Golf Breaks in Wales

It’s one of the newer courses on the Welsh golfing landscape, but in its short lifetime, it has already achieved iconic status.

One of three courses on the five-star Celtic Manor Resort, a short drive from Newport in South Wales, Twenty Ten was the first golf course to be purpose-built to host the Ryder Cup, in, of course, 2010.

It became the venue for one of the cup’s more dramatic tussles, culminating in a last-gasp win for the home European team. And, assuring the course’s place in golfing folklore.

Designed to blend some of the great designs of classic PGA Tour venues with the natural beauty of rural Wales, the course is a long and testing track. From the back tees it’s a tasty 6,850 metres, with plenty of slopes, undulations and water hazards to add to the challenge.

Twenty-Ten is an experience golf course. Beautifully maintained, stunning views and a touch of class and elegance from the moment you arrive. And, while it’s undoubtedly and unashamedly set up to test your skills, there’s no escaping that this is a memorable course and one that you need to play.

Rolls of Monmouth

As well as the three quality courses on site, the beauty of basing your golf holiday at the magnificent Celtic Manor Resort is that you’re only a shortish drive from one of the great ‘hidden gems’ of British golf.

The Rolls of Monmouth, set on the former estate of the Rolls family (of Rolls-Royce fame), the course, tucked into the Monmouthshire countryside is every bit as classy as the cars that made the family.

Always in stunning condition, the course offers tranquillity and some simply breath-taking rural views (and the odd herd of deer) to complement the craftily designed layout that’s a joy to play.

Generous fairways help the course reward good play and whatever your handicap, if you’re playing well, you can post a score. But veer off track and there are trees, sand traps and long grass to halt your progress, while the sloping greens always throw up the possibility of a three-putt.

Arguably the signature of the round is the eighteenth, and what a way to finish. An elevated par-three that asks you to carry the ball some 180m over water from the backs, to a sloping green. All with the stunning manor house standing imperiously in the background.

A real treat and one to add to the itinerary if you’re staying in the area.

Local architect Peter Johnson designed the National, at the sumptuous Vale Resort, to be a genuine test and thrill for serious golfers. A modern course, heavily influenced by championship tracks in the USA, the holes are long, tight and often close to water.

And, while this can lead to testing days, it’s a lot of fun to experience. Largely this is down to the always immaculate condition, the glorious Vale of Glamorgan setting and its proximity to the magnificent facilities of the hotel, spa and golf complex as a whole.

The course is challenging but top quality, and in the long par-4 16th, you have a signature hole that makes the round worth playing all on its own. Requiring length and accuracy off the tee, you’ll need to navigate the hazards with care, before a dauntingly sloping green awaits you.

And when you’ve put your skills to the test on the National, enjoy a night in the restaurant before heading to its sister course, The Lakes, the next day.

Royal Porthcawl

We absolutely endorse the Vale Resort as a truly memorable destination to base your golf holiday in Wales. But not just for the two great courses on site. But also because you’re less than 30 minutes from some stunning links golf along the coast.

And, while we could easily have plumped for Pyle & Kenfig or Southerndown for dramatic links challenges, it is the rugged splendour of Royal Porthcawl that really turns our head.

A former host of the Senior British Open and the Walker Cup, Royal Porthcawl clings to the craggy coastline near Rest Bay and offers a links experience to rival those you’ll find in Scotland and Ireland. Rolling fairways, high gorse, devilish pot bunkers and spectacularly good greens await your visit.

And like all great links courses, when the sun shines, it offers you opportunities.

When the wind blows, beware.

A former multiple host of the British Masters, the Old Course on the stunning Marriot Resort at St Pierre in South Wales is a real treat for golfers looking for high-quality golf.

A classic example of British parkland golf, the course offers tree-lined fairways, plenty of water and an always exceptional set-up. Add to the fact that it resides on a resort that offers all you’d expect from a modern golf destination, which makes St Pierre a hugely popular place to play and to stay.

The Old Course also offers the chance to tread the same fairways as some of the games' greats, from Seve and Woosnam to Norman and Langer. All of whom will have enjoyed the same thrill as you will receive when standing on the signature 18th.

A raking 220 metre par-3 over a sprawling lake to finish.

Suffice to say it’s been the scene of plenty of drama over the years.

Welcome in the hillside, welcome in the Vale