wales: Accommodations - Golf - Other Activities Wales Golf Until recently, and for no apparent reason, Wales has been, in terms of golf, the poor step-sister of the United Kingdom and Ireland. When the vast majority of American golfers decided to travel across the Atlantic for a little golf, Wales came late to their attention, if at all…which is a pity. All this began to change with the announcement that the 2010 Ryder Cup would be played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. This, in turn, sparked a frenzy of golf tourism and development efforts by both the public and private sectors. What better place to hold the 2010 Ryder Cup than at one of Wales’ spectacular courses? The world is beginning to notice that we have some of the best golf in Britain and Europe. Our more than 200 courses are set against the backdrop of Wales’ stunning scenery and interesting terrain. They range from the challenging to the charming to the historic, from windswept links to majestic championship ones. Whatever your level, Wales has an excellent variety of friendly, welcoming courses, which offer something to challenge all standards. NEFYN & DISTRICT Designed by: J. H. Taylor, James Braid Par 71, 6300 yards Nefyn & District is always on the list of “Top 100 Courses in the United Kingdom”. It is spectacular - with a view of the sea from every tee and eight holes played on the now world-famous, well-photographed ‘Point’, sometimes described as North Wales’ ‘Pebble Beach’. The backdrop is the Snowdonia mountain range to the east and, on a clear day, the Wicklow mountains of Ireland are visible 57 miles to the west. [BACK TO TOP] PENNARD Designed by: James Baird Par 71, 6331 yards Pennard is called the "links in the sky" because it has all the trappings of a seaside links course, and it is perched high on a cliff-top. This brings a double benefit to the lovers of links golf - the sand-based fairways offer the usual pleasures, and its high elevation provides outstanding views. Founded in 1896, Pennard was designed by James Braid whose skill is behind many of Wales’ best courses. It has been developed to meet modern needs with extended tees and improved fairways and greens. [BACK TO TOP] TENBY Designed by: James Braid Par 69, 6349 yards Welsh golf couldn't have asked for a better birthplace -natural golfing terrain of sea-washed turf and sandy dunes, a medieval, walled town, and a view that includes the monastery island of Caldy. To this day, the Old course at Tenby stands testimony to the flavor of the early days of golf, but its difficulty has been imaginatively maintained, the latest being the transformation of the long bunker in front of the 13th into two pot bunkers, and the addition of a high 18th tee on top of Black Rock, that ensures a breathtaking finish. [BACK TO TOP] ABERDOVEY Designed by: Harry Cold and James Braid, Herbert Fowler Par 71, 6454 yards Aberdovey was founded in 1892. The course wends a traditional route out and back, with sand dunes as sentinels and the wind as friend and foe. Whatever the wind, it cannot spoil the wonderful setting where the hills, shaded by bracken, gorse and heather reach down to the very edges of the course. It was Bernard Darwin, the first literary giant of the game who wrote "Aberdovey is the course that my soul loves best of all the courses in the world”. [BACK TO TOP] ROYAL ST. DAVID’S Designed by: W.H. More, Finch-Halton Par 69, 6400 yards Deep in Merlin country, Royal St. David’s is in the shadow of the towering castle built by Edward I in the 13th century to keep the Welsh ‘in check’. When the castle was built, the sea lapped the rocks beneath it but over the centuries, retreated to leave the expanse of natural linksland that was never meant to be anything but a great golf course. Only twice do successive holes proceed in the same direction, so the wind invariably spreads trouble among the dunes and although it is not long, it has been described by professionals as the world’s toughest par 69. [BACK TO TOP] Celtic Manor THE TWENTY TEN COURSE This new course, built to host the Ryder Cup in 2010, opened for play on July 4th 2007. And its name reflects the date that caused its creation. The first course to be built specifically for golf’s greatest team tournament, it measures 7493 yards off the back tees and has a par of 71. With water hazards on half of its holes, the course presents many memorable tests and risk-and-reward dilemmas. The course is varied with many of early holes having a links-like feel with some long rough and greenside swales, before the middle section of the course reveals the full extent of the lake-lined challenge. THE MONTGOMERIE Designed by Colin Montgomerie, the course measures 6371 yards and has a par of 69. The front nine takes as its framework the starting and closing holes of the old Wentwood Hills championship course. The back nine has been created from scratch on land that previously housed the 18-hole Coldra Woods academy course. Montgomerie has added his own stamp on this layout. A traditionalist in design terms, he has added deep pot bunkers to give the course a linksy look. Spectacular