Founded in 1934, Neath Golf Club is actually one of the younger venues that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Wales list.  

 

Five-time Open Champion victor James Braid was the man to design the course, which sits on a hilltop above the town of Cadoxton. 

 

The course is a tough and narrow layout, with some incredible views from the 15th tee, which is around 80 feet about the fairway.  

 

  

Visit the Neath Golf Club website here.  

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 The golf club was founded in Cadoxton in 1934 and called Neath Golf Club. The course would be opened a couple of years later. 

 

Five-time Open Champion James Braid – a man whose name is behind the designs of several course on the NCG Top 100s: Wales list – designed the 18-hole layout at Neath. 

The golf club at Neath sits majestically atop a high hill at Cadoxton and two miles from the bustling old town of Neath. James Braid designed the course on difficult terrain, with incredible vistas over the Vale of Neath. Braid, the five-time winner of the Open Championship, once wrote about the views: 

 

"I must say the views from every part of this course are truly magnificent." 

 

The Par 72 course plays at almost 6,500 yards from the back tees, with the yellow tees only being 100 yards shorter over the 18-hole layout. The green tees play at less than 5,900 yards, meaning there are teeing options for golfers of all abilities to make sure a round at Neath is enjoyable. 

 

The course opens with a generous par 5 at less than 500 yards. It is a birdie opportunity to get your round underway, just don’t hit it left as there’s out of bounds down the tree line. The 2nd is a blind, uphill par 3. It is carded at just 136 yards, but plays more like 150 yards. 3 is a short par 4 which plays as a dog-leg right around the trees, while the 4th is another short par 5. The 487-yard 4th features out of bounds down the left and around the back of the green. It is a two-shotter for those that are long enough, but danger lurks. The 5th is the second par 3 on the card, and is followed by six consecutive par 4s to take you through the turn. 

 

The 8th is the only one of those which is more than 400 yards long. Meanwhile, 9 and 11 are less than 350 yards and both play downhill, offering strong birdie chances. The 12th is an uphill par 5, making it a tougher hole. 13 is the toughest hole on the back nine, a 460-yard par 4 which does play slightly downhill. What follows is the easiest hole on the closing side, the par 14th which plays downhill and less than its carded 145 yards.  

 

The closing stretch at Neath begins with the picturesque 15th – the signature hole on the course. You tee off from 80 feet above the fairway, from a plateau among the trees. The hole plays much less than its 380 yards, and there are three greenside bunkers awaiting any errant approach. 16 is a difficult par 4, while the penultimate hole features no bunkers, but it is the longest par 3 at Neath. The 18th is the longest hole on the course – a 555-yard par 5. The hole plays as a dog-leg right, and the fairway is wider than it looks from the funnel of trees you tee off from.  

Where is Neath Golf Club located?  
Neath Golf Club is in the southern section of the nation, sitting just 10 miles north of the city of Swansea. The Craig Gwladys Country Park is to the east of Neath Golf Club, while the A4230 and the A465 run almost parallel to the golf course, providing road links to the M4 Motorway and beyond.  

 

Neath Station is a couple of miles south of Neath Golf Club and is serviced by trains running in both directions. There are services between London Paddington and Swansea, and local services that run from Shrewsbury and Manchester Piccadilly, through Neath to Milford Haven and Carmarthen. Wales’ two main airports – Swansea Airport and Cardiff Airport – are both within an hour’s drive from Neath, with the latter of the two being the busiest airport in the country.  

What golf facilities does Neath Golf Club offer?  
Although there is no driving range at Neath, there is a short game area and a putting green for golfers to hone their short game skills prior to taking on the course. There is also a hitting net for practice prior to a round.  

What are the green fees at Neath Golf Club?  
The price of a green fee at Neath Golf Club 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 Neath Golf Club, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Neath Golf Club website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.