St. Mellion International Resort
Encyclopedia
The St. Mellion International Resort is a golf
centred hotel and recreation complex near Saltash
, Cornwall
in the South West
of England
. The resort comprises a hotel, conference facilities, health club, spa and two championship golf course
s.
The St. Mellion resort is owned and operated by Crown Golf, who acquired it as part of their purchase of American Golf (UK) from American Golf Corporation in 2004. American Golf had themselves purchased the resort in 1998.
on six occasions in the early 1990s, is now the venue of the revived English Open
, which was due to return to the European Tour
in 2009 following a seven year hiatus. The resort, including the golf courses, is undergoing a £
100 million redevelopment programme in preparation for the event. However the tournament had to be postponed for at least two years after the developers ran into financial difficulties as a result of the credit crunch.
The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course was designed by Nicklaus
himself, and opened in 1988. Among the winners of the Benson & Hedges International were some of Europe
s most successful players, including multiple major
winners José María Olazábal
, Bernhard Langer
and Seve Ballesteros.
The Old Course, as the name suggests, was the first course at the resort. Built on their potato farm by brothers Hermon and Martin Bond, it opened in 1976.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
centred hotel and recreation complex near Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in the South West
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The resort comprises a hotel, conference facilities, health club, spa and two championship golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s.
The St. Mellion resort is owned and operated by Crown Golf, who acquired it as part of their purchase of American Golf (UK) from American Golf Corporation in 2004. American Golf had themselves purchased the resort in 1998.
Golf
St. Mellion has two golf courses, the Old Course and the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, which, having hosted the Benson & Hedges International OpenBenson & Hedges International Open
The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company...
on six occasions in the early 1990s, is now the venue of the revived English Open
English Open
The English Open was a professional golf tournament on the European Tour. In 2009, it was due to be played over the Jack Nicklaus designed Signature Course at the St...
, which was due to return to the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
in 2009 following a seven year hiatus. The resort, including the golf courses, is undergoing a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
100 million redevelopment programme in preparation for the event. However the tournament had to be postponed for at least two years after the developers ran into financial difficulties as a result of the credit crunch.
The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course was designed by Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
himself, and opened in 1988. Among the winners of the Benson & Hedges International were some of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
s most successful players, including multiple major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
winners José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:...
, Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...
and Seve Ballesteros.
The Old Course, as the name suggests, was the first course at the resort. Built on their potato farm by brothers Hermon and Martin Bond, it opened in 1976.
External links
- St Mellion International Resort - official site
- Crown Golf - official site
- English Open - official site