St Mellion International Resort

St Mellion has been transformed in recent years as a golfing destination. The complex now offers everything for a golfing break, corporate venue or membership package and at its heart two great courses, the Kernow and the Nicklaus. More words will be written about the Nicklaus course, but the old is also a great test of golf, shorter and undeniably easier than its more famous sibling, it has a real charm and benefits from the same high maintenance standards applied to the Championship course.

St Mellion was founded by the Bond brothers. Martin and his late brother Herman were successful businessmen in the area and decided to do something rather special with St Mellion and hire Jack Nicklaus to design his first UK course.

Crown Golf comprehensively remodelled the hotel, clubhouse, leisure facilities and courses. The total investment, which includes a completely new entrance and substantial property opportunities, was in the region of 20million. Eighty new bedrooms and three new restaurants have taken the accommodation to a new level the hotel has a crisp clean cut to its styling, which combines quality with comfort, with this style running throughout the whole site. The rooms are perfect examples delightfully lit, with generous proportions, huge and comfortable beds, great views of the course (most of the rooms overlook the 18th green and approach) and high spec bathrooms, complete with large baths perfect for relaxing after a round of golf. Each room also has climate control and wide screen television.

The day-to-day operation of St Mellion is run by Stephen Towers who, as Resort Director, has had a busy workload and lots of issues to deal with. Golf Resorts Direct spoke with him

'The general reaction to the whole complex is excellent, people have been most kind with their comments, but also genuinely impressed with the additional features and extra service that we have offered in recent years. The hotel is a critical part of the business and we must keep good occupancy rates. If golfers have a great time while they are here, then our repeat trade will be good and our reputation will grow it is a big responsibility, but one that I am greatly enjoying.'

Crown Golf is the largest group in Europe despite being based only in the UK. To give some idea of the scale, it is useful to remember that Crown has 2700 members, 7000 acres of land, 500 golf buggies, 11 pay and pay facilities and 14 golf academies. St Mellion is the flagship for the whole group and Golf Resorts Direct spoke with Jeff Chapman, owner of Crown Golf

'Im really pleased with the way that the St Mellion project has taken shape. Stephen Lewis, our Chief Executive for the whole group and his team, led locally by Resort Director, Stephen Towers, have done an amazing job. Since our major refit, St Mellion can now really compete with other top quality destinations in the UK and around the world. I am truly proud of the whole complex.'

Mike Bush is the Course Manager and has been associated with St Mellion with the original developers, the Bond brothers, since the early 1990s. He has a strong background in course construction and later enjoyed the growing in period so much that he decided to retrain as a green keeper. Mike had been deputy course manager for five years before being promoted to the top job six years ago. He explained the changes to the courses

'Crown have spent approximately 2.5million on the courses over the last few years. The work is almost concluded on the Nicklaus course, which is obviously our flagship championship layout. We have enlarged most of the back tees, so that we can accommodate majot events. We have also remodelled all the bunkers, replacing all the sand with South Acre, a local sand, which has excellent percolation rates and therefore meets with USGA specification. The bunkers have been subtly reshaped, with most having new contours with a more bowl like feel this will toughen the course considerably for tournament play. All of the work was approved by Nicklaus design with whom we have an excellent relationship. We have also laid a new cart path around the entire complex, so those wishing to use buggies on either course, can do so with ease. We are very pleased with the work on the Kernow Course (the new name for the Old course). Nine greens in total have been rebuilt or repositioned and this will give us a better second course with an increased par (from 68 to 69). That doesnt really tell the whole story, as the course now has a much better routing, finishing right in front of the club house instead of several hundred yards away as previously.'

Cornwall is a very special place and remains warmly embedded in the hearts of many of us. Perhaps it is the fabulous scenery, the most beautiful of coastlines, the traditions or the very friendly nature of the Cornish people perhaps a mix of all. When an outstandingly well planned golf and leisure complex such as St Mellion is set in such a splendid part of the world, it is hard not to be thrilled by the result.

The best part of St Mellion is that it manages to achieve an intimacy and warmth with its customers. The bars, leisure, dining areas and hotel rooms are so well linked and arranged around the magnificent 18th hole that they all get great views and are involved with the course. With a team of six PGA teaching professionals, St Mellion offers the finest golf tuition and coaching in the South West and is the UK home of The Tournament Golf College. St Mellion have a pioneering golf coaching programme, Get into Golf, which for a fixed fee offers the novice golfer unlimited golf lessons, to get them to golf course standard within a short period of time. This programme encompasses everything from the technical aspects to rules and etiquette and an easy passage to becoming a member of this thriving golf club.

David Moon heads up the professional team at St Mellion. Now responsible for Golf Operations, David has a been at the club for many years and seen the progress over the last few years

'It is really exciting to see all the ideas come together. We have a great golf academy and a Huxley teeing strip and an upgraded outfield complete with target greens further teaching areas. Our Get Into Golf programme has been extremely successful and we can encourage all family members to stay with us now, even if they previously were less inclined to play golf, we think we can tempt them.'

St Mellion is surprisingly easy to get to being only a tank of fuel away from most parts of the UK, and for those who prefer to take to fly, then Plymouth City Airport is close by with a full range of destinations.

St Mellion is an exceptionally well thought out and executed golfing destination. It has everything that you could possibly want from such a site, but that does not quite capture it all - St Mellion is really special and makes those visiting feel special too. It is without doubt one of the top destinations in the UK.

Set in 450 acres of stunning Cornish countryside, St Mellion offers a fresh, unexpected alternative to the more traditional hotel & resort accommodation in the West Country. The resort offers a contemporary four star hotel, the stunning Jack Nicklaus & Kernow Golf Courses - rated in the top 4 of Today's Golfer's resort list and three very different dining experiences. An indoor leisure club with three pools, a spa, health and facilities allow you to be as active or relaxed during your break as you choose.

It's a combination of a superb location, unrivalled facilities & wonderful hospitality that makes St Mellion perfect for golf or leisure breaks & family holidays.

The St Mellion Hotel offers stunning contemporary bedrooms, all fully air-conditioned, with flat screen televisions, complimentary internet access and en suite bathrooms, with high pressure showers, heated mirrors, laptop safes and king-size beds, along with all the other comforts, you'd expect from a four star Resort. As a result of it's almost unique construction method, every room offers an exceptional level of privacy, unknown in most conventionally built hotels. Superior rooms and suites are all south facing and offer stunning views over the 18th hole of the famous Nicklaus signature course and beyond to the beautiful Cornish countryside.

Whether visiting for the day, staying overnight, enjoying a short break or simply passing by, St Mellion International Resort offers guests an excellent choice of dining options. There are two main restaurant outlets, with seperate bars and lounges. Menus range from simple snacks and comfort food to more upscale dining options. As one might expect in a resort such as St Mellion, room service is also available along with lodge dining, perfect for relaxing with friends.