Not your average round

Take a break from your round at Nefyn & District on the Llŷn Peninsula with a quick drink at the historic Tŷ Coch Inn, conveniently located between the 15th and 16th holes on the dramatic peninsular section of the course. Set just yards from the golden sands of Porthdinllaen, it’s been voted one of the world’s best beach bars. It’s the kind of place you just you won’t want to leave – so try not to forget those last three holes.

You don’t have to choose between links and parkland. At James Braid-designed Porthmadog, you’ll find a front nine of undulating heath followed by a back nine of the purest coastal links – often likened to a miniature Troon. Who says you can’t have it all?

Played into the prevailing wind, it’s easy to see why North Wales Golf Club’s devilishly tricky 13th hole was dubbed ‘Hades’ by founder, Manchester businessman Tancred B Cummins (yes, that really was his name). Despite calls from local Church Commissioners to change it to something less blasphemous, Cummins stuck to his guns – naming the Llandudno course’s par-four 18th ‘Paradise’ as a concession.

Stay and play with a truly personal touch. Family-run Priskilly Forest Country House in Pembrokeshire offers luxury five-star accommodation and its very own nine-hole parkland course – all wrapped up in the warmest of Welsh welcomes. 

Celtic Manor Resort made golfing history with an unforgettable Ryder Cup in 2010, but its story starts a little earlier than that. In Roman times, to be precise. Roads laid out by our former occupiers criss-cross the modern-day resort, while numerous Roman artefacts – including a pottery kiln – were found during construction. 

According to legendary sports writer Furman Bisher: ‘With the exception of Pebble Beach, the view from the top of the Cardigan course is the finest I’ve seen anywhere in golf.’ We think you’ll share his enthusiasm. The club’s blend of links and parkland comes complete with widescreen vistas over Cardigan Bay’s crystal waters – Britain’s first designated Marine Heritage Coast and home to one of the UK’s largest populations of bottlenose dolphins.

Weighing in at a hefty 7,433 yards, Vale Resort’s Wales National course is one of the longest outside the USA. Its massive second hole is on a similarly epic scale. Measuring a whopping 607 yards from the back tee, it’s one of the longest par-fives in Wales and a real challenge for anyone who fancies themselves a big hitter. Don’t forget to pack your driver when playing this challenging Vale of Glamorgan course.

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Even though Pennard’s undulating hummocks, hillocks and dunes bear all the hallmarks of a classic coastal links course, it actually sits 200ft above sea level. No wonder it’s known as the ‘links in the sky’. Pennard’s lofty position comes with some towering views over sandy Three Cliffs Bay, one of the many jewels of the Gower Peninsula, the UK’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Opened in 2005, Machynys Peninsula near Llanelli is the most recent addition to our stable of world-class links courses. It’s also the only Nicklaus-designed course in Wales. Laid out by the legendary player-turned-course-architect Jack and his son Gary, it’s 7,121 snaking yards of testing terrain, dotted with lakes and ponds. It’s a golfing superstar – just like its designer. 

Links don’t have to be beside the seaside. At the ‘upland links’ of Harry Vardon-designed Landrindod Wells, traditional coastal features – such as natural hazards and firm, quick-draining turf – sit high on a hill with not a seagull in sight. Instead keep your eyes peeled for the forked tails of red kites ­– Mid Wales’s iconic bird of prey.