Cardigan golf club is situated at least 2 hours drive away from Tenby or Aberdovey and is therefore ‘well off the beaten track’. What a shame because it offers top class golf with all world views. When viewing these pictures remember the sun was high overhead and this flattens everything out. There’s nothing flat about the course, fairways or greens.
Sometime in the not too recent past it was given a makeover by Hawtree and Co and the only book reference to it that I can find is the Peugeot guide who give it 15/20 – about right I would give it a (revised) Doak 6.
Clwb Golff Aberteifi.
Unfortunately Google earth has no detail on this part of Wales, but the course lies high above the Teifi estuary and cliffs overlooking Cardigan Bay. The nearest thing I’ve seen to it would be Pennard and similarly wind is always in play here. Unfortunately the higher the course climbs the less links like is the turf but in addition to some very interesting terrain there’s also gorse and some keen bunkering used most sparingly - only 34 in all. The routing is not out and back but moves across the hillside in a really clever way. In addition there’s a really magnificent finishing stretch of holes that is made all the more memorable by all world eye candy.
A strong opener, 425 yards SI 4, with a blind drive across a hump, with no bunkers in sight.
The humpty bumpy fairway leading looking back from the green
2nd alos has a blind drive to an attractive green 371 yards.
3
Featuring a green 52 yards long, choose your club carefully in the cross wind!
4
Playing slightly down hill
5
Starts sharply uphill, 90 degree dogleg to 44 yard Green. Only 388 yards and bunkerless but stil SI 2
6
180 yards uphill. A par 3 that doesn’t need bunkers? Great stuff. I was joined by a couple of students for this hole and one chipped back and forth across that green!!!!
7
487 yards but the land falls from R-L and the bunkering around the green is set up to catch any sling hooks into the green. Precision would be needed.
8
Antother lovely uphill one shotter, this time the wind is behind
9
Crests a hill and then plays down hill 512 yards. Also the way the course has worked up to this point we had our back to the sea and now we get our first view of the estuary.
10. Only 154 yards this time, again uphill.
11
A long par 4, 457 SI 3, played downhill and a foretaste of things to come! Turf definitely medowish here.
12 Back up hill, gathering green
13 510 yards of natural golf with a great green
As you can see I had a beautiful day , was really delighted by the course, playing about as well as I can and I had no idea that things were about to get even better.
14
This is first tee that sets you up to take in the views (there’s a little 9 holer that plays on and off that island in the picture belonging to the local hotel.). My photo’s can’t do it justice.
Having taken in the views you look down to play the hole. What can I tell you about this apart from I so enjoyed playing it I forgot to take more than one picture. 452 yards SI 1.
I’ve been told off on here by Tom Doak for exaggerating the fall of a hole on a previous thread so I’ll try and be more conservative in my estimate here. My guess is that the hole falls about 10 000 feet, a tee shot (straight into the prevailing wind) has a hang time of just under an hour and you hold your breath all that time because you’ve got nothing to relate where your ball is going except miles and miles of sky. Impossible to photograph but the most exhilarating shot I’ve ever had the chance to take. The correct line must flirt with the gorse on the left but you tend to align yourself with the OOB on the right. What a mix, danger and thrills all the way. A magnificent golf hole.
15 A more conventual hole of 370 yards, but beware the gorse on the left where the wind will take any long hook.
16 More all world views
Attention back to the golf and looking down to the green right in the centre of the picture (the green on the RHS is the 15th). Another chance to launch a ball into outer space with a massive fall. 195 yards with a 46 yard green. My 4 iron flushed straight into a 1 club wind finished 15’ past the pin. If the flag is on the rear highest section you just can’t risk going long. Another great and stunning hole. How it’s SI 15 is beyond my understanding. That means all 4 one shooters play in directions 90 degree to each other.
17
A classic links hole. At 321 some might consider trying to drive it especially as there’s only one bunker. But what placement. Any tee shot that fails to hold the top left hand side of the fair way will bolt down toward the bunker, on the RHS of the picture.
From the bunker you will face a blind shot to a 52 yard green. Lovely stuff.
18 back to the clubhouse with 526 yards of rumpled fairway and a great setting just below the clubhouse.
Highly Recommended and worthe a detour or using it to link golf in North and South Wales.