Royal Porthcawl Golf Club

Founded in 1891, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club has been regarded as one of the very best links courses for a long time. Granted its royal title in 1909 by King Edward VII, this is a historical place that has hosted numerous high profile events including its first Seniors British Open Championship in 2014 which was won by Bernard Langar who beat the rest of the field by an incredible 13 strokes!

The likes of Ramsey Hunter, Harry Colt, Fred G. Hawtree, J. H. Taylor and Tom Simpson have all added their touch to Porthcawl which has elevated the course to such a status that it is often ranked inside the world’s top 100 courses by many leading publications.

In addition to a world-class links, visitors are certain of a warm welcome and will find a traditional clubhouse with a restaurant and bar as well as a well-stocked pro-shop for merchandise.

Royal Porthcawl Golf Course overview

Golfers coming to Royal Porthcawl will experience a wonderfully challenging links course. There is no hiding place from the elements at Porthcawl with the Bristol Channel acting as a funnel for Atlantic gales. To add to this, the course is not a traditional ‘out and back’ layout as holes loop back on each other, resulting in golfers having different wind directions to negotiate.

At 7065-yards from the back tees, it can play very long when needed but at the same time, position off the tee is vital with many strategically placed bunkers laying in wait to catch wayward shots.

Another feature of the course is that golfers are afforded ocean views from every hole, aided by the fact there are no sand dunes which are typically associated with links courses. Royal Porthcawl is Wales’ centrepiece golf course and should be included in any golf tour in this part of the world.

Did You Know?

Royal Porthcawl was initially a 9-hole course, built in 1891 on land adjacent to the existing course. It was in 1895 that the club acquired a new piece of property and built the original 18-hole course designed by Ramsey Hunter.