Whitchurch

Whitchurch Golf Club is one of several cracking parkland courses in and around the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. 

At certain points throughout a round, the course offers views of the city, along with the Bristol Channel beyond. 

The course is a mature parkland, having been around for well over a century. With tree-lined fairways, plenty of bunkers, and water hazards that bookend the course, it is a great challenge for golfers of every level. 

Visit Whitchurch’s website here. 

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The history of Whitchurch Golf Club dates back to 1914, with the club originally founded as a 9-hole venue, and with Hubert Walker laying out the first course. Eight years later, more land was acquired, and the course was turned into an 18-hole layout. 

The great Ian Woosnam, winner of the 1991 Masters Tournament, holds the course record at Whitchurch, with a marvellous 62. 

Woosnam, along with Brian Huggett, have both won the Welsh Professional Championship at Whitchurch – a course that has also hosted the Welsh Ladies Open and the Girls British Open Championship.

Whitchurch Golf Club sits on elevated parkland, with great views of Penarth Head, the Bristol Channel and the skyline of Cardiff. It is sheltered by the Wenallt Hills to the north, and is overlooked by the 13th Century Castell Coch. The course is well known for its cracking selection of par 3s, which all offer different challenges. Whitchurch pushes close to 6,300 yards from the tips, playing as a par 71. A gentle start has to be taken advantage of, as the closing stretch bears its teeth. 

The 1st at Whitchurch might well be one of the best opening par 3s in the country. It is 175 yards, and played over water to the green. If you’re not warm before you get to the first tee, then that could cause a problem. After that, two great birdie chances follow. The 2nd is only 280 yards, even from the tips, and a solid drive will find its way pretty close to the green. The 3rd is one of three par 5s at Whitchurch. At just under 500 yards, and with a generous fairway in front of you, this is a green light to attack with the driver. The fairway does camber from right to left at the start, before flattening out. A trio of cross bunkers offer the perfect spot to stay short of for those laying up. 

A trio of tricky par 4s hit you through the middle of the front nine. The 4th might only be 305 yards, but plays uphill and with one of the narrower fairways on the course. OOB left and behind the green add to the difficulty. The 5th is the Stroke Index 1, playing at more than 430 yards and as a slight dog-leg left. The ideal line – for those that can carry it – is over the bunker on the inside corner of the fairway. Five more traps are in your eyeline for the approach shot to a two-tiered green. The 6th is 440 yards, and although straight, the tee shot has to come through a narrow funnel of trees to find the short grass. Like the 5th, there are five bunkers in and around the green that must be avoided. 7 is a slightly uphill par 3 which plays longer than its carded 170 yards. Another two-tiered green, make sure you take the right club to find the right section. 

Around the turn, you play the last two par 5s at Whitchurch, at the 8th and 10th. 8 is the longest hole on the course at 515 yards, and from where the back tee sits, it looks like a dog-leg right. However the hole is relatively straight, but the fairway cambers from left-to-right so aiming down the left side of the fairway is the key off the tee. The 10th is the shortest of the par 5s, at just 490 yards. It is reachable in two for the longer hitters but only if the eight bunkers that are dotted down the hole are avoided. In between those sits the short par 4 9th - a good birdie chance to close the front nine at just 335 yards. 

11 is the first of three 400+ yard par 4s on the back nine. Like the 8th, the position of the tee makes you aim to the left side of the fairway. The approach then has to carry two bunkers to find the putting surface. 12 is a dog-leg left with an uphill tee shot. It is only 340 yards, but the nature of the hole makes it more difficult than you might give it credit for. 13 is the shortest, and cutest hole on the course. It plays downhill, meaning it is less than its 137 yards, while three bunkers sit around the green. Anything long runs the risk of going OOB. The other par 3 on the back nine comes at 15, and it is much longer. The 15th is almost 200 yards from the back tees, and played through a funnel of trees to reach the green, which is out in the open. Five bunkers line either side of the putting surface. 

The rest of the closing stretch at Whitchurch offers up a quartet of par 4s. 14 is the longest of those at 430 yards. It moves slightly from left to right, and features another four greenside bunkers. 16 and 17 are both medium length, and providing you find the fairway, should pose no real issues whatsoever. The closing hole is 420 yards in length from the tips, has OOB all the way down the left, a water hazard on the right and a two-tiered green to contend with. Make it through all that and you’re writing down a par on the card, you’ll be very happy with your finish!

Where is Whitchurch Golf Club located?

Whitchurch Golf Club is one of several golfing venues located in and around the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The venue sits to the north of the city, less than five miles from the centre of Cardiff. Whitchurch sits just off the A370, and only a few hundred yards from the M4, making it easy to reach for those coming from the east.

Whitchurch Station is also within easy reach, just a short walk from the entrance to the golf club. Trains run on a regular basis between Penarth and Coryton, stopping in Cardiff on route. For all clubs in this part of the country, Cardiff Airport – the busiest airport in Wales – is also the closest. Whitchurch is just 15 miles from Cardiff Airport.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Wales venues nearby?

The Vale Resort – home to the Lake Course and the Wales National Course – is only eight miles to the west of Whitchurch, while Celtic Manor, with its Montgomerie Course, Roman Road Course and Twenty Ten Course, is less than 20 miles to the east. Southerndown, Royal Porthcawl, Pyle & Kenfig and the Old Course at St Pierre Country Club are also within a 30-mile drive as well.

What golf facilities does Whitchurch Golf Club offer?

There are hitting nets and a short game area to allow players to warm up before they take to the course. The putting green sits in front of the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Whitchurch Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Whitchurch 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 Whitchurch Golf Club, visit their website here.