views abound with dramatic tee shots over valleys and breathtaking downhill shots. THE ROMAN ROAD Roman Road, the first of the resort’s courses, opened in 1995 and was ranked ‘the top inland course in Wales’ by Golf Monthly Magazine. Overlooking the Severn Estuary with views across to Somerset and Devon, it was designed by Robert Trent Jones and is named after the many Roman roads that criss-cross it. The design was shaped to avoid disrupting any remains. [BACK TO TOP] PYLE & KENFIG Designed by: Harry Colt and Hugh Alison, MacKenzie-Ross Par 71, 6122 yards Pyle & Kenfig is home to high dunes and deep valleys in a layout that offers plenty of diversity. Originally mapped out in 1922 by H.S.Colt, large chunks of the course were requisitioned by the army in World War II, after which the course was moved seawards into the neighboring dunesland. Pyle & Kenfig is configured with two loops of nine holes. The back nine is regarded as the tougher of the two, with the final three holes the hardest. Each is over 400 yards and with a daunting tee shot towards deep bunkers, they promise a demanding finish. [BACK TO TOP] ROYAL PORTHCAWL Designed by: Charles Gibson Par 72, 6881 yards Royal Porthcawl’s honored place among the world’s best golf courses is usually confirmed by playing the first three holes that run alongside, and in places seem part of, the scalloped edge of Rest Bay. The beach can appear all rock and pebbles until the sea recedes to reveal 300 yards of firm sand across which the prevailing westerly wind whips. It is not a course of fearsome length, nor does it have high dunes or deep ditches, or a single tree. It is also never out of sight of the sea or blocked from the majestic views of Swansea Bay or out of reach of a wind that is particularly troublesome on the first three and last four holes. [BACK TO TOP] WALES NATIONAL Designed by: Peter Johnson Par 72, 7433 yards Wales National is a golf course of distinction, one of the United Kingdom’s and Europe's newest championship golf courses (2003) and at 7433 yards off the championship tees - one of the longest golf courses outside the US. The course boasts fine scenery - a mix of mature wooded areas, wide and narrow fairways and vast water and bunker features, all set in the spectacular countryside of Wales, with an abundance of wildlife including badgers, swans, rabbits and hawks. [BACK TO TOP] PWLLHELI Designed by: James Braid Par 69, 6108 yards Situated close to the seashore, this flat course offers both gentle parkland and a true test of links golf, making it suitable for golfers of all ages and abilities. First established as a 9-hole course along coarse linksland in 1900, its evolution to 18 holes was completed nearly a decade later by James Braid. Today Pwllheli is characterized by tree-lined fairways and picture-perfect surrounding countryside. [BACK TO TOP] WALES NATIONAL Designed by: Peter Johnson Par 72, 7433 yards Wales National is a golf course of distinction, one of the United Kingdom’s and Europe's newest championship golf courses (2003) and at 7433 yards off the championship tees - one of the longest golf courses outside the US. The course boasts fine scenery - a mix of mature wooded areas, wide and narrow fairways and vast water and bunker features, all set in the spectacular countryside of Wales, with an abundance of wildlife including badgers, swans, rabbits and hawks. [BACK TO TOP] marriott st. pierre A faithful lieutenant to William the Conquerer, St. Pierre was rewarded for his noble service with more than 400 acres in the picturesque Wye Valley in Wales.  Six hundred years later, St. Pierre’s manor estate has become one of the premier golfing venues in Europe featuring two 18-hole courses.  Nestled among the ancient trees and peaceful hills, St. Pierre Country Club is a top destination for professional and amateur golfers alike. [BACK TO TOP] southerndown Southerndown is a hidden gem - a unique course, part sandy links, part acid-heathland. As a visitor you can share the beautiful views we enjoy: across the channel to the North Devon moors, down the Ogmore River towards Porthcawl and far away over the hills and valleys of South Wales. Founded in 1905, Southerndown has a wealth of golfing tradition. Many championship events have been staged here over the years, and top amateurs Peter McEvoy and Gary Wolstenholme, World Champions Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd - and even the legendary Gene Sarazen - have all walked the turf where we play. Henry Cotton famously called our first "One of the toughest opening holes in golf!" [BACK TO TOP] The rolls of monmouth The Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club, with its championship 6,733 yard golf course, is set in suberb countryside with spectacular views of the Welsh hills. It is one of the most outstanding golf courses, not just in Wales, but in the whole of the UK. The spectacular Manor House, the former home of Charles Stewart Rolls, co-founder of the famous Rolls-Royce company, is available for weddings from October to April and for private evening functions and business seminars all year round. [BACK TO TOP]