The Ryder Cup is in Wales in 2010 at Celtic Manor, and will raise golfer’s interest in golf there. We thought we’d summarize some of the top golf courses that have published to Forelinksters in Wales, all of which are links-style layouts, or nearly so. We’ll start at top of Wales in North Wales, an area about 1 1/2 hours from Manchester, go round the coastline, finishing with Celtic Manor, which is nearly on the border of England at Bristol.
Wales is on the western edge of the UK, between Manchester and Bristol
North Wales Golf Club is the start to the journey in Wales. It’s about 1 1/2 hours southwest of the Manchester Airport, and a good first course to play after an overnight flight. It is situated on the west coast of North Wales in the town of Llandudno with views over the Conwy estuary to Anglesey and the Snowdonia Mountain range. It’s one of the more reasonably priced links courses around and is practically next door to Conwy. It’s a little hard to get a handle on it because there are a handful of holes on less than ideal ground which greatly detracts from the overall experience. Yet, there are some which are sublime and worth the price of admission. It’s a fantastic setting for a course along the rugged North Wales coastline, and the course is traditional links affects of wind, undulating, humpy fairways, which is probably one of its best defenses since it’s difficult to find a level stance. Gorse is abundant and so too are the deep, sod-faced bunkers beside the greens. A delight to play and a bargain.
The 16th at North Wales, a devilish par 3
Conwy is located in Wales on the Caernarvonshire coastline and was originally designed starting in 1869 with further improvements to the routing by Frank Pennink in the 1940′s. It is the first Welsh club to host the Open Championship final qualifying in 2006 when the championship was held at nearby Royal Liverpool, close to the Welsh border, on England’s northwest coast. The course plays along rugged coastline in the shadow of a long-dormant volcano called the Great Orme on one side, and the cliffs of Conwy Mountain on the other with the Isle of Anglesey visible to the west. A great traditional links course with a multitude of gorse, heather linked fairways, many pot bunkers, and the constant wind off the sea.
The setting is quite stunning & Nefyn and District, the holes define quirky
Nefyn & District is northwest of Birmingham, on the Wales coast. Golf was first played at Nefyn in 1907, and a round here borders on survivalism due to the extreme elements as well as the challenges of the course. Nefyn begins and ends on a narrow peninsula high above the Irish Sea, reminiscent of Old Head, with some Pebble Beach thrown in. There’s a tee shot over a deep gorge on 13. On the 12th tee box, it looks as if you’re driving off a cliff into the Sea with no hope of a fairway, but at once down off the tee, the fairway is revealed. Once on the green, the Ty Coch pub on Porthdinllaen beach might offer a worthy alternative to finishing your round. Probably one of the more unique, quirky courses in the British Isles, and an enchanting location along the Llyn Peninsula, in an absolutely stunning setting – as good as you will ever see. The Old course includes the 8 holes on the peninsula which are the very definition of quirky.
Royal St. David’s was designed by T. Harold Finch-Hatton in 1894, the course measures 6,601 yards and par: 69, it is one of the more notable courses in the north of Wales It’s overshadowed by the Harlech Castle and adjoins the Tremedog Bay on one side, and the Welsh mountains of the Snowdonia National Park on the other. The course’s front nine is fairly straightforward links golf without much undulation, rounding through meadow like Snowdonia countryside. The back nine is more challenging where the rough is higher and more penal and the dunes and rolling nature of the land provide more character. Royal St.Davids is another lovely setting. I would recommend if you have time a visit to Harlech castle overlooking the course. It is, on the whole, pretty flat and does not make use of the wonderful dunes on the site – only the last 4 or 5 holes penetrate the dunes (15 is one of the best holes you will ever play). It is a real test and, whilst not as charming as many courses, is a course that is great fun, lots of variety.
Harlech Castle above Royal St. Davids Golf Club
Aberdovey is pure links golf, located 45 miles southwest of Manchester, and 40 miles west of Birmingham in Wales. The course was designed by Harry Colt, James Braid, and William Herbert Fowler at differing stages. It’s true rolling linksland on the west coast of Wales. The fairways are undulating without many level lies. The greens are quick and somewhat large, and accept the run-up well if you get the right bounce at the approaches. The dunes here are moderate, and along with the heather and native grasses provide a framing of the fairways. It’s a fair test of links golf, although there are blind-shots and wooden railway sleepers along the railway itself which borders the inland portion of the course.
We played Ashburnham on a very windy day, and found the course to be difficult and challenging. It’s a classic links course which improves as you move through the 18. It’s close to Burry Port on Carmarthenshire Bay in Wales, was was crafted by a combination of architects, J.H. Taylor, Fred G. Hawtree, and Ken Cotton, and is routed over gently rolling sandhills, playing to a yardage of 6,627 from the back tees. The fairways are narrow, but mostly smooth, and the layout mostly straightforward. It’s one of the oldest clubs in Wales, being founded in 1894. Make sure you stop at the clubhouse for a pint afterwards as the views there are the best on the course.
