Photo of Porthmadog Golf Club

Porthmadog Golf Club

Morfa Bychan,

Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9UU

  • Office

    +44 (0)1766 514 124
  • Pro shop

    +44 (0)1766 513 828
  • Fax

    +44 (0)1766 514 124
  • Golf pro

    Mark Pilkington (PGA Golf Professional).

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Links & parkland. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Coastal duneland and hinterland.

  • Designer:

    James Braid

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
6326
5992
5395
Par
71
71
72
SSS or slope
71.5
69.7
71.9

Location

Latitude:

52.913638

Longitude:

-4.156758

How to get there:

1.5 mi SW of Portmadog / 26 miles S of Bangor.

From the centre of Porthmadog, turn off the High Street direction Morfa Bychan / Blackrock Sands. After 1.5 miles golf clubhouse will come into view on your left.

Porthmadog Golf Club

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.

Est. 1905

Porthmadog Golf Club is well-known for its "pure links" back-nine, a challenging collection of holes that weave through an undulating area of seaside dunes. In contrast, the layout's "inland" front-nine is considerably flatter, less dramatic and more parkland in character. Water ditches and small ponds are the key hazards found on the front-nine loop, although the crisp linksy turf has much in common with the back-nine.

The signal that suggests things are going to change between front and back nines, comes at the downhill par-3 9th, played from a nicely elevated tee. It is the front-nine's most memorable hole, although the earlier island-green par-3 6th, surrounded by reeds, may also have left an impression on you, and/or your scorecard.

As you tee-off at the par-4 10th (Ynys Cyngar) you enter the tightly folding "true links" terrain of Porthmadog's renowned back-nine loop. More compact than the outward-nine, here you'll enjoy greater elevation change and the best of Porthmadog's seaside scenery. There's also a couple of holes that get you directly alongside Samson's Bay, with views down to the beach at the long par-3 11th (Carreg Samson) and short doglegging uphill par-4 12th (Cwt Powdr).

Pick of the holes: glorious views abound from the tee-box of the downhill par-3 13th (Pen Yr Ynys), with Samson Bay and its huge beach much in focus, as well as Tremadog Bay and the Irish Sea beyond. Stretching away to your left are enough dunes to create another fabulous nine holes of links golf! Ahead of you, the most linksy of the par-3s.

List of courses: Wales - North

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.

Must book in advance. Proof of handicap required. Visitors (men/women) must play from the forward (Yellow/Red) tees.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes in high season (April thru' Oct): weekdays £50; weekends £60.

Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].

Other information

Players generally walk this course.

Practice facilities

Limited

Did you know?

Porthmadog & Borth-y-Gest Golf Club, as it was originally called, was opened in the early 1900's, with the course in play by 1905. In the early days members were expected to pay compensation for any grazing animals killed or injured by them. Numerous changes and modifications have been carried out since then, including the removal of grazing animals from the course!

An enchanting place to stay in this area is at Portmeirion, either in the Portmeirion village, the hotel, or at the recently refurbished Castle Deudraeth, just before the village (see Where2Stay section below).

Published ranking

Wales' 14th best course (Golf World, 2023).
Britain & Ireland's 199th best course (Golf World, 2022).

Where2Stay

  • Royal Sportsman Hotel3-star

    131 High Street, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9HB

    +44 (0)1766 512 490

    Visit website

    The Royal Sportsman is Porthmadog's premier hotel, the only full service quality 3-star hotel in Porthmadog. The main part of this recently refurbished Victorian Hotel was originally built in 1862, with the restaurant and garden rooms added much later.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Porthmadog

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Royal St David's; Nefyn & District (22 miles).

  • Portmeirion Village

    Portmeirion, Gwynedd LL48 6ET

    +44 (0)1766 770 000

    Visit website

    Built between 1926 and 1976, Portmeirion village is the extraordinary creation of Clough Williams-Ellis. This wonderful Italianate village of great beauty and charm is also home to the world famous pottery that bears its name. On site accommodation is provided in the seashore Portmeirion Hotel, at the Castell Deudraeth with its contemporary rooms, or in self-catering cottages dotted around the village. The Prisoner, a late-1960s TV series starring Patrick McGoohan, was famously filmed in Portmeirion village.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Porthmadog

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Nefyn & District; Royal St David's.

Find a course

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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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