Royal St David’s: Beauty and romance on the Welsh coast
Royal St David’s Golf Club is one of few golf courses in the world that inspires return visits. Perhaps it is because the first recorded activity to take place on the morfa beneath Harlech Castle involved a boomerang.
The glorious setting for Royal St David’s links at Harlech is nothing short of beautiful and romantic. It offers golf in a breathtaking environment.
Behind the championship links golf course, to the northwest, is the sweeping bay of Tremadog and to the north are views across Snowdon and the lesser peaks of Snowdonia.
To continue providing the very best surfaces, the club have recently invested a considerable sum of money to install a brand-new state of the art irrigation system. The club have already seen a huge benefit of the irrigation system with incredible grass coverage, and they look forward to an exciting season where presentation of the golf course will be back at it’s very best.
History
According to legend, one Harold Finch-Hatton, recently returned from Australia, was indulging in his favourite new pastime when he was spotted from the town that lies almost vertically above by William Henry More, a member of the local squirearchy.
An intrigued More demanded an explanation that was duly provided. But a few days later the old man was truly flummoxed by the sight of Finch-Hatton indulging in an even more curious pursuit involving a stick and a ball.
Finch-Hatton told him how apposite the land was to a golf course and More, his mind open to the commercial potential such a feature would offer to the economically depressed town, was soon convinced.
Shortly afterwards, in 1894, the two men staked out what would become the championship layout famous worldwide today.
A romantic story, and perhaps one gently embellished over the years. But then St David’s is a dreamy kind of place, divorced from the rest of Wales by the Snowdonian mountains and overlooked by the 13th century castle that dominates the small town of Harlech.
What makes it special
Nowadays it is Royal St David’s that does the challenging, with golfers from all around travelling to test themselves against what is often described as the world’s toughest par-69 layout.
And it is tough. Unremittingly so, especially on the back nine that is without the solace of a single par five. The 3,129 yards it comprises may not sound fearsome, but allied to a par of just 33 it certainly is.
Despite this, it is a beautiful place to be, with the proud castle overlooking the whole course and Snowdonia rising steeply behind it.
Where does it rank?
73rd in GB&I, 23rd in Value, 2nd in Wales
Where is it?
Royal St David’s is situated on the north-west coast of Wales, nestled in Bae Ceredigion behind Harlech Beach.
Get in touch with Royal St David’s
For more information about the club and course, visit its website or call them on 0176 678 0361.
Please log onto www.royalstdavids.co.uk, where you can learn more about the course and the history surrounding the club, in addition to this you can also book your next round of golf at Royal St. David’s Golf Club on the website where you will receive a discounted rate.
- Related: NCG Top 100s Tour: Register to play Royal St David’s now!
- Related: NCG Top 100s: Royal St David’s review
- Book online now for a discounted rate: http://www.royalstdavids.co.uk/
Have you played Royal St David’s before? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us.
Ben Outhwaite
Ben is National Club Golfer's Marketing Editor and the latest addition to our golf equipment review team.
He specialises in testing golf bags, beginner golf club sets, apparel and golf accessories. He also collates our buying guides so you know which are the latest and greatest bits of golf equipment on the market.
Ben picked up his first golf club when he was five years old – which was in fact a left-handed set of clubs!
He is a member at Rudding Park Golf Club and has a handicap of fifteen.
