I Enjoyed My Visit To This Lovely Parkland Layout On The Outskirts Of The Welsh Capital
Jeremy Ellwood finally plays Whitchurch Golf Club, which he had passed within a few hundred yards of many times on the M4 but never before visited
Whitchurch is one of several clubs dotted around the northern suburbs of Cardiff, the Welsh capital, in this instance very close to where the M4 joins the A470, Wales' longest road.
This trunk route stretches all the way up to Llandudno, 186 miles away on the north coast, hitting the North Wales Expressway not far from the fine links at Conwy Golf Club, a fixture in the Golf Monthly Next 100.
Looking down on the 11th green at Whitchurch in the centre of this photo
The club was founded in 1914 and initially played over a nine-hole layout until it was extended to 18 holes in 1923. A young Ian Woosnam won the Welsh Professional Championship 40 years ago in 1986 at Whitchurch and Nigel Edwards, who played on four GB&I Walker Cup teams before captaining the side three times, is a member. He was victorious twice as a player and twice as a captain.
The green, green grass
You only need to look at Google maps to appreciate what an oasis the course here represents among Cardiff's northern residential suburbs of Whitchurch, Pantmawr and Rhiwbina, some five miles from the city centre.
Unusually, the first couple of holes – a testing downhill par 3 where water lurks, then a short gentle dogleg right – loop back to the clubhouse, from where a high-tech screen system then tells you when it is safe to tackle the blind tee shot on the par-5 3rd.
After another hole playing out along Pantmawr Road, this time a short par 4, you turn back for one of the best front-nine holes, the 432-yard 5th, which plays down, then up and round to the left to a very attractive and well-bunkered green.
The attractive and beautifully bunkered green complex on the 5th hole at Whitchurch
The par-5 8th, playing in the opposite direction again, will prove a real test for faders and slicers as the fairway slopes down markedly from left to right, meaning that the right-hand trees must see more than their fair share of golfing action over the course of a season.
Chances and challenges
The excellent short par-4 9th and gettable par-5 10th then both play in a similar direction down towards the houses, with the latter offering a real birdie chance to help offset some of the tougher tests ahead.
Looking back up the 9th at Whitchurch - don't err long or right of this green
You make your way back up on 11 and 12 to the tee of the lovely, downhill short par-3 13th near the clubhouse, where three sizable bunkers await anything short, left or right.
The green on the downhill par-3 13th hole is well-protected by sand
The run for home starts from an elevated tee on 14, which means that it won't necessarily play as long as its 433 yards on the card, although precision is undoubtedly required to safely navigate the trees on both sides.
A long par 3 then precedes two short par 4s before a suitably stout closing hole flanking the A470, which rises gently towards a testingly sloping green.
Essentials
Pantmawr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 7TD
Stats: par 71, 6,268 yards
Green Fees: £75wd and Sun after 11am; £225 weekday fourball
(prices correct at time of publication in June 2026)
