Mid Wales golf courses: highlights gallery

Mid Wales golf courses offer excellent variety from the beautiful layouts of the rolling mid-Welsh hills to a host of great coastal golf along Cardigan Bay

Aberdovey

This famous course, set on a slender strip of curving links land close to the Dyfi estuary, offers a true links test with tall dunes in places, the most natural-looking of bunkers and some excellent holes. The proximity of the railway adds to the challenge down the stretch. Ranked 65^th in Golf Monthly’s Top 100. Along with Royal’s St David’s. Aberdovey forms the cream of Mid Wales golf courses.

The 2nd hole at Aberdovey flanks the tallest dunes between course and sea

Royal St David’s

This wonderful course laid out over linksland under the towering gaze of mighty Harlech Castle poses a test that gets better and better as the round goes on, with the back nine in particular playing over the most rumpled of links terrain. The blind par-3 14^th and excellent par-4 15^th stand out on a course ranked 44^th in Golf Monthly’s Top 100.

Harlech Castle looks down over the links at Royal St David’s

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth starts with a pair of fearsome uphill 430-yarders and ends with three holes up behind the clubhouse with wonderful views out over the town and the expansive Cardigan Bay coastline beyond. Elsewhere, there’s generally room to manoeuvre off the tee, though the sloping greens form an extra layer of defence.

Tricky greens add to the defences at Aberystwyth

Borth & Ynyslas

This old links is bisected by the coast road just north of Aberystwyth, with the best holes tucked away out of sight of the passing traffic mid-round where the taller dunes make their presence felt. Borth offers near-permanent sea views, and one or two particularly narrow stretches between sea and road.

Borth & Ynyslas just north of Aberystwyth boasts some very fine links holes

Cardigan

The course is set high above the bay by the Teifi Estuary, with magnificent sea views that can sometimes stretch all the way up to the Llyn over 50 miles away at the northern end of the bay. The course offers elements of links, clifftop, heathland and parkland golf.

The views from Cardigan Golf Club on a clear day are second to none

Llandrindod Wells

Llandrindod Wells, a Harry Vardon course dating back to 1905, is not long by modern standards at just under 5,800 yards, but is a fun place to play in a beautiful setting without every facet of your game being tested to the limit. It plays over beautiful upland turf looking down over the spa town.

The beautiful Harry Vardon course set above the town at Llandrindod Wells

Builth Wells

Another mid-Welsh course of modest length, playing through verdant rolling countryside near the historic market town. The River Chewfri bisects the course, closely flanking a number of holes.

Water comes into play on several holes at Builth Wells

Cradoc

Set at the foot of the majestic Brecon Beacons, this relatively young course just outside Brecon offers a highly enjoyable parkland test and mountain views to die for.