Conwy Golf Club is one of the oldest golfing venues in the country, third only to Rhyl and Tenby. Its location, on the northern coastline of Wales, provides golfers with glorious views, especially as the course has the backdrop of Conwy Mountain. Llandudno, the Great Orme, and Anglesey can all be seen from several points on the golf course. 

 

The golf course was set out by Jack Morris, the nephew of Old Tom Morris, and has had re-designs and changes from Frank Pennink, Brian Huggett, and Neil Coles over its long history. It is a history that includes the 1970 Martini, along with the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship, Home Internationals, and the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe.  

 

Most recently, the 2021 Curtis Cup was held at Conwy Golf Club, on a course which measures close to 7,000 yards from the championship tees. It is a Par 72, with a closing stretch that features plenty of gorse to catch you out. 

 

  

Visit the Conwy Golf Club website here.  

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Golf began in this area in 1869, the original designer being Jack Morris, nephew of Old Tom Morris. The first 9-hole layout was constructed in 1875, with the course then extended to 18 holes two decades later.  

 

Two World Wars had a profound effect on the Morfa Peninsula and the course was almost lost after the First World War. Stabilisation was only achieved against sand-blow by the planting of huge areas of marram grass on what are now the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Over the 1970s and 1980s, Frank Pennink, Brian Huggett and Neil Coles all made changes to the layout, with the latter pair helping to reroute the course following the construction of the A55 Expressway.  

 

Conwy has also hosted several major tournaments, including the Martini in 1970, when Peter Thompson and Doug Sewell tied on 268, a score attributable to the dry windless conditions that week. The Ladies British Open Amateur Championship was won at Conwy by Belle Robertson in 1981 and the Home Internationals were staged here in 1990. The venue also played host the prestigious European Amateur Team Championship in 2009, the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe in 2010 and hosted its third European Senior Tour event in August 2012. Most recently, it played host to the Curtis Cup in 2021, which had been postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

 

The Conwy links have been immortalised in art. Three paintings from Douglas Adams, all painted in 1893, were based on the course. ‘Difficult Bunker’, ‘The Putting Green’ and ‘The Drive’ are known the world over when it comes to works of golfing art.  

Laid out in the shadow of Conwy Mountain, many holes overlook the estuary towards Llandudno and Anglesey. Conwy, the only championship-length course in North Wales, is a relatively flat links that builds towards an exceptionally challenging finish. Rugged, uncompromising, and natural, you get what you deserve here and when the wind blows it becomes fearsome. You have a feeling of space but on the closing stretch the gorse encroaches and creates a new challenge. 

 

“It is second in North Wales only to Royal St David’s for pure golfing challenge.” - James W. Finegan in ‘All Courses Great and Small: A Golfer’s Pilgrimage to England and Wales’ 

  

The Par 72 layout plays at just over 6,900 yards from the championship blue tees, reducing to 6,667 and 6,476 from the whites and yellows, providing teeing options for golfers of all abilities. There are four par 5s – which come in the space of six holes – and four par 3s.  

 

It is a rather gentle start to a round at Conwy, with two short-ish par 4s sandwiching the par 3 2nd. The 3rd plays along Conwy Beach, with the sand and water on the right of the hole. Things start to get tough at the 4th thanks to an upturned saucer green, while the 5th is the hardest hole on the course. It is a 460-yard par 4 that usually plays into the wind, and a hole where a bogey is not a bad score. 

 

Views of Anglesey and the Great Orme are on offer on the 7th tee, as the turn starts to bite. Both 7 and 8 are more than 440 yards from the back tees, while both the 9th and 10th are par 5s. Both are just shy of 550 yards and can play as two- or three-shotters depending on the wind direction on any given day. The 11th then features a semi-blind drive with the par 3 13th played against the backdrop of Conwy Mountain. 

 

12 and 14 are the other two par 5s on the property, with the latter being one of the best birdie opportunities on the back nine. It is just 522 yards from the back tees, and less than 500 from the whites and yellows, so for most, it could be reached in two shots. 15 is the last par 3 and the start of the closing stretch at Conwy, all of 400 yards and less. There is plenty of gorse around on the final few holes, and it brings in a new challenge for golfers looking to keep a decent scorecard going until the very end.  

Where is Conwy Golf Club located?  
Conwy Golf Club is situated on the northern coastline of Wales. Conwy Beach and the Welsh Coastal Path wrap around the course's coastline side, with several holes playing along the beach, with views across to Llandudno in the north and Puffin Island to the west. The course sits just off Junction 17 of the A55, the main road from Chester that runs along the north of the country, all the way west to Holyhead.  

 

Conwy Rail Station is just over a mile away from Conwy Golf Club by road. Trains run between Holyhead and Shrewsbury, with services running in both directions every two hours. Both Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport are within a 90-minute drive from Conwy Golf Club, with the two providing a wide range of flights. Manchester is the biggest of the two, and the busiest airport in the United Kingdom outside of London. 

What golf facilities does Conwy Golf Club offer?  
Away from the championship links, Conwy Golf Club is also home to some amazing practice facilities. There are several practice greens in and around the 1st and 11th tees. Putting and chipping greens are available, along with a practice bunker for golfers to get some work in on those dreaded sand shots.  

What are the green fees at Conwy Golf Club?  
The price of a green fee at Conwy changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Conwy, visit their website here. 

   

Visit the Conwy Golf Club website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.