Help re golf in West Wales

[Ed Tilley]

Just after a bit of advice from the knowledgeable folks on this site, and also the not so knowledgeable. I'm spending the week after Easter at Gwbert on the West Wales coast. This is very close (200 yards!) to Cardigan Golf Club - in fact the cottage is about 50 yards right of the 16th green in Tony Muldoon's photos below:





I've played Cardigan before and it is very enjoyable. I'll play there a couple of times again but am looking to play 1 round early morning elsewhere. Cost is not the issue as all the courses below are much of a muchness but I've narrowed it down to 4, with the bottom 2 probably a bit far:

Tenby (1 hour drive)
Ashburnham (75 minutes)
Pennard (105 minutes)
Aberdovey (115 minutes)

I've played all of these bar Ashburnham, but only once so I'd be keen to return. I'm leaning towards Tenby but would be interested to know what people think of Ashburnham and how it compares to the others.

[Sean_A]

Ed

Ashburnham is a good course without much in the way of thrills. 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34952.msg703858.html#msg703858

If it were me, I would first look into Tenby's conditioning.  If you think it will be decent and the price is right then give it a go.  I don't know when last you were there, but there have been some significant changes in recent years. 

Ciao

[Ed Tilley]

Ed


Ashburnham is a good course without much in the way of thrills. 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34952.msg703858.html#msg703858


If it were me, I would first look into Tenby's conditioning.  If you think it will be decent and the price is right then give it a go.  I don't know when last you were there, but there have been some significant changes in recent years. 


Ciao

It was about 10 years ago and I did like it a lot.

[Sean_A]

Ed


Ashburnham is a good course without much in the way of thrills. 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,34952.msg703858.html#msg703858


If it were me, I would first look into Tenby's conditioning.  If you think it will be decent and the price is right then give it a go.  I don't know when last you were there, but there have been some significant changes in recent years. 


Ciao

It was about 10 years ago and I did like it a lot.

Ed


The course has been seriously expanded in terms of par and yardage.  400 more daily tee yards (just over 6000 now) and 4 more shots to par (68-72). 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58173.0.html


Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ed, have you played?

http://www.stdavidscitygolfclub.co.uk/#/gallery/4560842594

if I was that close I'd be very tempted and if nothing else the views look great.

I have played

http://www.cwmgolf.co.uk/

and it made for a rather pleasant afternoon.  It's funnelled down and back up a valley and part of the fun is seing how the holes were squeezed in. 

I think there's much to be said for a one off visit to something you know nothing about.

Having said that Tenby was a clear notch above Cardigan and I'd really like to spend some time in the town.

Choices, choices...

[Ed Tilley]

Ed, have you played?

http://www.stdavidscitygolfclub.co.uk/#/gallery/4560842594

if I was that close I'd be very tempted and if nothing else the views look great.

Tony,

I haven't played it. It is, however, above Whitesands Bay and I've been bodyboarding there a few times. We will probably go there again during the week but with family in tow I won't be able to play. It is also actually just as far as it is to Tenby from Gwbert. Cheers,

Ed

[Thomas Dai]

St David's City, here's my photo tour from a while back - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58473.msg1372052.html#msg1372052 - would have been a suggestion but I note your comment above.


Given the time of year inlanders might still be a bit damp so how about these coastal courses not mentioned above -


Newport Links - play the original Braid 9-holes twice
Borth & Yn'
Machynys - a left field choice but I have been surprised by the positive compliments from folk who've played it
Clyne up by Pennard


As to Ashburnham, I've played it and like it. Many fine holes and the par-4 9th is an excellent hole. Not as challenging a test as Tenby but worth playing.


Have a great time.


Oggy, oggy, oggy!


Atb

[Richard Fisher]

Sadly not only are the inlanders a bit damp, but the entire west coast of Wales has taken a real battering this winter, so definitely best to check on conditioning (in every sense) before travel anywhere. Harlech has been largely closed due to flooding for the best part of two months now, and in a club context as financially tight and green-fee-dependent as that of RStD this is very serious

http://royalstdavidsgolflinksteam.blogspot.co.uk/

shows the current situation. Even unexpected parts of Porthcawl were a bit wet under foot last Sunday, although geologically fascinating as the dolomitic aquifers did their stuff: the greens were terrific, nonetheless, for the time of year.

Agree that Borth and Ynylas is well worth visiting (although I suspect that parts may likewise be pretty wet, at the moment), and that the Ash and Tenby likewise should be on the agenda, but do check on playing conditions and status.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I found Bull Bay in northwest Wales to be a brilliant Folwer design that is often overlooked. It is, even on this site, an unheralded gem. It is unlike anything you have ever played. I found Ashburn to be pretty boring but like Southerdown a lot. I agree that you should see Royal Saint David's. I like all saintly courses.


Sorry. Southerndown is not West Wales.

[Ed Tilley]

Thanks for the input. Reading these posts it looks like conditioning is going to be an issue. I've now got it down to 3 courses (Tenby, Ashburnham, Pennard) and my gut feel is that Ashburnham is likely to be in the best nick at the end of March although I obviously need to check.

There are some great course tours of these 3 on Frank Pont's www.golfarchitecturepictures.com, as well as the course tours on here. I'm now leaning towards Ashburnham as it's the one I've not played. It is also very close to where my mum grew up and I can take a trip down memory lane and go and see my grandparents' old house. That said, on summer visits to see them, we used to go to 3 Cliffs Bay / Oxwich on the Gower which you can see from Pennard. Decisions, decisions....

[Richard Fisher]

Ed

The last time I played Pennard in March was five years ago, and in 2011 the conditioning was frankly awful - one reason, although not the only one, why I don't quite share the unbridled love for Pennard that many - indeed the large majority - of GCAers seem to do. This year, however, it is possible that its (relative) altitude may give it an edge over lower-lying links like The Ash and Tenby for a spring outing. The major storms and further rainfall into SW Wales earlier this week won't have helped one jot.

Further north, some improvement as RStD Harlech is now back up to 16 holes open, albeit still with a handful of highly unusual temporary greens. More crisp, bright, dry weather will help enormously throughout the Principality.