Rest Bay,
Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan CF36 3UW
Office
+44 (0)1656 782 251Pro shop
+44 (0)1656 773 702Fax
+44 (0)1656 771 687Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Peter Evans (Head PGA Professional)The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland.
Designer:
Original 18-hole layout designed by Ramsay Hunter (1898). Later modifications by various designers, including Harry Colt (1913), Frederick G. "Fred" Hawtree & JH Taylor (1925), and Tom Simpson (1933).
51.491708
-3.725808
19 miles SE of Swansea
Leave the M4 motorway at exit 37. Follow A4229 direction Porthcawl. After 2.4 mi at roundabout turn right into Newton Nottage Rd (which becomes Fulmar Rd) direction Nottage and Rest Bay. After 1 mi road bends sharply left. After a further 300 yds turn right into small road (unsigned). After o.5 mi golf entrance is in front of you.
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is home to a gloriously definitive links golf course - timeless, challenging and royal in every way. This superb and undulating layout may not have the towering "alpine" sand dunes found on some links courses, but there is plenty of elevation change as the "outer" front-nine circles around the "inner" back-nine. From every hole on the course, bar none, you'll enjoy fine sea views out onto the wide Bristol Channel.
In addition to firm gently undulating fairways, the course is characterised by superb bunkering and wonderful, sloping greens. Stray too far from the good-width fairways fringed by light rough, and ball-finding may not be so easy, especially if the thicker rough and liberal scattering of gorse bushes have anything to do with it.
Rather than an out-and-back layout, the first eight holes take you around the course’s perimeter, with the next ten played inside this ring. There's not one weak hole among them. The heavily-bunkered 7th is one of the best short par-3’s you’ll find anywhere.
In its wonderfully natural setting, Royal Porthcawl is far removed from the distant industrial landscape of Port Talbot, which is occasionally glimpsed over the sand dunes of Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club to the west. Acknowledged as one of the best golf courses in Wales, we'd go further and say Royal Porthcawl is one of the world's finest examples of authentic seaside links golf.
Stay&Play at Royal Porthcawl: onsite Dormy accommodation available in the clubhouse, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Proof of handicap required.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, day tickets, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course.
Good
Edward VII conferred the Royal prefix on Porthcawl Golf Club in 1909. By royal prerogative, two Welsh golf clubs can use the "Royal" title, namely: Royal St David's and Royal Porthcawl.
Royal Porthcawl has hosted numerous top level professional and amateur competitions, including the Walker Cup in 1995 (GB&I 14, USA 10) and the Curtis Cup in 1964 (USA 10.5, GB&I 1.5). For more details view Top Golf Tournaments at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.
Wales' No.1 course (Golf World, 2023).
Britain & Ireland's 33rd best course (Golf World, 2025).
World's 60th best public access course (Golf World, 2025). Formerly ranked world's 85th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2017; not in subsequent editions of this ranking).
West Drive, Porthcawl CF36 3LS
+44 (0)1656 782 085
Visit websiteClose to Royal Porthcawl Golf Club and right next to the sea, giving some wonderful views across the Bristol Channel. All rooms have king size beds which can be adapted to suit families or twin rooms. The rooms, all en-suite, ensure comfort as well as practicability.
No
Royal Porthcawl; Pyle & Kenfig
Southerndown; The Vale Hotel (Wales National and Lake courses).
Rest Bay, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan CF36 3UW
+44 (0)1656 782 251
Visit websiteThe onsite Dormy offers first class accommodation for twelve. There are six single and three twin rooms. Each room is furnished with en-suite bathroom, remote control TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
Royal Porthcawl
Pyle & Kenfig
Southerndown; The Vale Hotel (Wales National and Lake courses).
Chevron Championship: Carlton Woods near Houston in Texas provides the stage for the first women’s major championship of 2025, where Nelly Korda defends her title. (April 24-27).
Soudal Open: successor to the Belgian Open, the Soudal Open takes place on the quiet, wooded North course of Rinkven Golfclub. Belgian stars Thomas Pieters and Nicolas Colsaerts will be vying for top honours. (May 22-25).
Rory McIlroy: with his 2025 win in The Masters, Rory joined the pantheon of golfing greats who have achieved a career Grand Slam of men’s majors ... Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only others in this select band.
Bernhard Langer: he may have played in his last Masters Tournament, but the 67-year-old German will be trying to extend his own record, and win a 13th senior major title at the 36th Regions Tradition. (May 15-18).
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.
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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