Ilfracombe town is only a short drive away, making it easy to combine a round of golf with a visit to the harbour, the galleries or the restaurants that line the town’s attractive centre.
