Morfa Bychan,
Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9UU
Office
+44 (0)1766 514 124Pro shop
+44 (0)1766 513 828Fax
+44 (0)1766 514 124Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Mark Pilkington (PGA Golf Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Links & parkland. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland and hinterland.
Designer:
James Braid
52.913638
-4.156758
1.5 mi SW of Portmadog / 26 miles S of Bangor.
From the centre of Porthmadog, turn off the High Street direction Morfa Bychan / Blackrock Sands. After 1.5 miles golf clubhouse will come into view on your left.
Porthmadog Golf Club is well-known for its "pure links" back-nine, a challenging collection of holes that weave through an undulating area of seaside dunes. In contrast, the layout's "inland" front-nine is considerably flatter, less dramatic and more parkland in character. Water ditches and small ponds are the key hazards found on the front-nine loop, although the crisp linksy turf has much in common with the back-nine.
The signal that suggests things are going to change between front and back nines, comes at the downhill par-3 9th, played from a nicely elevated tee. It's the front-nine's most memorable hole, although the earlier island-green par-3 6th, surrounded by reeds, may also have left an impression on you, and/or your scorecard.
As you tee-off at the par-4 10th (Ynys Cyngar) you enter the tightly folding "true links" terrain of Porthmadog's renowned back-nine loop. More compact than the outward-nine, here you'll enjoy greater elevation change and the best of Porthmadog's seaside scenery. There's also a couple of holes that get you directly alongside Samson's Bay, with views down to the beach at the long par-3 11th (Carreg Samson) and short doglegging uphill par-4 12th (Cwt Powdr).
Pick of the holes: glorious views abound from the tee-box of the downhill par-3 13th (Pen Yr Ynys), with Samson Bay and its huge beach much in focus, as well as Tremadog Bay and the Irish Sea beyond. Stretching away to your left are enough dunes to create another fabulous nine holes of links golf! Ahead of you, the most linksy of the par-3s.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Proof of handicap required. Visitors (men/women) must play from the forward (Yellow/Red) tees.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course.
Limited
Porthmadog & Borth-y-Gest Golf Club, as it was originally called, was opened in the early 1900's, with the course in play by 1905. In the early days members were expected to pay compensation for any grazing animals killed or injured by them. Numerous changes and modifications have been carried out since then, including the removal of grazing animals from the course!
An enchanting place to stay in this area is at Portmeirion, either in the Portmeirion village, the hotel, or at the recently refurbished Castle Deudraeth, just before the village (see Where2Stay section below).
Wales' 14th best course (Golf World, 2023).
131 High Street, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9HB
+44 (0)1766 512 490
Visit websiteThe Royal Sportsman is Porthmadog's premier hotel, the only full service quality 3-star hotel in Porthmadog. The main part of this recently refurbished Victorian Hotel was originally built in 1862, with the restaurant and garden rooms added much later.
No
Porthmadog
Royal St David's; Nefyn & District (22 miles).
Portmeirion, Gwynedd LL48 6ET
+44 (0)1766 770 000
Visit websiteBuilt between 1926 and 1976, Portmeirion village is the extraordinary creation of Clough Williams-Ellis. This wonderful Italianate village of great beauty and charm is also home to the world famous pottery that bears its name. On site accommodation is provided in the seashore Portmeirion Hotel, at the Castell Deudraeth with its contemporary rooms, or in self-catering cottages dotted around the village. The Prisoner, a late-1960s TV series starring Patrick McGoohan, was famously filmed in Portmeirion village.
No
Porthmadog
Nefyn & District; Royal St David's.
The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.
Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.
Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.
Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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