What a spectacular piece of land

[Steve Salmen]

I was unsuccessfully trying to locate Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on Google Earth.  I found the Southerndown Golf Club.  If you look a little west of the course, on the other side of the river, there is, what appears to be an outstanding piece of linksland.  There are large areas of exposed sand that remind me of Pine Valley.  I can't tell if there are dunes or how tall they are if they are there.  Regardless,  it caught my eye like the area a little north of Durness.

[Adrian_Stiff]

It is even better close up. There have been several attempts to turn it into golf land. It is enough for two or three courses from memory. There is also another parcel a bit further West.

[Steve Salmen]

Adrian, would you know if it would be possible to build a golf course there with respect to environmental regulations?

[Adrian_Stiff]

I think its highly unlikely because of the constraints although there is a long winded way of getting past some of the possible problems if a) you are the landowner b) you have plenty of time. I can't talk about them on an open forum.

I think this is council owned property, but I am not certain.

[Ally Mcintosh]

There's even a perfect little corner in the south west where you could site the clubhouse and have a hole playing out and returning right in to town...

[jeffwarne]

I was unsuccessfully trying to locate Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on Google Earth.  I found the Southerndown Golf Club.  If you look a little west of the course, on the other side of the river, there is, what appears to be an outstanding piece of linksland.  There are large areas of exposed sand that remind me of Pine Valley.  I can't tell if there are dunes or how tall they are if they are there.  Regardless,  it caught my eye like the area a little north of Durness.

It is indeed a spectacular piece of land.
It's the view from Southerndown's clubhouse high above, yet ironically the clubhouse is the LOW point of the Southerndown property.
It caught my eye and my son and I drove over there after my practice round and spent a bit of time before dinner
I took several pictures of it and the surrounding area from the beach area, though my focus was not so much on the dunes as the spectacular beauty of the river and surrounds as it met the sea.
There are many walking trails and the sheep have mowed much of the grass short and tight.
It is obvious from such an area how a game like golf could begin in such surroundings.

I have no picture posting ability but would be happy to pass on photos to anyone wanting them or wanting to post them

[jeffwarne]

Jeff - get em over here!

en route

pictures are taken from beach side loking back to mainland.
dunes are located on left across river, but the land is terriffic and beautiful on both sides
last picture is taken on the road up to Southerndown

[Thomas Dai]

Not only is there that area west of the River Ogmore, because once-upon-a-time, the whole area west from Porthcawl all along the coast to Swansea, about 15 miles, was the kind of sandy seaside land considered ideal for links golf courses.

If only Wales had become heavily involved in golf at the same time as Scotland did I'm sure this stretch of coastline would have numerous courses on it, bit like north of Liverpool or the Ayrshire coast or Fife or the Moray Firth to north of Dornoch. But industry developed close by instead and along came Port Talbot and Aberavon and the docks and steel works etc.

This link, it's a 1929 areal photo, I couldn't find anything earlier, is looking eastwards from the mouth of Aberavon/Port Talbot harbour towards Porthcawl and indicates generally what the terrain was once like - http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/wpw029772?search=aberavon&ref=0

The dunes west of Porthcawl at Pyle and Kenfig are even now pretty comprehensive, but to have seen this whole stretch of duneland coastline prior to industrialisation must have been very impressive.

atb

[Steve Salmen]

Out of curiosity, is Southerndown a links course? It appears to be bordered by a lot of farmland, but looks like it could be sandy.

[jeffwarne]

Out of curiosity, is Southerndown a links course? It appears to be bordered by a lot of farmland, but looks like it could be sandy.

It's downland,sandy, hundreds of feet above the sea.
Plays firm and fast, tons of gorse, and is very exposed.
Sheep keep the rough down

[Tim_Weiman]

Jeff - get em over here!

I second that motion!

[Bill_McBride]

There's also the ruins of an old castle down there, near the road up to Southerndown. 

Porthcawl is west of Southerndown maybe 15 miles away. 

[Adam Lawrence]

Out of curiosity, is Southerndown a links course? It appears to be bordered by a lot of farmland, but looks like it could be sandy.

It's downland,sandy, hundreds of feet above the sea.
Plays firm and fast, tons of gorse, and is very exposed.
Sheep keep the rough down

I can't speak to the soil at Southerndown, but if it's sandy then technically it isn't downland. Downland is chalk by definition.

[Thomas Dai]

There's also the ruins of an old castle down there, near the road up to Southerndown. 

It's Ogmore Castle which once-upon-a-time protected the entrance to the River Ogmore.

Nearly every river mouth in Wales seems to have a ruined fortified castle close to a river mouth and often further castles upstream. Just along the south coast there's the likes of Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff, Ogmore, Swansea, Kidwelly, Llansteffan/Carmarthen, Pembroke, Haverfordwest all at either river mouths or upstream plus ones like Pennard on clifftops.
atb

[Mark Hissey]

I have had conversations with the First Minister and others about the development of the area to the west of RP and P&K near Kenfig Pool. It is a real longshot to go anywhere. I've had my eye on it for years.

Eric from Renaissance toured it at my urging and agreed that the area is incredibly special. With the right vision, desire and cooperation from the Welsh government, there could be an incredible three course facility there. Funds could even be used for work on the brownfield area nearer the steelworks. In the other direction it could go down to and past Sker House.

