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From our Directory of the most recommended golf courses
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club
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The course was initiated in 1891 by some Cardiff businessmen, and nine holes were created in Lock's Common. In 1895 the club was moved to the present location and King Edward VII laid the Royal designation on the course in 1909. HS Colt, Hawtree, Braid, Simpson, and C K Cotton all had hands in the design over time. It's Wales top championship course, and situated on true linksland. It's the only championship links where the sea is in view on every hole, but a few of the holes 6th-9th moves uphill, and not really on linksland, The routing provides that the holes face every direction providing varying shots with the wind. The green complexes are large, and accept the running shot, gorse and heather abound, and the course plays 6870 from the blue tees. The course hosted the 1995 Walker Cup where Tiger lost his singles match to Gary Wolstenholme. It's a great find if you're willing to make the trek, and is more than half the cost of the other more notable courses in Scotland/England, and you generally have the course to yourself.
Published by: nickr
Posted by: Phillip
Aug 19th, 2010
We played Portcawl last week on a visit to Wales to play Pyle and Kenfig and found two tough courses, with Porthcawl winning out. The course was massive, hilly, and windy, one of the windiest days we played on our trip, and made the course that much more of a drudge. We though it was the best links course we played in Wales, without the sand dunes, but the Bristol Channel is in view from nearly every hole. The opening holes play along the beach, and then turns inland and rises gently, topping out at the 10th tee. The holes are a good mix of long and short (from the whites the par fours range from 333 to 426 yards, the par threes from 119 to 200), but it is the wind that really governed the true distances. It was a long day, my ball found the deep heavy rough often, scores were high, and spirits were dashed, but we woke to a beautiful morning the next day, and headed to a great round at Royal St. David's.
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Posted by: EvanH
Jul 19th, 2010
Played it this weekend, along with a half-dozen other courses in Wales after catching an Open practice round in St. Andrews. Loved the golf course, but it's a tough, tough beast if the wind is up. I don't remember playing tougher par 4's. Stopping the ball on one of the par 3s on the back 9 surrounded by bunkers and downwind took a bit of head scratching for club selection - to no avail! In my top 10 courses - just a beautiful location with an amazing sense of space all around, views from everywhre.
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Posted by: JayM
Dec 26th, 2009
From Byron Kalies, Porthcawl features views of the sea from every hole, and the views are magnificent. The course is designed to test golfers as the holes continually change direction to play against, with and across the wind, and it is frequently very windy here. The layout offers no protection from the wind in the form of trees or high dunes. The magnificent greens are fast and difficult. As McMahon describes the speed of the greens: "Putting into bunkers is quite commonplace, and one renowned lady golfer of yesteryear is alleged to have lost her ball putting downhill and downwind on the fifth green." From the back tees the par-72 course measures 6,740 yards. For many Welsh club-playing amateurs, it is their "Augusta National," the place to play before they die. There is an aura about the club, and it is special. As Michael Williams wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "Royal Porthcawl epitomizes all that is best about the game, as it once was, even down to a creaking clubhouse that is as unchanging as the magnificent links and unrivaled hospitality."
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Oct 5th, 2008
The rough was thick and heavy, and penalized the off mark drive. The bunkers around the greens are extremely deep, but once on the greens, they putt true and are of average speed. Probably the top course in Wales, well conditioned, and makes you concentrate all the way around.