Pennard

Pennard Golf Club, based in south Wales near Swansea, is a traditional members club known as “The Links in the Sky”. 
 

Founded in 1896, the club has a storied history and has stunning views of the Gower Peninsula. Pennard Golf Club made history in 2022, when it became the first venue to host a joint Male and Female Welsh Amateur Championship in 2022.
 

 

 

Visit Pennard's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
 

Golf was first played in Pennard in 1896, with James Braid and C.K. Cotton being the two men who have had a hand in the design of the golf course.

Thomas Penrice was the man who owned the land in the beginning, and he allowed a small number of golfers to play on the land he owned. The club was reconstituted in 1908, following the death of Penrice, with Pennard Golf Club being officially founded.

Pennard brought in Tom Doak and Clyde Johnson midway through the 2010s, with the aim of adding some artificially revetted bunkers to add another level of character to the course.
 

It is certainly not the longest golf course in the world, that is for sure. Despite being a par 71 layout, even from the tips, Pennard doesn't push to 6,400 yards. However, the challenges come in the undulations of the fairways and greens, the thick rough on the dunes and much more…
 

The opening hole at Pennard is a straight away par 4, measuring in at over 410 yards. A good drive is required off the 1st tee to get your round underway with a good score. Watch out for the big slice onto the road running down the right side. The 2nd is a short par 3 at just 145 yards, but a two-tiered green can challenge even the best putters. The 3rd is a sharp dog-leg left, and requires a solid drive to get to the corner and to provide yourself with the best angle of the putting surface. The 4th is the longest hole on the course at 550 yards, and plays downhill to a green that slopes away from you. That makes it reachable in two, but only for the longest of hitters.
 

The 5th is a downhill par 3 to a green guarded by bunkers, before 6 plays back up the slope, and then to a green in a hollow, surrounded by grass verges. 7 and 8 are medium-length par 4s that offer birdie opportunities before the front side at Pennard closes with a brute of a par 4. The 9th is 455 yards in length and plays slightly uphill, making par a great score to finish the opening nine.
 

10 has a ditch down the left hand side, but at 485 yards, it is a reachable par 5. A 180 yard par 3 follows, played over a valley. A false front means club selection is vital, you cannot be short. 12 is less than 300 yards and is reachable for the bigger hitters before you come to the tough par 3 13th. At more than 200 yards, ‘Colonel’ requires a very good shot to make the green. There is just the one bunker in play, sitting to the front left, but there is plenty of space for anyone bailing out to the right.
 

The closing stretch at Pennard begins with the 14th, a tricky, dog-leg left par 4 that plays its full 410 yards from the tips. 15 is a 165-yard par 3 that features a two-tiered green. If you find the wrong part of the green, then it is a tricky two-putt. Back-to-back par 5s offer a pair of scoring chances late on in the round at 16 and 17, before the tough finale. The 18th is more than 410 yards, and requires an accurate tee shot down one of the narrowest fairways on the course. Once again, there are no bunkers by the green, making it a green light to attack!
 

Where is Pennard Golf Club located?
Pennard Golf Club is located in South Wales, less than ten miles west of the city of Swansea. It is situated next to the village of Southgate, and is within the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 
 

Swansea Airport is only a few miles from the venue, but Cardiff Airport is 50 miles from Pennard Golf Club, and the busiest airport in the country. Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport are both also within three hours of Pennard. 

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Wales venues nearby?
Pennard is one of three venues on the NCG Top 100s: Wales that sits on the Gower Peninsula. The others - Langland Bay and Clyne - are both within five miles from Pennard. Machynys Peninsula, Ashburnham and Royal Porthcawl are all within 20 miles as well.

What golf facilities does Pennard Golf Club offer?  
The club does have its own driving range, which sits to the west of the clubhouse, in the opposite direction to the 1st tee. There is also a short game area and a putting green as well.
  

What are the green fees at Pennard Golf Club?
The price of a green fee at Pennard Golf Club 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 Pennard, visit their website here. 

 

 

Visit Pennard's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.