Wales may have once been a hidden gem for golfers, but not anymore. After being named the “Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year” by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2003 and hosting the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in 2010, Wales has earned its place on the global golf map. It recently hosted The Senior Open in 2014, 2017, and 2023. This year, the AIG Woman’s Open comes to Royal Porthcawl (July 30 to August 3, 2025).
Why Wales Is a Hidden Gem for Golf Travel
Despite its newfound limelight, the game here remains “golf as it should be”— the catchy slogan the Wales Tourist Board uses to promote the sport. What does that mean? A warm welcome in unstuffy clubhouses, green fees at a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere in the U.K. and some of the finest links on the planet.
What Makes Golf in Wales So Unique?
Having enjoyed several golf getaways in Wales, I have discovered that there’s a quirkiness, feistiness and pride to the Welsh that I admire. Perhaps this little “fable” told over a pint of Brains beer by a local, captures that spirit. The story goes that after God created the world, an angel confronted Him.
“I thought all countries were supposed to be created equal?” she questioned. “Yet you’ve given Wales the most wonders: grand mountain peaks, rivers teeming with fish, the most beautiful women and the most virile men, miles of spectacular coastline, some of the world’s best golf links, more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Europe.” “All that’s true,” replied the Almighty, “but I put it beside England.”
After centuries of playing second fiddle to their English neighbours, the Welsh are hell bent on promoting their own culture. The flag, flaunting its flamboyant red dragon, flies all over the land. The creation of a National Assembly in 1999 has given the country more political power. And that vowel-challenged language—so melodious when sung by a boys’ choir or set to poetry—is now being taught in all of the schools.
Experience the Joy of Hwyl for a Perfect Golf Getaway in Wales
2025 is officially the “Year of the Hwyl,” a little Welsh word with big meaning. There’s no direct translation in English, but hywl is a sense of joy and well-being from being engaged in an activity or moment. Hwyl aptly describes my epic romp around Wales.
Bring on the Gladiators
From London’s Heathrow airport, my group headed west in the rental car along the M4. We knew we’d arrived in Wales when the road signs became bilingual and the lengthy Welsh words indecipherable. We checked into Celtic Manor, looming at the top of a hill, its Welsh flag beckoning.
Celtic Manor: The Ryder Cup Legacy Lives On
Back in the first century AD, the Romans built an amphitheatre at Isca, their fortress in western Britain. It was a place for entertainment, sport and gladiatorial combat. Two thousand years later and approximately a driver and a five-iron away, a new amphitheatre, the Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor in South Wales’s Usk Valley, became the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup spectacle. It’s the first course ever to be purpose-built for a Ryder Cup.
Twenty Ten Golf Course in Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
The Story Behind Celtic Manor’s Founding
Celtic Manor is the brainchild of Welsh/Canadian entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews, co-founder of Mitel Corporation in Ottawa. In 1980, Sir Terry happened to be driving past the maternity hospital where he was born in Newport. He noticed the property was for sale, bought it, and turned it into the Manor House Hotel. Coincidentally, the Manor House was owned by the world’s first millionaire, Thomas Powell, who made his fortune in coal; Sir Terry’s high-tech industries made him the first billionaire of Wales.
Roman Road or Montgomerie Golf Courses
Today, the sprawling Celtic Manor Resort includes a five-star hotel, hunting lodge cottages, a spa and health club, five restaurants, a golf academy, and three 18-hole golf courses—the Roman Road, the Twenty Ten, and Montgomerie (which I did not play).
The par-70 Roman Road overlooks the Severn Estuary with sweeping views across to English counties of Somerset and Devon. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior, it’s named after the Via Julia built by the Romans.
The Twenty Ten Golf Course
The Twenty Ten course is not for the faint of heart. Measuring a whopping 7,493 yards from the tips, there’s water in play on about nine holes and plenty of bunkers on this par-71 challenge.
The 18th, a 575-yard par-five is a fitting finale. A good drive allows the possibility of reaching the green in two, provided that a long approach shot across water reaches the elevated green that is defended by a pair of sizable bunkers eager to snare anything too ambitious.
