The return of St Enodoc as a Cornish Festival venue and Bovey Castle’s debut in staging one of four Order of Merit events are eye-catching elements in the PGA South West region’s packed and varied 2024 tournament schedule.
In terms of packed, look no further than the Carlsberg Marstons-sponsored Cornish Festival, the season’s traditional three-day curtain-raiser staged next year from April 16-18.
Such is the popularity of the event that golfers from all over the country converge on Cornwall’s north coast to play in the Festival.
Last year’s, for example, which was won by former Ryder Cup star and 2023 Legends Tour MCB Road to Mauritius champion Peter Baker, was contested by 360 pros and amateurs.
That comprised 90 PGA Professionals each heading teams of three amateurs and, with St Enodoc joining Trevose and Newquay Golf Club as host venues, regional manager Rob Moss expects this year’s Festival to be over-subscribed.
“St Enodoc, is regularly ranked among the country’s top courses if not the world’s, as is Trevose, so we’re delighted they have returned to the fold after being unable to accommodate us last year,” he said.
“We’re also looking forward to returning to Trevose and Newquay – we’re very fortunate to have such hospitable clubs with challenging courses hosting the Festival and, as usual, we expect a huge demand to play in it.”
Players in the region’s first Order of Merit event, the Open Series (West) at Bovey Castle in early May, will face a different challenge to the ones presented by the three links courses during the Cornish Festival.
The course is part of the five-star Bovey Castle Hotel’s 300-plus acre estate and sea views make way for stunning vistas of Dartmoor as many of its 6,600 yards meander alongside the River Bovey.
Its presence on the region’s tournament schedule is due to Rob Selley, the recently appointed golf operations manager, not wasting any time in putting the club back on the map after Covid took its toll on custom.
“As it’s an Open PGA event half the players will be from the West region, the remainder will come from the rest of the UK,” said Selley, a PGA Professional.
“That’s key as it gives us national exposure. This venue and the course are great selling points and there’s already been some positive feedback and a lot of interest.”
The three remaining Order of Merit events will be staged at more familiar venues, starting with the West Region Championship at The Players Club, Bristol, at the end of July.
A return to Woodbury Park, Exeter, follows in August after last year’s successful staging of the West Region Championship there and the series concludes with the PGA Wiltshire Open at Kingsdown in September.
The Order of Merits will be supplemented by 28 pro-ams, five of which are being staged at new venues: Ogbourne Downs, East Devon, Whitchurch in Cardiff, Bowood Park and Clevedon.
In addition, the Turier Scales-sponsored Spring Sprint, which begins in March, has a new look. Traditionally contested by PGA trainees and Members aged 30 or younger, it is now open to senior pros aged 50 or older.
There are also opportunities for pairs in the fourball better ball tournament at Worlebury, and pitch and putt specialists in the par 3 Championship at Cumberwell Park, before the domestic season concludes in the first week of October with the increasingly popular North Devon Links Festival.
“It all adds up to a varied programme of events and hopefully our members will take advantage of these opportunities,” Moss added.
CLICK HERE to view the full 2024 PGA in England (South West) schedule.
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