#2. Saunton East: Why It Deserves Its Place in the World Top 100
Image - Saunton Golf Club
Tucked away on the North Devon coast, Saunton Golf Club doesn’t always get the headlines of Scotland’s giants or Ireland’s rugged classics. But among those who know, Saunton East is a bucket-list links and it has the credentials to prove it. Ranked consistently among the World Top 100 golf courses, Saunton East combines beauty, challenge, and tradition in a way few courses can match.
If you’re considering a UK golf trip, here’s why Saunton East deserves a place on your itinerary.
A Landscape Made for Golf
The East Course at Saunton sits among a vast stretch of dunes known as Braunton Burrows, one of the largest dune systems in the UK. This natural terrain provides the perfect canvas for links golf. Rolling fairways weave through dunes, sight-lines change with every hole, and the wind shapes your round from start to finish.
Unlike manufactured courses, Saunton feels as though it’s been part of the landscape forever. Every hole is routed naturally through the dunes, giving the course a flow and rhythm that makes it a joy to walk.
A True Test of Golf
Links golf is all about asking tough questions — and Saunton East asks them from the first tee. At over 6,700 yards from the back tees, it isn’t brutally long by modern standards, but length isn’t the challenge here. Narrow driving corridors, slick greens, and the ever-present Atlantic wind demand accuracy, strategy, and imagination.
Miss the fairway and you’ll find yourself wrestling with deep rough or battling out of a bunker carved into the dunes. Approaches need to be played low and controlled, with plenty of room for the ball to release. It’s a course that rewards patience and punishes greed.
For many golfers, that balance is what makes Saunton East so addictive. It’s fair but never easy, challenging but never unfair, the mark of a truly great course.
History Woven Into Every Hole
While Saunton East may not be as ancient as St Andrews or Royal North Devon, it carries its own weight of history. The club dates back to 1897, with the East Course first designed in 1920 by the legendary Herbert Fowler, the same architect behind Walton Heath.
During World War II, the course was taken over by the military for training purposes, leaving it in ruins by 1945. But it was rebuilt with care and passion, restoring Fowler’s vision and cementing Saunton as one of the UK’s premier links destinations. Today, the East Course is living history, a place where tradition and challenge blend seamlessly.
The World’s Best Agree
It’s one thing for locals to sing the praises of their home club. It’s another for the golfing world to take notice. Saunton East consistently ranks among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World and the Top 50 in the UK & Ireland. For a course tucked away in North Devon, that’s no small feat.
Golf legends have also recognized its quality. Sir Nick Faldo once remarked, “I cannot think of anywhere in England where 36 holes of such quality lay side by side.” With the West Course sitting alongside the East, Saunton truly offers a double dose of world-class links golf.
The Saunton Experience
What makes Saunton East special isn’t just the layout, it’s the overall experience. The opening holes ease you in, running through dunes that frame the fairways beautifully. The middle stretch challenges your shot-making with strategic par 4s and demanding par 3s. And the closing holes bring you back toward the clubhouse, where the wind often plays its strongest role.
Highlights include:
The 2nd hole – A long par 4 where the fairway twists through dunes, setting the tone early.
The 5th hole – A short par 4 that tempts you to go for it, but punishes any miss.
The 11th hole – A picturesque par 3 that requires precision against a backdrop of rolling dunes.
The 17th hole – A dogleg par 4 that demands accuracy on both the tee shot and approach.
Every round here feels like an adventure. Even if you play it multiple times, changing winds and firm conditions ensure no two rounds are ever alike.
Why Saunton Belongs on Your Trip
When U.S. golfers think of links golf, Scotland and Ireland often steal the spotlight. But Saunton proves that England’s southwest has courses every bit as world-class. Its place in the World Top 100 isn’t a token nod — it’s a recognition of genuine quality.
For golfers traveling with Fresh Tracks Golf, Saunton East is a cornerstone of the experience. It delivers the challenge serious golfers crave, the beauty that makes every shot memorable, and the authenticity of a true links course untouched by over-commercialization.
Pair it with rounds at Royal North Devon, Perranporth, and Trevose, and you have a trip that rivals anything Scotland or Ireland can offer.
Final Thoughts
Saunton East isn’t just one of the best courses in Devon or even in England, it’s one of the best in the world. With its natural beauty, demanding design, and rich history, it deserves every accolade it receives.
For U.S. golfers ready to test themselves on a genuine links, Saunton East offers the full package: challenge, charm, and unforgettable memories.
Ready to experience Saunton East for yourself? Start planning your Fresh Tracks Golf trip today.