Bovey Castle Mixed Pairs

A stay at Bovey Castle is a unique experience of true British luxury within the setting of Devon’s ancient moorlands. From the tailored tweed plus-two trousers worn by the hotel concierge to the apples and sloes gathered from the grounds to make traditional cider and gin, Bovey Castle draws its contemporary and luxurious appeal from the manor house’s rich heritage as a private home and 275-acre country estate.

The house was first built in 1907 for Frederick Smith, the son and heir of the Conservative politician and stationary magnate W.H. Smith and by 1930 it had become a hotel operated by the Great Western Railway. The hotel enjoyed prosperity for many decades however, slowly but surely fell into disrepair.

Step in millionaire Peter de Savary, the British entrepreneur, who in 2003 bought the property and re-named it Bovey Castle. Not only was the hotel re-vamped, the original  J. F. Abercromby layout first built in 1926, with help from Donald Steel and Tom MacKenzie was overhauled with new drainage, irrigation and putting surfaces. The new Bovey Castle course was re-born and opened for play in 2004. 

The resultant championship layout befits the grandeur of the estate, and is a real gem of a course. Against the backdrop of the Bovey and Bowden rivers, which golfers must negotiate frequently, Bovey Castle has been restored to its former glory. Golfing legend Sir Henry Cotton has described the 7th hole as “possibly the best par-4 in British inland golf.”

This 5* hotel is now more popular than ever having appeared recently in the Channel 5 TV documentary series “Posh Hotels” being highlighted as one of most luxurious hotels in the country.