Maesdu and North Wales
Maesdu and North Wales are the seaside resort of Llandudno's two surviving courses. There use to be one also on the rocky promontory that dominates the town, the Great Orme. Traces were still visible last time I went up there (10 years ago?) and I'm told there is a new course (pitch-and-putt, I presume) up there now.
Maesdu is about 6,500 yards long with a par of 72 and standard scratch 72. It was a Colt design, laid out originally as a municipal provision, but it was extended and altered over the years by Tom Jones, the club's professional for 52 years. It is a private club these days. The course was popular for professional events in the 50s and 60s (including the PGA Championship and Penfold Tournament). It's name means Black Field, commemmorating a battle here in 1098 AD when a horde of marauding Vikings massacred the locals.
North Wales is separated from Maesdu only by a single-track railway. It is a true links with some superb dunes, while Maesdu is a mixture of parkland and almost-links. There are a number of blind shots to be played at North Wales, which is full of character. It was first laid out (in 1894) by the club's founder (Tancred Disraeli Cummins) with the help of Harold Hilton, who did much for early golf in North Wales. It's quite short at 6247 yards with a par of 71 and sss 71. The North Wales pictures were taken on a bitterly cold January day.
North Wales 11th. 420-yard par 4 running parallel to the shore, gently climbing to an elevated and slightly domed green. It's the hardest hole on the course.
North Wales 13th. 182-yard par 3, a fine hole played from a pulpit tee to a green almost completely encircled in dunes.
North Wales 16th. 151 yard par 3 played from a tee out of shot to the right. The players in the background are on the 17th tee. All you can see from the 16th tee is the top of the flag, if you are lucky.
North Wales 16th. A view from the 17th tee.
North Wales 16th. Only when you are close to the green do you see this hidden bunker. There is another off to the left of the putting surface.
North Wales 16th. It's quite a famous hole, known as O.L., which is what the first-time visitor usually says on attempting to play the hole. Ballesteros was once photographed for some promotional shots on one of the short holes here, but I don't know which.
Maesdu 13th. 413-yard par 4. Maesdu enjoys some magnificent views along the North Wales coast.
Maesdu 13th. A very strong hole with a an uphill drive over a marker post to a fairway leaning right to left and a treacherous run in to the green through banks of gorse.
Maesdu 13th. The approach is slightly downhill and the right-to-left slope on the fairway means aiming the shot at this right-hand bunker, short of the green, and letting it feed down to the left onto the putting surface.
Maesdu 14th. This is a first-rate par 4 of 427 yards with a drive out over a big sand bank to a fairway running downhill and left-to-right. In the background is the 11th, an enjoyable short par-5 running alongside the railway. Beyond are the dunes of the North Wales club and on the Morfa on the far side of the estuary is my home course, Conwy.
Maesdu 15th. A 331-yard par 4, mostly a means of getting to the 16th tee!
Maesdu 16th. A 387-yard par 4 which seems to play far longer. The drive is out over a pond to a fairway angled left-to-right and gently climbing. It's a risk-and-reward shot. Then the approach is played uphill through bunkers, with water encroaching from the right for underachievers. A very strong hole.
Maesdu 17th. 199-yard par 3, uphill, so it plays more like 215 yards, but it is pretty straightforward and a late return to the parkland holes near the clubhouse.