Our Heritage

In 1972, Martin & Herman Bond had the idea to develop one of their farming fields into a golf course. They managed to persuade one of the leading designers of the time, J Hamilton-Stutt to design what is known today as the Kernow Course. It opened in 1976 to considerable acclaim and within two years had already become a fixture on the European Tour hosting the Benson & Hedges International Open and the Tournament Players’ Championship. After some critical remarks from Senor Ballesteros, the Bond brothers decided to create another golf course, even more challenging than the Kernow. After compiling a list of designers they decided to pursue the service of Mr Jack Nicklaus. After three years of countless trips to the States, Jack Nicklaus agreed to design this new course.

The first Nicklaus Signature course in Europe (still only one of two in England) opened in 1988 with Nicklaus and Tom Watson losing narrowly to Messers, Lyle & Faldo in the St Mellion Trophy.

In 1990 the first of six Benson & Hedges International Opens returned to St Mellion and this time no one was saying the course was too easy. It became infamous on the tour as one of the most challenging courses played and today, despite ever improving technology its reputation remains intact.

The Bond brothers sold the property including a recently built hotel in 1998 to American Golf. A few years later in 2004, American Golf was bought by Crown Golf and with it St Mellion.

Crown Golf is the largest golf operator in Europe. They invested in the property by building a brand new four-star hotel, adding bars, restaurants, meeting and spa facilities as well as redeveloping both golf courses with the express aim of returning St Mellion to the International Golf Stage.

Recently ranked #2nd among four-star Golf Resorts in the UK, and #14th overall in Great Britain & Ireland, St Mellion with its two immaculate 18-hole European Tour golf courses has become the flagship venue of Crown Golf.

Best remembered for hosting the Benson & Hedges International Open for six consecutive years and in tribute to its status as a 12-time venue for European Tour events and other significant golf tournaments, in 2018 St Mellion has hosted a series of events celebrating it's 30th anniversary.