St. Mellion International Resort

St Mellion International Resort (now operating as St Mellion Estate) is a 36-hole golf and hotel complex located near Saltash in east Cornwall, close to the Devon border. It was founded by brothers Hermon and Martin Bond, who began developing their potato farm into a golf facility in the early 1970s. The original course, designed by J. Hamilton-Stutt and now known as the Kernow Course, opened in 1976 and quickly attracted attention, hosting the Benson & Hedges International Open and the Tournament Players Championship on the European Tour as early as 1979 and 1983. Following critical remarks from Seve Ballesteros about the original course, the Bond brothers commissioned Jack Nicklaus to design a second, more demanding layout. The Nicklaus Signature Course opened in 1988 and was the first European course personally designed by Nicklaus, who remarked at opening that it was better than he had anticipated. The course was formally inaugurated with a USA vs Great Britain match in which Nicklaus and Tom Watson were narrowly beaten by Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo.

The Nicklaus Course is a par 72 layout measuring over 6,200 yards from the yellow tees and in excess of 7,000 yards from the back tees, constructed across severe terrain with significant changes in elevation, tight driving lines, steep overhangs, and heavy rough. Water hazards, contoured greens, and strategically placed bunkers are recurring features throughout the round. The course substantially encircles the Kernow Course, with the 17th and 18th holes returning through the middle of the Kernow layout toward the clubhouse. The 10th, 11th, and 12th holes are regarded as a particular highlight, described by Nicklaus as his own version of Augusta's Amen Corner. The Kernow Course, redesigned by Alan Leather and reopened in 2010 incorporating nine new holes, provides a more accessible test at approximately 5,800 yards.

In terms of tournament history, St Mellion has served as a European Tour venue on fourteen occasions. The Nicklaus Course hosted the Benson & Hedges International Open for six consecutive years from 1990 to 1995, with winners including José María Olazábal, Bernhard Langer, and Seve Ballesteros. The resort also hosted the Tournament Players Championship in 1983 and 1984, and has twice staged the English Seniors Open on the European Senior Tour. More recently the resort has hosted the European Challenge Tour's British Challenge event.