- I can honestly say I really enjoyed our weekend in June at
the Vale of Glamorgan which has two exceptional courses and
superb facilities. The staff bent over backwards to be
helpful and were extremely friendly also the team in the
professional shop made organizing of events very easy as
well as helping you part with your money.
- The five star hotel rooms were spacious and luxurious
compared with other golfing complexes we had stayed at and
they also didn’t mind you taking your clubs back to the
room after the days play.
- Overall I couldn’t fault the place or the course’s
which were in very good condition although we all felt the
Wales National greens needed a cut of the first day.
- The
Wales
National
- Don’t expect to play two rounds in day on this course as
it took five plus hours to complete the rounds due to the
long walking distances between tees. I am not a great
favorite of buggies but when you play the course you will
understand why they have so many of them on offer. I
wouldn’t say that you will come off exhausted if you
walked the course but if you pick a wet day you will find
that you are walking just as much using the buggies as they
have to be kept to the paths.
- Front nine
- The course measures 6608 yards of the yellow tees and par
73 SSS of 71 and you start with a long par four that dog
legs off to the left which needs two very big and well
placed shots. The second is along par five which starts off
with a tee shot that narrows just at the point were you
would expect the ball to land, your next shot is down hill
an funnels towards a pond just in front and left of the big
tiered green. Hole three is quite a tough par three the hole
is 175 yards down hill and is protected by are large bunker
at the front of the green. The green has a large tier so if
you land at the front and the pin is on the right hand half
of the green be thankful if you walk away with a par. The
fourth another par five has a uphill tee shot towards a
large oak just off the right of the fairway you are then met
by bunkers down the left hand side of the fairway and
another to the left at the front of a big green. As you
stand on the fifth all you can see is a large mound with
large bunkers buried at the base you are tempted to play
over the top to the green which is 386 yards away, the wise
choice would be to stay left of it to leave yourself about a
seven iron to the green at the bottom of the hill. The sixth
is a very pretty hole you are confronted with a large pond
which stretches from the right hand side and in front of the
green. Your tee shot is a accurate mid iron to the bottom of
the hill leaving you a wedge over water to the large green
the other side. There is a short walk through some gates and
across a road to the seventh tee. The hole is another par
five dog leg left which is pretty open after you have hit
your tee shot to the centre of the fairway. There are a
couple of large trees in the fairway which obstruct your
view but I found if you went wide of them you still had a
reasonable shot to the green. The eighth is a very nice par
three 168 yards of the yellows to a tiered green, if you
land anywhere on this green you will be faced with a big
put. The ninth a par four plays very long 437 yards even
though most of it is down hill there is also a large bunker
protecting the right hand side and a large slope through the
middle of the green.
- Back nine
- For me the tenth is the best hole on the course and starts
of with a tee shot the needs really to be left of centre of
the fairway although the trees on the left do come into
play. You will see water all the way down the left and you
will also see some red posts in a couple of places on the
right along with a bunker which will catch your second shot.
The fairway will seem very narrow but there is actually
plenty of space to the right after the bunker. The lake also
seems to run in front of the green from the middle of the
fairway adjacent to the bunker, unless you are careful this
will make you aim to the right hand side to avoid the water
and you will find trouble if you over hit. Eleven is a
quirky hole you are confronted with a oak tree smack in the
middle of the fairway, the hole itself is only 316 yards but
need a carefully place tee shot for a chance to hit the
green. The twelve is a good par three 152 yards with a
tiered green. The next four holes wind around several lakes
and ponds, the thirteenth has a narrow tee shot with trees
to the left and water down the right hand side. If you have
a good drive you will see a bunker covering both sides of
the very large green. This is followed by a cracking par
three it has a elevated tee and the green lies across water
which is also protected by bunkers on the left, the green
has a large slope nearly six feet from bottom to top. The
fifteenth a par five takes you back up the other side of the
lake and has a narrow tee shot your second shot is towards
two ponds sat straight in the middle of the fairway and as
long as you are short you should have an easy wedge to the
green. Hole sixteen is tough hole the tee shot needs to be
long and straight past the two trees either side of the
fairway then the next shot to the green should be simple if
you approach from the left mind the water down the right
hand side. There is a fairly long walk to the seventeenth
and when you get there you are left wondering what club to
play the hole is a sharp dog left with a large oak
protecting the fairway to the left, best shot is to play a
mid iron towards the oak in the distance with a slight cut
to get you in position for a long shot down the fairway to
the green. For a finishing hole on a championship course and
only 352 yards long I can’t help to feel they could have
picked a better hole, there is nothing that really troubles
you on this hole if you keep it straight. The approach shot
to the green is met by a bunker to the left which has
railway sleepers above it.
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- The Lakes Course (members course)
- I can see why the members prefer to play this course it
isn’t hard on your feet, dosent take five hours to play,
there is water everywhere hence he name. The course starts
of fairly easy with a par three and par five but has lots of
interesting holes as you go around. I have picked three of
my favorites but honestly I couldn’t fault any of the
holes as I really enjoyed playing the course. The three
holes I have chosen are the eighth a 207 yard par three
which has a elevated tee which heads down to a green which
has a large lake at the back, the green itself has a large
tier in it which slopes from back to front. The twelve a par
four with an island green, the tee shot needs to be placed
centre f the fairway leaving you a well judged short iron to
the green. And finally the eighteenth a long par five the
tee shot to the corner leaves you with the need for a well
judged second to take just short of the pond for a chance of
hitting the green the other side.
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