The Greens of Southern Wales

As phone calls go to organise golfing trips it was remarkably simple. One conversation with a friendly and informative member of staff and my itinerary was organised.

Two nights and three rounds at different locations across South Wales and I would get a feel for the region that will host the Ryder Cup in 2010.

The only complicating factor was I had to be on the first tee of an unfamiliar course at 11.46 on a Wednesday morning. Images of tractors lazing around hairpin bends filled my head as I pulled off the M50 onto the A40 and headed south towards Monmouth.

Surprisingly my initial trepidation was replaced by joy at the sight of dual carriageway unfolding all the way into my first destination.

More than 200 miles on the clock and the worst traffic I'd encountered was around the busy motorway network of the Midlands.

Too good to be true? Thankfully not. In fact the hardest part about driving in South Wales is remembering to look out for road signs which can blot what is otherwise miles of glorious natural scenery.

Four miles west of Monmouth, the intriguingly named Rolls of Monmouth, was the perfect starting point to my flying visit.

Located within the Rolls Estate the former home of Charles Stewart Rolls who founded the Rolls Royce Company with Henry Royce rarely has a name been more fitting.

More ups and downs than a roller coaster (both the course and my form that is), the undulating nature required concentration from the very first to the very last blow.

Tricky lies and awkward stances complicate matters but there's something refreshing about having to wait for a herd of deer to scamper into the trees before teeing off.

Aside from a collection of superb par threes the real attraction here was the feeling of owning a course for the afternoon as 'The Rolls' according to one local has less than 160 members.

From Monmouth it was down the meandering Wye Valley and the breathtaking scenery to my base at the Marriott St Pierre.

I would play the famous Old Course here on the final day but for now I was left to imagine what that would bring from the comfort or my grand guest room overlooking the 1st hole.

St Pierre itself is built around an intimate 12th Century church and the Manor House which now provides the majority of the accommodation is a blend of old and new in a peaceful location two miles outside of Chepstow.

Bryn Meadows was the next port of call an hour's drive west of St Pierre near the famous cheese town of Caerphilly.

A brief detour to take in the second largest castle in the country then up the hill to this relatively new complex was a great way to see the local scenery.

Quirky is the best word to describe the Bryn Meadows experience as the first hole requires a lob up to a high plateau green while the signature 4th hole demands a daunting 230-yard carry over water.

With the Brecon Beacons in the distance and a superb clubhouse, leisure centre and hotel complex, the fledgling venue where European Tour player Bradley Dredge learned to play certainly left a lasting impression.

Next it was back to St Pierre via a meal in one of Cardiff's vibrant and stylish five-star hotels ready for a day on Wales' very own answer to the Old Course.

The St Pierre version may be younger than its Scottish ancestor (founded in the 1960s) but its quality cannot be questioned.rnrnStarting with a par five and finishing with a par three the parkland layout is anything but conventional.

Famed for its immense 235-yard par three 18th and the collection of ancient trees which define the shape of many of the holes. The Old Course is a genuine test for the 21st Century golfer in what are truly historic surroundings.

Yet more of the hotel's fabulous fare followed my final round before a return journey north this time without my original trepidation even as a Bank Holiday weekend approached.

Picking up three green fees for less than you might pay for one in other more established areas of the country is the main attraction of playing in South Wales.

But the real beauty is finding that extra special little club off the beaten track where only you and a handful of locals seem to be in on the secret.

The Greens of Southern Wales is a new one-stop shop initiative designed to take the hassle out of golfing trips to the area surrounding the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup.