Saunton (East)

Overview: Saunton's East Course is an 18-hole links in Braunton Burrows on the North Devon coast. Herbert Fowler's design uses the scale and movement of the dunes to create sheltered valleys, elevated approaches and a succession of changing lies. The deep dune setting gives the course a feeling of distance from the road and resort, while firm ground and natural contours keep the test strategic.

History: Golf was played on the land from 1897, and Saunton Golf Club was formed that year. The original course grew from nine holes to twelve by 1906 and eighteen by 1908. After the First World War, Herbert Fowler redesigned the course on its reopening in 1919, and he created the East Course in the 1920s. The club later added a West Course, designed in 1935 and subsequently redesigned by Frank Pennink.

Did You Know? During the Second World War, Saunton's courses and clubhouse were occupied by the military and the dunes were used for battle training before the D-Day landings. The East Course was brought back into play by January 1952 after the wartime damage.