Club History
The Isles of Scilly nine hole links occupies the north east coastline of St Mary's and was carved - largely by hand - from clifftop scrub by farmers and a golf mad medico Dr Brushfield opening in 1904. For such tiny isolated islands to have their own golf course would be a stupendous feat in any era but especially so in turn of century Scilly.
The then islands Governor, T A Dorrien Smith had hoped to get Tory politician Arthur Balfour to open it. In the end Amateur champion Horace Hutchinson did the honours.
The land is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and is held by the club on a long lease. The course length is 5942 yards with a par of 73. Eighteen hole competitions mean playing the nine holes twice. Signature hole, where down the years a number of "aces" have been recorded, is the short 109 yard 4th which requires an iron shot into a basin from a gorse surrounded tee spectacularly poised above the cliffs.
The amateur course record - held by Mark Twynham is 66, professional - jointly held by George Ryall and Peter Evans - is 67.
The course, from which there are stunning views of a panorama of islands, can lean towards low scoring in benign conditions, but when the wind blows its exposed nature makes golf a hard test. The ball tends to sit up invitingly on the fairways but holding the ball on the greens can be difficult due to their relatively small size.