Royal Porthcawl – Best Golf Course in Wales: Where Coastal Winds Shape Champions
The courses at Celtic Manor are parkland-style, but now we were about to play some true links. For pampered North American golfers, the first encounter with a real links course may come as a shock. Forget about wall-to-wall fairways, copious yardage markers and cart girls. Buggies, as electric carts are called over here, are few and far between; links courses were meant to be walked. Count on quirky bounces.
Expect to lose plenty of balls in the rough and taste the salt in the invigorating air. Links courses were created mainly by Mother Nature, carved through dunes linking land and sea. This is golf at its purest. And once it gets into your blood, you’re hooked for life.
Often hailed as Wales’ finest, Royal Porthcawl’s first three holes play so close to the Bristol Channel you can taste the salt. The epitome of a classic coastal links course, there’s a continuous view of the sea with twists and turns that reward precision over power. Long marram grass and gorse are ever present and waiting to snag an errant shot.
Royal Porthcawl Golf Course in Wales. Photo Anita Draycott©
Watch Out for the Ghost of the Maid of Sker
Wind is a constant factor. On certain days when the wind howls and a mist descends, you may encounter the ghost of the Maid of Sker on the 17th, which starts with a blind tee shot. Aim for the black-and-white striped “barber’s pole.”
Make time at the end of your round to visit the historic clubhouse. Founded in 1891 and given Royal status in 1909 by King Edward VII, the club is one of only 66 in the world to have this regal distinction. Royal Porthcawl was the last in Wales to allow women to be members. It’s fitting that in 2025, it is hosting the AIG Women’s Open.
Golf Tip: Bring Your Handicap Certificate
Golfers wishing to play Royal Porthcawl must produce handicap certificates (maximum 20 for men; 30 for women). Note that it is also a “walking only” course.
Tee Off at Royal St. David’s in the Shadow of a Castle
Leaving the southern coast of Wales, we headed up the northwest coast into spectacularly scenic Snowdonia National Park, known for its rolling hills, deep valleys and patchwork fields in myriad shades of green. I lost count of the sheep. In Wales, they outnumber people; the ratio is four to one.
At Royal St. David’s Golf Club, we parked in the lot and schlepped our bags across the railway tracks to the clubhouse. Founded in 1894, the course lies in the stern shadow of the towering Harlech Castle.
What you see is what you get at Royal St. David’s. There are no hidden bunkers, nor blind shots. A new irrigation system has given the fairways a better definition to help golfers achieve their goals. Only twice do successive fairways proceed in the same direction, so the wind invariably becomes a major factor.
The last five holes form a loop through the imposing dunes for one of golf’s finest finishes. Many professionals agree that St. David’s is the world’s toughest par 69. But you don’t have to be Merlin the Magician to enjoy it.
Travel writer and avid golfer Anita Draycott at Royal St. David’s in Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
Nefyn Golf Club: Cliffside Drama on the Welsh Coast
Why It’s Called the Pebble Beach of Wales
The Nefyn Golf Club on the north coast was next on our hit list. Dubbed the Pebble Beach of Wales, Nefyn is a twenty-seven-hole track: the Championship 18 and the 9-hole Point. All bookings are made for the 18-hole course; there is an option to play the Point 9 holes as a free extra if available on the day of play. For sheer cliff-hanging drama, try to play the Point. It clings to the top of a narrow peninsula.
One golf writer remarked that it was “like playing on the deck of an aircraft carrier.”
The Infamous Par 3 and Blind Shots
You won’t likely forget the par-three 5th. You climb the stairs of a stone tower and tee off from an artificial mat. Perhaps no other hole in the world confronts the golfer with the distractions on number seven with its blind drive, blind second shot, public thoroughfare populated by hikers and a crater-sized pit.
Don’t Miss the Ty Coch Pub Tradition
Before teeing off on number 7, follow a footpath down to the Ty Coch Pub, located on the beach at Porthdinllaen, for a quick pint and a crab roll. It’s a delightful Nefyn tradition.
Nefyn Golf Club, the Point Llyn Peninsula, Wales. Photo Crown Copyright.
