Royal Porthcawl Golf Club: Course Review, Tee Times and Key Info

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Key Information

This three-time Senior Open venue on the South Wales coast is, for many, the undisputed star of Welsh links golf. It's also a permanent fixture towards the upper echelons of the Golf Monthly Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland rankings.

I make no secret of the fact that this is one of my very favourite places on Planet Golf and it has become a real go-to place for me whenever I feel the need to re-energise, reset or just get away from it all.

Staying in the dormy rooms and wandering out early morning, steaming coffee in hand, to gaze out over the links is the perfect way to soak it all in and set the mood for the day ahead.

There are many great - and many testing - holes but I've always had a soft spot for the heavily bunkered short par-3 7th, with its fascinating green - proof that Royal Troon's Postage Stamp doesn't have it all is own way in any 'testing tiddlers' contest.

Porthcawl presents a superb, and at times, dramatic test, setting its stall out from the start with a fine trio of holes flanking the boardwalk and beach on the left. Exceedingly closely in the case of the 2nd where the OOB fence sits worryingly close to the green.

You then turn back via a dauntingly long par 3 with a thought-provoking green and a fine par 5 where the final approach plays steeply up to a narrow target.

The golfing treats come thick and fast, from that tiny but well-defended par-3 7th to the exhilarating slingshot 9th.

With holes heading in multiple directions, there’s superb variety throughout. The back nine can be particularly challenging with a number of demanding par 4s. Among them are the back and forth duo at 15 and 16, both blessed with devious cross bunkers and uphill approaches.

Perhaps one of the very best things about Royal Porthcawl is that with no towering dunes in the way and a wonderful tract of land that slopes gently down towards the beach, there are great sea views to be savoured from almost every part of the course.

The 18th sweeps back down to the clubhouse. Its 50-yard-long green means that merely finding the putting surface will not always be enough.

Harry Colt, J.H. Taylor and Tom Simpson are among those to have helped shape the layout over the years. Martin Ebert has overseen further recent improvements to keep Porthcawl in the thoughts of those organising golf’s premier events.

Bernhard Langer won the Senior Open here in 2014 and 2017, which perhaps tells you all you need to know about the strategic test. The fact that his winning scores were 14 shots apart – 18-under and then just 4-under – tells you just how stiff that test can be when conditions dictate.

What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…

Gordon Ross

One of the highlights at Porthcawl is the sea views wherever you are on the course. With the addition of new bunkers this gives every hole strong visuals. The only negative is the steelworks in the distance but that really is a minor point. Once you get to the greens, there are not many flat putts. Most greens have either lumps and bumps or a gentle slope in one direction. Quite a few also have subtle run-off areas and if the flags are placed close to the edges (which they were on several holes) it makes things both interesting and tricky. A trip to Porthcawl is always something to look forward to. High-class traditional golf with a warm welcome. One of my personal favourites and a course that grows on me every time I visit.

Emily Hudson

Without a doubt the best course in Wales. A superb links that will challenge you from the first shot to the last and an incredible test of golf throughout. 13 through 16 are mammoth holes to battle through, and the back nine in general is one of the more difficult I’ve played. The greens were probably the best I’ve ever played on, which was even more impressive given it was October. Unbelievable for the time of year.

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club location

How to book a tee-time at Royal Porthcawl

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club Scorecard

Best Courses Near Royal Porthcawl

PENNARD
Golf has been played here since 1896 with the course benefitting from a major James Braid makeover in 1908. The club understandably trades on its 'Links in the Sky' name as there are plenty of linksy humps and bumps here despite the course floating some 200ft above the Bristol Channel. Looking down on the estuary from the 6th and 7th, you will completely understand why.

CELTIC MANOR TWENTY TEN
The star attraction at Celtic Manor is, of course, the Twenty Ten course where Europe just got the better of the USA in the 2010 Ryder Cup. After a relatively quiet start, it comes alive in the middle section by the River Usk where water is a constant threat, nowhere more so than on the 14th which kinks between two lakes. Make four here and you’ve done very well.

Best Places To Stay Near Royal Porthcawl

Royal Porthcawl Dormy - Book now at royalporthcawl.com
The club has its own accommodation on site and it's a great place to wake up in the morning with the 1st tee just yards away. There are six single and three twin rooms. Each room is furnished with an en-suite bathroom, TV and wireless internet as well as tea- and coffee-making facilities, which are replenished daily.

Rose And Crown, Nottage - Book now at Booking.com
The Rose And Crown is a classic inn situated in the charming village of Nottage in Porthcawl. It has free WiFi, free parking, a bar and a restaurant. The restaurant provides quality food in informal surroundings. A full English breakfast is served every morning. All bedrooms have their own bathroom, some with a bath.

Royal Porthcawl Gallery

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ROYAL PORTHCAWL HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

• 2025/26 - 21
• 2023/24 - 21
• 2021/22 - 22
• 2019/20 - 23
• 2017/18 - 23
• 2015/16 - 22
• 2013/14 - 28
• 2011/12 - 29
• 2009/10 - 31

Frequently Asked Questions