[Ed Tilley]

I've just returned from a 1 night visit to South Wales. Played Royal Porthcawl and Southerndown in glorious weather as the 2 photos below indicate.

Nice place to sit with a pint - terrace at Royal Porthcawl.



1st tee at Southerndown.



I know there have been photo threads for both of these courses so I did not take pictures. It did get me thinking as to which is the best course in Wales as I have now played most of the "top" courses. I thought Porthcawl was top class, and the green sites some of the best I've played. There were some wonderful holes - 1,2,3,4,5,9,11,13,14,15,18 spring to mind. 17 was, in my view, the weakest hole but it certainly wasn't bad. For me, this is clearly the best course in Wales - which I know will not be the majority view on this site. How Royal St. David's is considered the equal of Porthcawl by many is beyond me. The bunkers are real hazards at Porthcawl - I was in 4 bunkers and played 1 shot on my knees, 1 with 1 foot in and 1 out, and 1 having to hold the club on the metal as I was right at the back.

I was also very impressed with Southerndown. High quality natural golf which gets progressively more difficult - the finish is very tight and very tough. The 5th hole is also one of the best par 3s I've ever played.

For what it's worth, my personal ranking of the courses I've played in Wales.

Royal Porthcawl
Pennard
Southerndown
Royal St. David's
Tenby
Aberdovey
Pyle & Kenfig
Rolls of Monmouth
Nefyn & District
Cardigan
Borth & Ynyslas
Newport Links

[Ed Tilley]

Some course tours:

Pennard
http://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/pennard-golf-club/

Porthcawl
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,45933.msg1011401.html#msg1011401

Royal St.Davids
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,33937.msg679691.html#msg679691

Ashburnham
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34952.msg703858.html#msg703858

Aberdovey
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,43564.msg1158951.html#msg1158951

Nefyn
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30842.msg1057920.html#msg1057920

Southerndown
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47489.0.html

Borth & Ynyslas
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,43575.msg944040.html#msg944040

[Ally Mcintosh]

Well I haven't played that many in Wales but if there's a better course in the country than Royal Porthcawl then I need to see it soon.

Thought it was great in every sense of the word.

[Greg Gilson]

EXACTLY what Ally said...verbatim.

[Tom_Doak]

Ed:


Your ranking aligns pretty well with our consensus in The Confidential Guide ... see ratings below.

For what it's worth, my personal ranking of the courses I've played in Wales.

7 8 7 7   Royal Porthcawl 
7 7 7 7   Pennard   
6 6 6 5   Southerndown
5 7 6 6   Royal St. David's
5 6 5 6   Tenby
5 - 4 5   Aberdovey
4 - 5 5   Pyle & Kenfig
- - - -    Rolls of Monmouth
5 - 6 6   Nefyn & District  [this is the one we think you've underrated]
- - - -    Cardigan
3 - - -    Borth & Ynyslas
- - - -    Newport Links

The one worthwhile course you've missed that we've seen is Ashburnham which got votes of  5 - 5 5

[Jason Topp]

What was that course we played in the Buda that was over the hill from Swansea?  My main memory of the course is the ladder you stood on to see if the fairway was clear.
 
My favorite aspect of playing in Wales was the lack of tourist crowds.  It really felt like you were visiting a different country.

[Thomas Dai]

The southern and the western coast is well represented in this listing. What about the likes of some northerners (other than Nefyn) such as the likes of Conwy (Caernavonshire), North Wales (Llandudno) and Bull Bay and dare I even mention it without a bolt of GCA lightning striking me, but another southerner the Celtic Manor 2010 And if you fancy a bit of hill-top golf well there's the likes of Llandrindod Wells and Welshpool.


Nice to see The Rolls of Monmouth mentioned. A fine parkland course in the grounds of a former stately home. A hard walk though. Numerous deer roam the course so a local rule is that if you're ball's in a deer foot print within a bunker you get a free drop (but must drop within the bunker).


As to RPGC, I'm certainly a fan. A very strong and varied set of par-3's and a bunch of really cracking par-4's. There are some holes though that are of a lower standard which in overall terms drop the course somewhat in comparison to other big name GB&I links courses. Holes like 8, 12, 16 and 17 lack something, quite a bit even, IMO whilst 18 might look impressive but I don't think it's a particularly good hole. Great clubhouse, proshop and dormie accommadation though and ever such a friendly club to visit too.


Pyle and Kenfig is an odditity in many ways. An underappreciated front-9 in IMO, subtlely tricky. The back-9, and there are a couple of different layout versions depending on the season, as unusually for a links, some of it can be pretty boggy, is damn near sensational. A kind of 'so close and yet so far' course.


Atb

[David_Tepper]

Has anyone played Prestatyn GC? A friend of mine in playing there in the British Senior Amateur Ladies next week.

http://www.prestatyngolfclub.co.uk/

[Richard Fisher]

Ed's post invites the contrary view, naturally, one interestingly shared by the Golf World rankings panel back in the noughties, when the latter was still a reasonably serious exercise: RStD was consistently placed above RPGC, in part, but only, in part for reasons of conditioning. A disclaimer - I am lucky enough to belong to both Porthcawl and Harlech, and find it really hard to separate them (not least as they are so different) although I can certainly see why many people seem to prefer the former. Prolonged acquaintance with Harlech does, however, make you realise just how good and strategically challenging are some of the unfashionable, flatter holes going out (especially off the white, medal tees): the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th are all really strong golf holes, made moreso by the prevailing wind.

If you play the old game of a match between the two, then I would suggest the following outcomes (with which, again, others will disagree)

1st RPGC
2nd RPGC
3rd RStD
4th Halved
5th RPGC
6th RStD
7th RStD
8th RPGC
9th RPGC
10th RStD
11th RPGC
12th Halved
13th Halved
14th Halved
15th RStD
16th RStD
17th RStD
18th RPGC

which happily comes out at all square. And given that I have many very good friends at both venerable institutions,  I am more than content, personally, to leave it there.

[Sean_A]

Ed

I don't see a large disparity in the quality of the top Welsh courses. I think Nefyn and P&K are rated too highly.  P&K gets raves for its back 9, but I found it not terribly exciting, just good golf.  Without question if I had to pick a top course it would be Pennard because it has far more character than the others and a better (very under-valued) set of greens.  If it was in better condition I may place it top 20 GB&I.

Ciao

[John Mayhugh]

What was that course we played in the Buda that was over the hill from Swansea?  My main memory of the course is the ladder you stood on to see if the fairway was clear.

That was Clyne.


I also remember a bit of bad luck on this tee shot. 


Porthcawl seemed so much more refined than all of the other courses I saw in Wales, but Pennard is the one I most want to play again.  In the north, I've only played Bull Bay, and I was very happy to have made the drive from Manchester.

[Jason Topp]

Thanks John!

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