From the highest point of the course you can look across the sea to Caldey Island
Located in the far southwest Wales, The Tenby Golf Club claims to be the oldest constituted club in Wales, started in 1888 and designed by James Braid. The rolling links layout has a great amount of character with a number of interesting shorter holes, playing to equally small greens. Tenby has the typical links terrain filled with views of the coast, and plenty of quirky holes, and seems as if it hadn’t been touched since it was built. The 4th hole is called “The Bell”, both the tee shot and the approach to the green are completely blind over the directional stake. Anything left of the fairway is lost in the whins, anything right in danger of being swallowed by the dunes. After the initial 14 links holes, the course evolves into a parkland-type 15th, 16th, and 17th, which is a welcome respite, but then 18 is back to links again. With spectacular views to the local beaches and the Caldey Island monastery, it’s a fun and challenging course, that must be played twice to really appreciate. A lovely little track, a bit compact in places and quite a short course but it has charm in abundance. The 3rd and 4th holes are wonderful quirky links holes. If you do stay there, the Bay of Bengal Indian restaurant practically on the cliff edge is a wonderful setting.
Pennard is located 8 miles west of Swansea in Wales’ Gower Peninsula, the course originated in 1896 and was a product of James Braid and then to C.K. Cotton. It a links course, but technically not on linksland, will rolling and uneven lies, routed through dunes, hillcocks and hollows, along a stunning coastline. The difference is, the course is 200 feet above the sea, and is known in Wales as the “links in the sky”. The course is routed over a promontory between the sea and the “Pill”, a deep stream valley. It’s a relatively short course at 6,225 yard, par 71 track, but difficult to score on. The front nine is rather mundane, straightforward, while the back nine takes the level of difficulty up a notch. The course only has forty bunkers, small, but well positioned near the greens. A quirky little course, on a beautiful setting, with excellent views.
The 7th at Pennard, an awe inspiring setting for golf
Pyle & Kenfig is located in the same area, in fact borders Royal Porthcawl, and Southerndown, Wales, the course opened in 1922 and was designed by H. S. Colt. It’s known locally as ‘P&K’, and course features towering sand dunes and deep bunkers, with the front nine on the inland side of the road, with most of the links style holes on the back. Be sure to hit the “Spike Bar,” at the clubhouse after your round.
Royal Porthcawl was initiated in 1891 by some Cardiff businessmen, and nine holes were created in Lock’s Common. In 1895 the club was moved to the present location and King Edward VII laid the Royal designation on the course in 1909. HS Colt, Hawtree, Braid, Simpson, and C K Cotton all had hands in the design over time. It’s Wales top championship course, and situated on true linksland. It’s the only championship links where the sea is in view on every hole, but a few of the holes 6th-9th moves uphill, and not really on linksland, The routing provides that the holes face every direction providing varying shots with the wind. The green complexes are large, and accept the running shot, gorse and heather abound, and the course plays 6870 from the blue tees. The course hosted the 1995 Walker Cup where Tiger lost his singles match to Gary Wolstenholme. It’s a great find if you’re willing to make the trek, and is more than half the cost of the other more notable courses in Scotland/England, and you generally have the course to yourself.
Porthcawl is one of the most underrated golf courses in the world, and a must play
Southerndown is a collaboration of Willie Fernie, Willie Park, Herbert Fowler, H.S Colt, and Donald Steel, starting in 1905. One of the best downland courses in the British Isles, partly due to the talent employed in all the design work as well its location on the Bristol Channel, close to Porthcawl. It’s plenty long at 6,615 yards on the ‘limestone-heath’ outcrop rising over 70 metres from the sea. The course has more than enough heather, bracken and gorse; and at least most of the front nine is routed through dunes for a links like experience. It’s a downland course, due to it links type of land, but miles from the ocean, and the usual wind.
Kind of a K-Club of Wales if you will. Celtic Manor is a massive resort hotel, conference center in South Wales, with three 18 hole golf courses, one created specially for the 2010 Ryder Cup, and appropriately named Twenty Ten. It’s the last course on our list and is located between Cardiff and Bristol , just off the M4. The course is a bit overrated, and overpriced, but a decent parkland style course. It plays to 7,493 yards, par 71, and is routed through the Usk Valley, providing an amphitheater style setting for the Cup. Some links type holes in a parkland setting, with water coming into play on 9 holes, with its share of risk/reward challenges. Excellent conditions, impeccable service, but you do pay for it. Roman Road, the first of the Resort’s courses, opened in 1995 and was designed by Robert Trent Jones, and overlooks the Severn Estuary with views across to Somerset and Devon. It was named after the many Roman roads that criss-cross it, but the design was arranged to avoid disrupting any remains. This challenging course offers a lot of variety, ranging from long, wide fairways and hilly terrain to deep ravines, lakes and streams. The Montgomerie Course was designed by Colin Montgomerie, the course measures 6,371 yards and has a par of 69. The course is rolling, but trees bordering and lining some fairways, otherwise, a links type feel, with pot bunkers throughout, playing to good sized greens.
There you have it, a summary of our member’s suggestions for the best golf courses in Wales. The courses are somewhat quirky but exhilarating in the best “links” tradition. The people are extremely hospitable and accommodating and it’s generally uncrowded with rates lower than the rest of the UK and Ireland.
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