The Rule of Three – North Wales

Three is usually considered an ugly number in the game of golf.  Whether it’s ‘three off the tee’, the lowly priority of a ‘three ball’ or the dreaded ‘three putt’ (a personal vulnerability), the number three tends to lead to nothing but anger, frustration or desperation. What a wonderful game this is.

But for every Yin I like to think there’s a Yang, and when it comes to scheduling a golf break, three is something of a perfect number. Playing three rounds on a short golf break (which normally only necessitates two nights’ accommodation) appears to strike a chord, particularly in the UK & Ireland. And conveniently there seems to be a pattern of esteemed triumvirates around the country that you can get to easily from a single base, setting up the perfect golfing weekend or a short midweek break.

Often such courses are highly reputable in their own right and are worth the trip alone, but if you’re travelling a distance it’s hard to convince yourself it’s worth the expense (petrol, arghhh!) for a meagre 18 holes. But make a mini-tour of it and it’s a different proposition. More and more courses are cottoning on to the fact that they can attract more visitors in these difficult times if they foster relationships with neighbouring clubs and/or accommodation providers to mutual benefit. Suddenly, a collection of courses becomes a ‘destination’ and a pilgrimage for golfing enthusiasts regardless of the travel time.

Throw in a flagship name to add some pedigree and you’re immediately off to a winner. Hosting a major professional event seems to help, a good example being Castle Stuart (recent Scottish Open host) and its tie up with the superb Royal Dornoch and Nairn Golf Clubs that comprise the Highland Golf Links. The distance to Inverness seems to shrink before your eyes.

But courses don’t need to host The Open to be widely regarded as among the most appealing and enjoyable. As a case in point, you’d struggle to find a better gathering of top class golf courses than those at Conwy, Nefyn & District and Royal St. David’s – three much celebrated and loved links courses in North Wales. Consistently ranked among the best golf courses in the British Isles, each one has an individual claim to feature on the bucket list of any travelling golfer, but armed with the knowledge that they are a manageable drive apart, the region instantly becomes a realistic destination for a fabulous golf break. Especially when considering the value for money, too – a round at each golf course and two nights’ accommodation will cost little more than £200 a head.  Appreciating that a single green fee at some of the Scottish giants will set you back a similar amount, the value of heading to North Wales is self-evident.

Nefyn & District GC

Unique in its own right, Nefyn & District Golf Club offers a 26 hole championship golf course with views of the ocean from every tee. This irregular number of holes is due to the option of playing the Old or New layout, with the Old encompassing eight holes played on the world-famous Point peninsula – a narrow stretch of holes with tees perched above secluded coves, features of stunning inlets and rocky outcrops, a glorious stretch of sandy beach and the Ty Coch Inn, a trip to which is an obligatory part of any schedule. Alternatively, the final eight holes of the New course follow the contours of the headland and coastal inlet, before the grandstand finish on 18 affords unforgettable views of the entire course.

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Royal St. David’s GC

Royal St David’s is unquestionably one of Wales’ premier golf courses and is widely acknowledged as offering a particularly stern test of par. Established in 1894 and set evermore under the watchful eye of Harlech Castle, the breathtaking setting offers the rolling fairways and fast, true greens that would be expected of a championship links course. The undulations and dune land come into play more frequently on the homeward nine, while the blustery weather has the potential to wreak more havoc on the more exposed opening stretch of holes.

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Conwy GC

Nestling in the shadow of Conwy Mountain and overlooking the estuary towards Llandudno’s Great Orme and the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy Golf Club is a truly magnificent setting for links golf on the North Wales coast. The Morfa, as it is locally known, is the links land home to this Open Qualifying venue, and at nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees the length of Conwy alone provides enough evidence of its championship credentials. With flat fairways in abundance, it’s a layout that will gain the approval of links purists seeking a fair test, while the thick but picturesque gorse adds a dash of colour in season and comes into play on the closing holes, demanding accuracy and strategy to score well.

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Between them, Nefyn & District, Royal St. David’s and Conwy have hosted numerous prestigious events including a number on the Ladies European Tour and European Seniors Tour, as well as premier Amateur Championships and Open Qualifying. They jostle for position in the various Top 100 Rankings, but in combination there’s no argument – if ever you needed a compelling case for the Rule of Three, you’ll find it in North Wales.