'Where is this St David's City place?' I can hear folk thinking.
Well go west in South Wales, way west of the usual GCA hotspot that is Porthcawl/P&K/Southerndown, way west even of other GCA favourites like Pennard and Ashburnham, even further west even than Tenby and you'll find the city of St David's, Wales' smallest city, and two miles west of the City down some small country lanes past fields of grazing sheep and cattle and near the wonderfully named Whitesands Bay, you'll find a delightful 9-hole course perched on sandy terrain on a cliff-top, and that is St David's City GC.
When you arrive this is what you'll see - the 9th/18th green and the small tin roofed Clubhouse with this notice attached -
You might find someone in the Clubhouse but if not you write out a ticket for yourself, put your money and reference slip in an envelope which you then post through an honesty box and off you go to the 1st tee.
Now this isn't a full photo-tour as I didn't take sufficient photos of each hole, but here are some pix and comments to give you a flavour of StDCGC.
Par-4 1st/10th green with Whitesands Bay in the background and, in the 2nd photo, a side-on view of the same green
Par-4 3rd/12th green. Two flags for the different nines plus the same double-level green with a side-on view.
Par-3 4th/13th hole viewed from the tee looking downhill towards to green. This is a really good hole, simple to look at but playing harder than it appears as the l-r slope is severe. The green also slopes significantly from front down to the rear and over the back is gunch. From the back tees as per this photo it's circa 200 yds into the prevailing wind.
Par-5 5th/14th hole. The tee is right on the cliff edge and it's a blind tee-shot up over the hill dog-legging slightly l-r. The green is long and thin has more than one level and has two flags, one for the 5th, one for the 14th.
Par-3 6th/15th hole, an uphill par-3 with a hidden-ground deceiving bunker at the front
Looking back down the 6th/15th hole with the tees to the left side of the photo
You drive over the 6th/15th green when playing the 7th/16th hole
The approach from the left side near to the green of the par-4 7th/16th green. The 7th/16th and 9th/18th greens are side-by-side pretty much in front of the Clubhouse
and the 7th/16th green as seen from much closer. Note Welsh flag proudly fluttering over the Clubhouse.
The 8th/17th is downhill and can be played either as a par-4 or as a par-3. Either way it has a wonderful small green set at an angle to the fairway with a mound and dip in front and a severe drop-off into gunch on the right side. It also falls away significantly from front to rear and from left to right side. It's a beauty. I don't think the photos do it justice.
The 9th/18th is an uphill par-4 to a green set alongside the 7th/16th green in front of the Clubhouse.
One final photo to finish
This then is St David's City Golf Club.
Is St David's City earth shatteringly challenging championship golf. No, of course not. Will the macho young buck with a bag full of titanium and graphite and super spinning wedges like it? Probably not. Is it fun if you're prepared to open your eyes wide enough to envisage golf as it used to be and can still be? Yes. Is it in excellent condition? Yes. Does it play firm and fast? Yes. Is it a very friendly place to drop in for a game and have a good natter with the members? Yes. Is it worth playing if you're in far West Wales with your clubs and fancy a game? Yes. Is the 8th/17th green worth seeing with your own eyes if you're an architect? Yes.
If you're in the area go and play StDC, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I played it with 6 hickory clubs and had a absolute blast, and a rather good score too!
atb
