For our May meeting we return to Wales to play two wonderful courses along the North Coast.
Our 2027 itinerary begins in North Wales when we visit two of the finest links courses in the country. Golf began at Conwy as far back as 1869, the original designer being Jack Morris, nephew of Old Tom Morris. The current layout is the result of mid-1970s front nine changes by Frank Pennink and back nine alterations by Brian Huggett and Neil Coles to allow for the building of the A55 tunnel in the early 1980s. Conwy is a fairly flat links but still has lots of variety as the fairways carve their way between dunes, gorse and the shoreline. The course has played host to a number of major tournaments including the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, the Home Internationals and the Curtis Cup won by the USA Team in 2021.
Formed in 1894 and situated just across the estuary from the course at Conwy, North Wales Golf Club is laid out on Llandudno’s lovely West Shore. This excellent links layout offers an interesting variety of holes that run out along the rail line then back along the shore, with small and tricky greens throughout. There is only one par five and three short holes on the inward half, so par for the back nine is only 34. The round builds until the wonderful 8th hole and is nothing short of spectacular from then onwards. Two of the par threes are played back-to-back at the 16th and 17th holes and the club founder, having originally purchased the land for the course from the Church Commissioners, presumably attempted to minimize any offence by naming them “O.L.” and “L.O” – Oh hell and hello!