Wales has more than 170 golf courses for a country of its size, and the quality at the top end matches anything in Britain. The country's coastline – from the Gower Peninsula to the LlÅ·n Peninsula and Pembrokeshire – is festooned with seaside links that combine dramatic scenery with genuine golf challenges.
Yet Wales remains consistently underrated on the international golf circuit. Visitors who might spend £300 at St Andrews for roughly comparable quality can play Royal Porthcawl for half the price and experience Pennard, Aberdovey and Tenby in the same week for less than a single round at many Scottish championship venues.
This guide covers the best golf courses in Wales by region, with honest green fee information and the tips you need to make the most of a Wales golf trip.
Wales's Finest Golf Courses
Royal Porthcawl
£130—£200Wales's finest course and one of Britain's great links. Host of The Amateur, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup. Every hole has a view of the Bristol Channel. Exceptional and often underestimated.
Pennard
£60—£90Wild, wind-swept and utterly dramatic. A ruined Norman castle stands in the middle of the course. Pennard punishes poor shots with gorse and coastal rough – a true adventure round.
Tenby
£55—£80The oldest golf club in Wales (1888). Perched above the beach with views of Carmarthen Bay, Tenby is a gem of a traditional links that rewards low ball flight and intelligent play.
Aberdovey
£55—£90The late golf writer Bernard Darwin's favourite course. Where the Dyfi estuary meets Cardigan Bay, Aberdovey is one of golf's most honest and pleasurable rounds – and a bargain.
Harlech (Royal St David's)
£75—£110Harlech Castle looming overhead, Snowdonia behind and Cardigan Bay in front – the setting alone justifies the journey. Royal St David's is a proper championship links with a demanding finish.
Celtic Manor (Twenty Ten)
£120—£180Host of the 2010 Ryder Cup. The Twenty Ten course was purpose-built for match play and the closing holes are genuinely dramatic. The resort also houses two other courses.
Vale Resort (Wales National)
£65—£120Wales's national golf venue. Host of the European Tour's Wales Open, the Wales National course is a fine parkland test with excellent facilities and accessible green fees.
Ashburnham
£60—£90A superb traditional links in Pembrey, overlooking the Loughor Estuary and Gower Peninsula. One of Wales's most challenging and underrated courses – worth seeking out.
Golf in Wales by Region
South Wales & the Vale
The South Wales links corridor runs from Royal Porthcawl west through Southerndown, Pyle & Kenfig and Ashburnham. Celtic Manor and the Vale of Glamorgan add world-class resort golf within easy reach of the M4. Cardiff has several excellent parkland courses for visiting golfers.
Pembrokeshire & West Wales
Tenby's links overlooking Carmarthen Bay is the jewel of West Wales. Pembrokeshire's wild coastline is one of Britain's most dramatic, and the golf courses – Trefloyne, Newport Links, Cardigan – make excellent companions for walkers and coastal hikers alike.
Mid Wales & Cardigan Bay
Aberdovey and Borth & Ynyslas sit on Cardigan Bay – two of golf's most characterful courses in a setting of extraordinary natural beauty. Green fees are modest, the welcome is warm and the courses are a world away from the tourist trail.
North Wales
Royal St David's at Harlech – with its backdrop of Snowdonia and the castle ramparts – is North Wales golf's standout attraction. Conwy, Rhyl and Prestatyn offer seaside golf on the North Wales coast, and the LlÅ·n Peninsula's course at Nefyn juts dramatically into the Irish Sea.
Why Wales for a Golf Holiday?
Outstanding Value
World-class golf at half the price of Scotland. Royal Porthcawl costs less than many Yorkshire parkland clubs.
Incredible Scenery
The Gower, Pembrokeshire, Snowdonia and Cardigan Bay make Wales's golf backdrops unmatchable in Britain.
Warm Welcome
Welsh golf clubs are renowned for their hospitality. The 19th hole is an essential part of any round here.
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