Where to Stay: Luxury Golf Resorts and Country Manors
Luxury Lodging at Celtic Manor Resort
We spent our first night at the Celtic Manor Resort where plenty of après golf diversions exist. After a long flight, the spa’s signature hot stone massage was both hydrating and relaxing. There are five restaurants on or near the resort. We chose Newbridge on Usk, a shuttle ride from the hotel reception area. Located on the banks of the River Usk, the country inn serves simple local fare such as green tea cured trout and grilled salmon with leeks and asparagus.
Castle Stay with Gin Tastings at The Vale Resort
After our round on the Twenty Ten course, we drove north to The Vale Resort
If time had permitted, we could have played the resort’s Wales National course, a whopping par-73. Instead, we opted to take a short stroll to the nearby Hensol Castle gin distillery housed in a 17th-century castle. Visitors can book a two-house Cocktail Masterclass and stir or shake up some liquid refreshments.
After seeing all those sheep during our drives, I decided to order the Welsh mixed grill, a trio of lamb sausage, rump steak and a chop. Indeed, Welsh lamb lives up to its world-class reputation.
Hensol Castle, Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
Boutique Elegance at The Grove in Narberth
About an hour and a half from Royal Porthcawl, The Grove in Narberth is a marvellous place to unwind. The country mansion overlooks the Pembrokeshire hills. I stayed in Lovage Cottage, where attention to detail was obvious at every turn. The fireplace was laid with kindling and logs, the four-poster spool bed was outfitted with sumptuous linens, and beside the clawfoot tub was a jar of bath salts and quality toiletries. Fresh cut flowers adorned every room, no doubt cut from my private walled garden in the back. The mansion itself is full of cozy rooms for taking afternoon tea or having a pre-dinner cocktail.
The Grove in Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
Dining Highlight: Welsh Lamb and Sticky Toffee Pudding
The Grove’s main attraction is its Fernery Restaurant, where the kitchen gardens harvest many of the herbs, fruits, and vegetables. I recommend the Welsh rarebit-style onion soup, braised lamb, and sticky toffee pudding. For breakfast, even the porridge with a crisp rhubarb topping is memorable, as are the house-made flaky croissants and classic Benedict eggs.
Cultural Side Trip: Discover Portmeirion’s Storybook Village
After playing Royal St. David’s, it’s about a 20-minute drive to Wales’ most famous eccentricity, Portmeirion, an Italianate fantasy village built between 1926 and 1975 as a labour of love by English architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.
His folly, painted in pastel ice-cream hues and said to be modelled loosely after Portofino on the Italian Riviera, is complete with a gatehouse, bell tower, two hotels, restaurants, a town hall, and cottages. This “light opera approach to architecture” is a bit like stepping into a storybook. Storytellers like Noel Coward and George Bernard Shaw appear on the famous guest list. Also, the 1960s TV show The Prisoner was filmed here.
Portmeirion is open to the public during the day, but at night, only guests in the cottages and hotels have this enchanting place to themselves.
Portmeirion, Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
Live Like Royalty at Bodysgallen Hall
After the thrill of Nefyn, we spent our last evening in the lap of luxury. We made our way, passing through the quaint Victorian seaside town of Llandudno, and we arrived at Bodysgallen Hall and Spa.
I felt like I’d stepped into a British “to the manor born” kind of movie. The handsome 17th-century stone mansion, owned by the National Trust, is decorated with fine antiques and lavish flower arrangements. A stroll around the extensive grounds revealed terraced lawns, trickling waterfalls, fragrant roses and a 17th-century parterre garden filled with aromatic herbs. Stay here and you’ll start to feel like landed gentry.
Bodysgallen Hal in Wales. Photo: Anita Draycott©
Travel Tip: Canadians Now Need a Visa for the UK
Canadians now require a VISA to visit the UK. Apply online: www.ETA-GOV.UK
Read more of Anita’s golf adventures: Los Cabos Luxury: All-Inclusive Quivira Golf Club and Pueblo Bonito Resorts is World Class, Where to find the best golf courses in Thailand, Discover some of the best Golf Courses in New Brunswick, and if you are interested in travel in Canada, here are the top scenic drives that will leave you in awe.
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Travel Writer Anita Draycott participated in a press trip hosted by Visit Wales, which did not review or approve of this article before it was published.
