Riddle me this. Where can you tee off in one country and finish the hole in another? Did you say Llanymynech Golf Club? Give yourself a gold star – and welcome to Europe’s only dual country golf course.
It’s a good job Wales isn’t caught up in the Brexit border battles. Imagine having to present your passport if you wanted to putt out?
Most of Llanymynech Golf Club lies in the land of bread and heaven but as you arrive at the 4th green, and until you get to the 7th tee, you’ve crossed into England.
How has this unusual circumstance come to pass? Blame Offa.
Back in the 8th century, relationships between the English and Welsh were, well, delicate to say the least.
The King of Mercia, that’s Offa, ordered a dyke to be built along the area that bordered his kingdom and the wild Welsh. The aim was to keep them out.
Offa’s Dyke crosses through the course as it makes its way from the River Dee, in the North, to the River Wye, in the south.
Llanymynech itself has got quite a long history. Meaning Church of the Monks, the course was the site of a battle ground in AD50 for Caractacus as he tried to drive the Romans out of his country.
The famous names have continued to flourish at Llanymynech right up to the president day. Ian Woosnam first picked up clubs here and his mum and dad were both past captains.
And if you can conquer the cliff faces and hills of this mountain-style course then you won’t be too bad a player either.
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