THE BEST GOLF COURSES FOR GLAMORGANSHIRE GOLFING HOLIDAYS
Our selected courses for South Wales golfbreaks (Cardiff to Swansea).

Certainly the most famous course in Wales and arguably the best one too!  A pure links from start to finish, hardly any vegetation above knee-height and in view of the sea all the way round.  For collectors of fine links golf courses Royal Porthcawl is an absolute must.  Laid out slightly unusually in a rectangle of coastal land, holes point in all directions making judgement of the ever-changing wind direction of paramount importance.  The opening holes lead you out along the shore after which you work your way back to the Clubhouse on the inland, and higher ground.  After which, the lovely old wooded pavilion Clubhouse awaits: complete with six Dormy rooms for those that just can't get enough of Royal Porthcawl! 

On arrival at Ashburnham you may wel think that it's a parkland layout, however, one hole after starting out you will be heading along Carmarthen Bay in a much more links like setting, albeit with trees dotted here and there between the banks of well-grassed dunes.  One of Wales' few centenarian courses, it has stood the test of time well and has a strong membership - it's easy to understand why.

A 'game of two halves' if ever there was one and a Welsh golf course that divides opinion in a similar manner.  The opening half at Pyle & Kenfig (on one side of the road) is laid out on a gently sloping hillside close to the houses of the town and with holes that run closely together.  Once you cross the road to the back nine the scenery could not be more different!  Town view is replaced by sea view and you won't see another golfer on your way around as the holes lose themselves in a wild dunescape of great golfing fun.  Worth playing for the back-nine alone!

Abandon all thoughts of golfing normality as you head up to the 'Links in the Sky' and a truly unique golfing day out.  At Pennard the scenery rules the roost as  the course spreads across a cliff-top plateau strewn with casle remains and overlooking Swansea's famous Mumbles Bay.  At Pennard you will find holes like you have never seen before that will provoke a fair amount of head-scratching from the Tee as you decide (guess) the best way to attack what lies ahead of you.  Wonderful fun and wonderful views on a sunny day.

A golf course designed by a legend of the game for the modern era on a well-drained area of low-lying seashore at Monk's Island close to Llanelli.  There is plenty of water at Machynys, both around the course and in play as well.  However, with wide Fairways and big US style Greens, it is very playable and as always with Jack Nicklaus courses all of the obstacles are clearly in view from the Tee, so you know where the trouble lies!

On a delightful stretch of land above Newton Cliffs, Langland Bay Golf Club has provided sporting and visual entertainment for over 100 years.  A compact patch of land, where many holes are separated by just a row of trees, so you can keep in touch with the rest of your party's progress as you work your way around Langland Bay.  The golf course itself is highly entertaining with water on nearly all sides to distract you along with a few slopes to navigate and pose some club selection problems.  A welcoming small white Clubhouse completes a very pretty picture that is perfect for Society golf and groups of touring golfers to Wales.

A small Golf Club with arguably the biggest welcome in Wales, tucked away in the verdant valleys near Bridgend.  Coed-y-Mwstwr will never host The Open but it will provide you with a lot of fun in a bucolic setting.  The course criss-crosses the hills and valleys with a few tight corners here-and-there so keep an eye on where you are heading.  Very handily placed if you are staying at the Coed-y-Mwstwr country house hotel (see hotels page).