How good is Royal Portcawl?

[ForkaB]

I have the opportunity of playing in a 36-hole tournament there next month, and want to know if two 8 hour drives (up and back) plus some marital niggling are worth the experience.  Any help is welcome.

[michael j fay]

Rich:

Royal Porthcawl is among the very best of the British Isle courses. It does not get it's due because it is in Wales.

It is one of the most cleverly designed golf courses anywhere.
Between the roll of the land and the wind and the sea there are no elements missing. There are a number of long par four holes that will give you all you can handle.

Perhaps the long ride and the marital niggling will be offset by the fact that if you are over 5'4" you will be a giant among men for two days.

[ForkaB]

Thanks, Michael. At 5'7" (or 5'9" on the Bernhardt scale), I'm already a giant in Scotland.  Unfortunately I'll be playing against a bunch of mostly Englishmen, who shall tower over me, physically if not intellectually........

[Mark_Rowlinson]

When playing the par-5 511-yard 17th, think of Graham Rankin and Tiger Woods, both of whom got albatross 2s with a drive and wedge when practising for the 1995 Walker Cup.  

[Darren_Kilfara]

Rich, I feel the complete opposite of Sean - Porthcawl is one of my favourite British links, so much so that I'm half-tempted to ask if I could get a spot in this tournament (and a ride down there with you)! I love the rolling terrain, which gives it a truly unique feel...definitely worth your while IMHO. What tournament is it, may I ask?

Cheers,
Darren

[ForkaB]

Darren

You have to be an 8 HCP or below and be over 55 years of age.  I know you can handle one of those two criteria, but both of them........

Thanks for the encouragement, though!

[Brian Phillips]

Rich,

I am with Darren on this one, I think the place is great. One of my favourite courses in Britain.

BP.

[Mark_F]

Rich,

Porthcawl is the most unheralded great course in the UK, I feel.  Some really inspiring par fours and a great set of par threes.  The 18th alone is almost good enough to play that and nothing else, and still be worth the trip.

Most will have you believe the par five's are the weak link, because there are two similar sets. However, the 5th is great - OB for the drive, and the approach again, with a narrow green uphill against a stone wall. The 8th is vaguely similar yet flatter, with 12 and 17 the only real weak links.

Great views, friendly staff. It's definitely worth the marital niggling, and even the probably miserable Welsh weather.

If you have time, you should try to fit in a quick round at Southerndown only 9 or so miles away.  Some fantastic views again, and a really neat, forever interesting layout. And if you hit you first drive solidly enough, you may even find you've arranged dinner, too - a nice leg of lamb to roast.

[Bill_McBride]

Rich, you'll recall the "traitorous" McBrides and Bernhardt left Painswick on the second day and drove over to Royal Porthcawl for a round.

It was well worth the abuse.

During my first true golf trip to the UK, I played several excellent links courses: TOC, North Berwick, Balcomie Links at Crail and Royal Porthcawl.  I found the latter to be as good a test as the others.  Maybe not as historic as TOC or quirky as the other two, but it is a really good course.  

There are a number of really solid driving holes, with bunkers that must be negotiated in order to reach the putting surface in regulation.  Several require long carries, others a drive to the correct area avoiding the bunkers.

I really liked the first par 5, up the hill to a tiny narrow green closely guarded by gorse and that OB wall left.  The 17th was nothing much except for a stout carry up onto a plateau which had to avoid a fairway bunker.  The first three holes played along the sea but the water was in view all through the course.

The greens were solid and quick, and some were guarded by deep bunkers.  One that comes to mind is the shortest par 3, perhaps #13.  There was one pretty weak par 5, maybe #8, not much going on there but I found the others good holes.  The 8th was mitigated by the outstanding short par 3 preceding it, and the good dogleg par 4 ninth following with a good angled and elevated green.

As I said, the round at Porthcawl was worth the calumny, so it must have been highly rated!

Good thing you're playing in a tournament, the green fee has gotten a bit pricy at 70 pounds.

[ForkaB]

Thanks all.  I'm looking forward to it (and at £25/round, will have sufficient funds available for a few post round beverages....).

[Michael Kennedy]

Rich,
A friend and I were at Porthcawl last May as part of a English/Welsh golf romp.  We very much enjoyed the course (along with St. Enodoc).

The only downside to the course is the adjacent town.  We were closed out of the lodging options offered at the course and ended up at a really sketchy hotel in Porthcawl.  The fire escape was through the adjacent room, with a "break here in case of fire" glass pane just above the doorknob.  No kidding.