Best golf courses: Wales

Golf in Wales: This rugged and often breathtakingly beautiful country, though firmly attached to England, is culturally and ideologically very much its own master. The best golf is always close to the Welsh coast or more often, right next to the sea. All the great venues are open to visitors. To make the most of your golfing trip, and to help in your planning, you can look up the location of the best courses in Wales on our customised maps.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Aberystwyth
Braid, Fowler & Swan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Aberystwyth

Designer

Original layout by James Braid & Herbert Fowler (1892). Later modifications by Harry Colt (1910).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Vardon, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Harry Vardon

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Aberystwyth
Vardon, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Aberystwyth

Designer

Harry Vardon

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Taylor, J.H.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

J.H. Taylor

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Aberystwyth
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Aberystwyth

Designer

Harry Colt made some changes in the late 1940s, following the return of land requisitioned during the war.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Fowler, Herbert

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Herbert Fowler

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Walker, Robert

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Original layout designed by Robert Walker.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Aberystwyth
Grant & Hawtree

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Aberystwyth

Designer

The original 9-hole course at this location was designed by J.E. Grant (late-1920s), and extended to an 18-hole layout by Fred Hawtree (1969).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Newport
Jones Jr & Montgomerie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

Front-nine orginally laid out by Robert Trent Jones Jr (1999) as part of the former Wentwood Hills course. These holes revamped and a new back-nine added by Colin Montgomerie (2006/07).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Newport
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Newport
Jones Jr & EGD

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

Holes 6 thru' 13 and the par-4 15th originally laid out by Robert Trent Jones Jr (1999), as part of the former Wentwood Hills course. In 2006/7, to create the 2010 Ryder Cup layout, nine new holes were designed by Ross McMurray of European Golf Design.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

English course architect Harry Colt

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Harris, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Jack Harris

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Sandow, Robert

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Robert "Bob" Sandow

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Cotton, Ken

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

C.K. (Ken) Cotton

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

James Braid

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

James Braid

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Aberystwyth
Vardon, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Aberystwyth

Designer

Original design by Harry Vardon; later revised by James Braid.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Chester
Unknown

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Chester

Designer

Unknown (although most of the front nine dates from the 1960s and 70s).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Nicklaus Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

Nicklaus Design (project led by Gary Nicklaus)

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Braid, James & Tom Jones

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Original design by James Braid (1915); extended and modified by James Braid and Maesdu's long-time club professional Tom Jones (late-1910s).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

James Braid

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Braid & Taylor

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

James Braid & J.H.Taylor

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Wkends restrictd
Newport
Fernie, Willie

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

Layout at the club's original Ladyhill location designed by Harry Vardon (1903). Design of current course at the Rogerstone location by Willie Fernie (1912).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Cummins, Tancred

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Tancred Cummins

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Not Saturdays
Swansea
Braid, James

Visitors?

Not Saturdays

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

Original 1896 design significantly modified by James Braid (1908). Later modifications by C.K. "Ken" Cotton (1964) and Donald Steel (1991).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Weekdays only
Cardiff
Unknown

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Unknown

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

James Braid

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Morris & Braid

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Original 9-holes designed by Old Tom Morris (1900); extended to 18-holes by James Braid (1909).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Colt & Ross

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

Much of the original layout was designed by Harry Colt (1922). Significant modifications, and the addition of holes 11 through 15, by Scottish course architect Philip Mackenzie Ross (1947).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Not Saturdays
Cardiff
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Not Saturdays

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

English course architect Harry Colt

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Newport
Urbis Planning

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

Urbis Planning

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Hunter, Ramsay

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

Original 18-hole layout designed by Ramsay Hunter (1898). Later modifications by various designers, including Harry Colt (1913) and Tom Simpson (1933).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bangor
Finch-Hatton, Harold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bangor

Designer

Harold Finch-Hatton

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Fernie, Willie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Original layout by Willie Fernie (1905). Later modifications by Herbert Fowler (1908), Willie Park Jr (1913) and Harry Colt (1920).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Wkends - rsrt guests only
Newport
Cotton, Ken

Visitors?

Wkends - rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Newport

Designer

C.K. (Ken) Cotton

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Swansea
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Swansea

Designer

James Braid

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Chester
Unknown

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Chester

Designer

Unknown

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Johnson, Peter

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Peter Johnson

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Cardiff
Johnson, Peter

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

Peter Johnson

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Chester
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Chester

Designer

Current course designed by James Braid (1929)

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Not Saturdays
Cardiff
Johns & Marjoram

Visitors?

Not Saturdays

Nearest city

Cardiff

Designer

First nine holes (1915) and full 18-hole course (1923) were designed by Fred Johns (the club's first professional) and H.J. Marjoram (golf professional from Radyr GC).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Liverpool
Braid, James

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Liverpool

Designer

James Braid

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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