Top 20 courses in South Wales
5. Ashburnham
This often vastly under-rated links is hidden away at Burry Port, west of Llanelli.
It has a modest start and finish – the 1st and 18th play up and down a hill and the 2nd, 16th and 17th are undeniably modest – but the 13 holes from the 3rd to the 15th inclusive are some of the finest in the Principality.
Harry Vardon once said: “The course I like best in Wales is Ashburnham.”
4. Tenby
It’s so easy to have a soft spot for this classically simple links in Pembrokeshire.
It is a links that gives you a lot visually – more so than arguably any course in Wales – and it has some wonderful holes, such as the 3rd which is played to a plateau green and the next which is played to a punchbowl green.
3. Southerndown
Falls into the category of downland rather than links golf, with a plentiful supply of gorse and springy turf on a course perched high up in the hills near Bridgend.
Southerndown has an infamous opening shot of the day, one that is surely one of the toughest starts in British golf.
2. Pennard
The ‘links in the sky’ is laid out on high ground that undulates dramatically, providing a wonderful and distinctive terrain for golf.
It is perched on clifftops south of Swansea, but has the feel and qualities of a links by virtue of its firm turf.
There are a few weaker holes but more that are right out of the top drawer – not least the 7th and 16th.
1. Royal Porthcawl
A lack of dunes means there are sea views from every hole and the opening burst along the shore is tough to beat.
Porthcawl is as much an unremitting examination as it is a scenic experience, as befits a Walker Cup, Senior Open and soon-to-be Women’s British Open venue.
The layout darts about the property, so holes point in every direction and with frequent changes in your compass a la Muirfield, you are always having to calculate and adapt.
Have I missed anything in my best golf courses in South Wales list? Let me know in the comments below, or tweet me.
Chris Bertram
Chris Bertram is a specialist in all things golf courses.
He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996, initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine.
Chris then spent four years writing about football and rugby union for the Press Association but returned to be Editor and then Publisher of NCG.
He has been freelance since 2010 and spends the majority of his time playing golf and writing about the world’s finest golf courses.
