Welsh golf isn’t short of iconic moments from the likes of Ian Woosnam, Dai Rees and Jamie Donaldson – but what isn’t talked about enough is the country’s expansive list of iconic courses that can make the perfect Wales golf trip.
Did you know the country has hosted Seniors and Ladies major championships as well as numerous elite amateur events such as the Walker Cup and the Amateur Championship?
Here are our tips on where you should head this summer and enjoy the perfect Wales golf trip.
NCG Top 100s Tour: Wales golf trip
Our NCG Top 100s Tour offers numerous chances to book yourself a golf trip with your friends or family as the events are split into groups of three or four venues to make up different swings.
For the third year running, the Tour will visit iconic Welsh courses, and we’ve added more so there is plenty of opportunities to soak in everything Welsh golf has to offer.
If you are planning a golf trip for yourself and your golfing friends we offer 10% discounts when you book a group of four or more.
Prices from £55 per person
South Wales Swing: Tenby (August 15)
NCG Top 100s ranking: Fun (84th), GB & Ireland (133rd), Swansea (4th), Wales (6th) and Value (21st)
At the risk of generalisation, it is probably fair to say that there is no finer course in the British Isles about which less is commonly known than Tenby.
This most traditional, archetypal links is the oldest course in Wales and those who find their way to Pembrokeshire, in the south west of the Principality, will be richly rewarded by its quixotic and idiosyncratic delights.
Prices from £55 per person
South Wales Swing: Machynys Peninsula (August 16)
NCG Top 100s ranking: Swansea (8th) and Wales (25th)
This is a relatively new Jack Nicklaus design that is located on the outskirts of Llanelli near the River Loughor. It impressed our Wales Top 50 panel for its thoughtful routing and strong holes.
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As its name hints at, it is nestled around water – Carmarthen Bay to be specific. Machynys is an impressive effort by Jack and his team considering they were given unremarkable, open land near to the coast to work with.
Prices from £55 per person
South Wales Swing: Pyle & Kenfig (August 17)
NCG Top 100s ranking: GB & Ireland (170th), Swansea (5th) and Wales (9th)
Originally designed in the early 1920s by Harry Colt, the more inland front nine that stands today is his work. With nine holes commandeered by the military during World War II, Philip Mackenzie Ross was called to replace them with new holes, and what a job he did.
Excellent putting surfaces and Colt bunkering mean the front nine, played on gradually flat land, is never dull but the fun really starts at the 11th hole with an unforgettable finishing stretch.
Prices from £55 per person
South Wales Swing: Ashburnham (August 18)
NCG Top 100s ranking: GB & Ireland (186th), Swansea (5th) and Wales (7th)
First impressions of a course from a clubhouse bay window are usually revealing. But not here at Ashburnham, where the first and last holes are entirely untypical of what lies in between.
In fact, add in the flat, parallel-running 2nd and 17th, along with the short 16th, and the rest is very much a course within a course.
The remaining 13 holes are classic links. They dive through the dunes with a beguiling combination of blind and open vistas; some are arrow-straight, others are dog-legged – occasionally more than once.
Prices from £55 per person
About the NCG Top 100s Tour
The NCG Top 100s Tour is the UK’s leading series for club golfers looking to play the best courses across the UK.
Competitors can play in one, five or all the events should they wish to enhance their chances of winning the grand prize.
At each event, players will receive a welcome pack and two meals as part of their entry fee and there are fantastic prizes from TaylorMade and Slingsby at every event.
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The top 64 players in the season-long Order of Merit will qualify for the Grand Final at Ganton Golf Club on October 10 where an all-inclusive holiday to Saint Lucia is on offer to the winner.
Events from £45 per person
10% discount applies to groups of four or more
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