The history of that land is pretty cool too. At one point there was a medieval town there but it gradually got engulfed by the sand and much of it supposedly still remains underneath the dunes.

But the land itself has so many great natural green sites. Something really special could happen there one day. 

[Duncan Cheslett]

I agree - it does indeed look a spectacular piece of land.

So spectacular in fact, that I rather like the look of it as it is.  How about we just leave it alone?

[Thomas Dai]

There are a few other areas, some pretty large, around the coast of South and West Wales that have potential for links golf courses if the current inhabitants/owners weren't there - some examples -

Oxwich, just west of Pennard
Llangenith/Llanmadoc - at the western end of the Gower Peninsula
Pembrey - the area that extends north from Ashburnham to Kidwelly, currently a Country Park, race track/airfield/MoD
Pendine Sands - currently caravans and MoD
Freshwater Bay, west of Pembroke, MoD again
Llanbedr/Dyffryn  south of Harlech, includes holiday camp and runways (MoD?)
Harlech North, stretching north from RStDGC
West of Caernarfon, large spit on south side of mouth of Menai Straights. Runways so ex (still?) MoD
Newborough Burrows, Angelsea - area opposite the above on the north side of Menai Straights. Nature Reserve

The MoD influence from prior years is strong though, what with training areas, firing ranges, airfields.

atb

[Paul OConnor]

I agree - it does indeed look a spectacular piece of land.

So spectacular in fact, that I rather like the look of it as it is.  How about we just leave it alone?

I agree.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I have had conversations with the First Minister and others about the development of the area to the west of RP and P&K near Kenfig Pool. It is a real longshot to go anywhere. I've had my eye on it for years.

Eric from Renaissance toured it at my urging and agreed that the area is incredibly special. With the right vision, desire and cooperation from the Welsh government, there could be an incredible three course facility there. Funds could even be used for work on the brownfield area nearer the steelworks. In the other direction it could go down to and past Sker House.

The history of that land is pretty cool too. At one point there was a medieval town there but it gradually got engulfed by the sand and much of it supposedly still remains underneath the dunes.

But the land itself has so many great natural green sites. Something really special could happen there one day. 

Mark,

What are the primary, environmental impediments to developing a golf course on that site ?

[Jeff Taylor]

I agree - it does indeed look a spectacular piece of land.

So spectacular in fact, that I rather like the look of it as it is.  How about we just leave it alone?

Then I suggest that you buy it and let it sit.

[Mark Hissey]

I have had conversations with the First Minister and others about the development of the area to the west of RP and P&K near Kenfig Pool. It is a real longshot to go anywhere. I've had my eye on it for years.

Eric from Renaissance toured it at my urging and agreed that the area is incredibly special. With the right vision, desire and cooperation from the Welsh government, there could be an incredible three course facility there. Funds could even be used for work on the brownfield area nearer the steelworks. In the other direction it could go down to and past Sker House.

The history of that land is pretty cool too. At one point there was a medieval town there but it gradually got engulfed by the sand and much of it supposedly still remains underneath the dunes.

But the land itself has so many great natural green sites. Something really special could happen there one day. 

Mark,

What are the primary, environmental impediments to developing a golf course on that site ?

The site is considered to be a place of "unusual ecological value" or words to that effect. Given the industry that has gone on near there and the farming nearby, I think that designation is dubious at best. Kenfig Pool is incredibly compromised with lots of argicultural run-off into it, as well as a caravan park on its banks. The Northern end of the property needs a great amount of revegetation and restoration.

The feeling is that because of it's designation, it would be an impossible fight to win. That's a shame; the economy would benefir immensely from a proper Bandon-type development there. The ground is ideal and the proximity to the M4 is fantastic.

[Wayne Freeman]

Brian,
          thanks for posting those pictures.  When we were driving to Southerndown, we missed the entrance because
     we all thought the course would be where the water is.  Looks like a fantastic piece of land for another course.
     I don't know much about the politics there, but the land on the course is common ground, thus all the sheep
     grazing everywhere .  I don't know if the area can support more golf courses.  I had a fantastic five days there
     earlier this summer and played Tenby, Ashburnham, Pennard, 36 at Porthcawl, and Southerndown...  saw very
     few members playing anywhere.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Brian,
          thanks for posting those pictures.  When we were driving to Southerndown, we missed the entrance because
     we all thought the course would be where the water is.  Looks like a fantastic piece of land for another course.
     I don't know much about the politics there, but the land on the course is common ground, thus all the sheep
     grazing everywhere .  I don't know if the area can support more golf courses.  I had a fantastic five days there
     earlier this summer and played Tenby, Ashburnham, Pennard, 36 at Porthcawl, and Southerndown...  saw very
     few members playing anywhere.

Wayne what did you make of Ashburnham, it always seems to get skipped and never mentioned on here?

[John Mayhugh]

Another pic from the area around Southerndown.


And cropped a bit.


The land does look great.  But I would be plenty happy just to have Southerndown in my neighborhood.
 http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47489.0.html

[Ally Mcintosh]

What's the nicest seaside village / hotel to stay in the area?... Within short striking distance of Pennard and Southerndown... Think I need to make a trip back because I've only seen Porthcawl and I feel left out when Sean et al go on a Pennard diatribe...