Royal Porthcawl

Royal Porthcawl | NCG Top 100s : GB & Ireland Golf Courses

Rankings

1st

34th

44th

60th

Any course ranking is always subjective but there are rarely any arguments over the best course in Wales. When the sun is shining, with views of the breaking Atlantic rollers from each and every one of its 18 holes, there are few places a golfer would rather be than Royal Porthcawl.

On other occasions, when the wind whips down the Bristol Channel, it becomes a course of rare difficulty as those same vantage points are exposed indeed. You only need look at the winning scores at the 2023 Senior Open Championship to back that up as Alex Cejka eventually saw off Padraig Harrington after both players finished on +5.

Unusually for a links course, Porthcawl is far from flat and some of the greens are built into the general incline away from the shore. The prevailing wind, roughly off the sea, often counteracts the effect of the slope.

In such conditions, the true challenge of links golf is at its most apparent. Certain holes can be little more than survived and a bogey represents a worthy score indeed. Retaining control of the ball - even if only partially - is paramount, as are the virtues of equanimity and patience.

With much skill and the occasional dose of good fortune, though, it is possible to survive such stretches at Porthcawl and then use the conditions to your advantage later on in the round.

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A Brief History of Royal Porthcawl

The club was founded in 1891 with the first nine-hole course laid out on Lock's Common by Charles Gibson the following year. In 1895, the club moved to its present location with the addition of a further nine-hole course. It was then extended to 18 holes and Royal status was given to the club by King Edward VII in 1909.

The club really established itself when it hosted its first major tournament, the Amateur Championship in 1951. It has played host to the Amateur Championship on seven occasions, most recently in 2016.

1964 saw the Curtis Cup held at Porthcawl, with the Walker Cup then being held at the Welsh venue three decades later. It was here in 1995 that Gary Wolstenholme consigned a youthful Tiger Woods to a singles defeat as GB&I won 14-10.

In the 21st Century, Porthcawl has hosted the Ladies European Tour on multiple occasions, along with a trio of Senior Open Championships and the AIG Women's Open.

Royal Porthcawl Review | NCG Top 100s: GB&I Golf Courses

From any tees apart from the championships, which stretch back to more than 7,000 yards, all four par 5s are a reasonable length and there are several par 4s around 400 yards. Off the Whites, Royal Porthcawl plays to a more manageable 6,580 yards. Were it not the opening hole, for example, the 1st would often present the chance of recording a birdie. As it is, most are happy to ease themselves into the round without disaster and certainly it is imperative to be warmed up before tackling the imposing 2nd and 3rd holes that run parallel to the beach.

After that, the next three holes climb to Porthcawl's highest point. The first of those is the longest par 3 on the course, the 200-yard 4th. The 5th is a par 5 of only 485 yards, and therefore reachable in two. However, playing uphill, and with the boundary line of the property to the left, finding the fairway is more the key than distance here. The 6th is another medium-length par 4, before you come to a cuter-than-cute short hole played to an impossibly narrow green. Despite being just 120 yards, you can run up a five in a matter of seconds by finding sand from the tee. In windy conditions, the true challenge of links golf is at its most apparent.

At 472 yards, the 8th is the shortest of the par 5s at Porthcawl, and offers the chance to get home in two. The 9th begins the descent back towards the sea, doglegging left around some nasty bunkering and undergrowth. In the right conditions, the 10th can be drivable but the green is a plateau and extremely awkward to pitch and chip to. The low, running approach is the order of the day - but only if you get your angles right.

The 12th calls for a blind, uphill drive - hardly the most enticing of prospects - but hold your nerve and you will be rewarded with the chance of a birdie four. Only the very longest of hitters will be reaching the 12th green in two, as the longest hole at 550 yards. Then comes perhaps the most testing portion of the course, with three long par fours flanking a classic links par three that is modest in length but demands a properly struck short iron.

With the 13th and the 15th running in broadly the same direction and the 16th the opposite, regardless of wind direction you will be tested to the extreme at some stage. The pick is probably the 15th, where the rolling fairway is abruptly punctuated by a nest of bunkers in the face of a hill. Then the land falls before rising again to an exposed green. Into the wind, reaching the green is a feat in itself while downwind trying to hold it with a shot coming in fast and flat is equally challenging. The 16th is similar, again featuring cross bunkers that prevent a significant advantage being claimed when playing downwind.

After the final par 5, which like two of the other three climbs uphill throughout, comes the highly unusual closing hole. Downhill all the way and crossing the 1st fairway, even the green slopes towards the sea and it is hard to know which wind makes a closing par more attainable. It is a hole that must be thought through before you find trouble because each mistake seems to lead unavoidably to another. The final one is often a three-putt on what is a treacherous green.

Our Panellists Notes for 2024

Neil Gray: Really good challenge of links golf in excellent condition that tests every club in the bag. Worthy of hosting big events and lives up to its reputation.

Peter Rudd: Championship course with sea views in abundance. A testing links especially when played in the wind.

Sean Arble: Despite a general feeling of the course reminding me of bits and pieces of several championship courses such as Portrush, Muirfield, Formby etc, Porthcawl does retain a sense of place which is of itself. The case is made more succinct considering Porthcawl has hosted many prestigious events over many decades.

David Walker: Course in pristine condition and offers many birdie opportunities, but also severely punishes poorly executed shots or poor decision making.

Chris Myatt: Exactly as links golf should be! More so with less than perfect weather when crashing waves next to the first tee really set the scene.

Greg Webber: A championship course in every sense. Fabulous design, conditioning and presentation. It demands that you plot your way around a wonderful set of holes.

Read more about our panellists here.

FAQs about Royal Porthcawl

Where is Royal Porthcawl Golf Club located?
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club sits on the south coast of Wales, halfway between the two major cities of Cardiff and Swansea. The club is just outside the town of Porthcawl, and overlooks Rest Bay Beach and the Bristol Channel. Both Cardiff and Swansea are within 30 miles from Royal Porthcawl.

Pyle is the nearest train station, sitting five miles to the north of the venue. Trains run between Port Talbot and Cardiff on a regular basis. Cardiff Airport, the busiest airport in Wales, is around 25 miles from Royal Porthcawl. Bristol Airport, which services more than 10 million passengers annually, is 70 miles to the east of the golf club.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Wales venues nearby?
Royal Porthcawl is one of several fantastic golf courses in this part of South Wales. Pyle & Kenfig is just three miles to the north, with Southerndown also within ten miles to the east. The Vale Resort, home to the Wales National Course and the Lake Course, is 20 miles away.

What golf facilities does Royal Porthcawl offer?
Along with the fantastic championship offering, Royal Porthcawl is also home to a five-hole par 3 Academy Course. The venue also houses a full-length driving range and a wonderful short game area as well.

What are the green fees at Royal Porthcawl?
The price of a green fee at Royal Porthcawl changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Royal Porthcawl, visit their website here.

Visit Royal Porthcawl's website here.
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Website

http://www.royalporthcawl.com/

office@royalporthcawl.com

Phone

+44 (0) 1656 782251

Address

Rest Bay, Porthcawl CF36 3UW

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