Golf Club Descriptions
Royal St Davids Golf Club
Royal St David's is rightly regarded by many as the finest course in Wales which speaks for itself.
Deep in Merlin country, the course is in the shadow of the towering castle built by Edward I in the 13th century. Royal St David's, like Royal Porthcawl, would be counted in any list of the world's best courses. When the castle was built, the sea lapped the rocks beneath it but over the centuries retreated to leave the expanse of natural linksland that was never meant to be anything but a great golf course.
Only twice do successive holes proceed the same direction so the wind invariably spreads trouble among the dunes and although it is not long, it has been described by professionals as the world's toughest par 69. Host to a throng of championships in its time including the 2001 Wales Seniors Open and favoured by all manner of men - in 1934, King George V was Patron and the Prince of Wales was Captain - Royal St David's has rewarded many a long journey with a unique experience.
No. of holes: 18
Length: 6571 yards
Par: 69
Course Type: Links
Green Fees
| JAN - MAR |
APR - OCT |
| Weekday/Weekend |
Weekday/Weekend |
| £43.00/£53.00 |
£45.00/£58.00 |
All prices are Net Tour Operator Rates
The Card
COMPETITION
|
| DATE |
TIME |
Entry No. |
H/cap |
R/cd |
Indicate Tee Used |
| A |
| |
|
|
Par |
SSS |
| B |
|
|
|
White |
69 |
|
| C |
|
|
|
Yellow |
69 |
|
| D |
|
|
|
Red |
|
|
| Marker |
No. |
Yards |
Par |
Yards |
S.I. |
A |
B |
C |
D |
Points |
Yards |
Par |
S.I. |
| |
1 |
436 |
4 |
429 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
422 |
5 |
|
| |
2 |
346 |
4 |
338 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
327 |
4 |
|
| |
3 |
463 |
4 |
453 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
388 |
4 |
|
| |
4 |
188 |
3 |
184 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
161 |
3 |
|
| |
5 |
378 |
4 |
371 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
377 |
4 |
|
| |
6 |
371 |
4 |
358 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
335 |
4 |
|
| |
7 |
483 |
5 |
474 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
434 |
5 |
|
| |
8 |
491 |
5 |
483 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
455 |
5 |
|
| |
9 |
173 |
3 |
165 |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
153 |
3 |
|
| |
Out |
3329 |
36 |
3255 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3052 |
37 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
10 |
430 |
4 |
426 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
426 |
5 |
|
| |
11 |
153 |
3 |
131 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
117 |
3 |
|
| |
12 |
436 |
4 |
421 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
384 |
4 |
|
| |
13 |
450 |
4 |
447 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
437 |
5 |
|
| |
14 |
220 |
3 |
210 |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
132 |
3 |
|
| |
15 |
427 |
4 |
418 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
394 |
5 |
|
| |
16 |
354 |
4 |
352 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
283 |
4 |
|
| |
17 |
428 |
4 |
413 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
395 |
5 |
|
| |
18 |
201 |
3 |
190 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
167 |
3 |
|
| |
In |
3099 |
33 |
3008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2735 |
37 |
|
| |
Out |
3329 |
36 |
3255 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3052 |
37 |
|
| |
Total |
6428 |
69 |
6263 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5787 |
74 |
|
The Course
Hole 1 - Par 4 - Yardage 436 - S/I 9
Turning your back on the frowning castle, keep your drive down the centre of the undulating fairway; a slice will probably find a bunker. Bunkers, too await the wayward shots on either side of the fairway near the green. This is a strenuous opening hole.
Hole 2 - Par 4 - Yardage 346 - S/I 15
Here is a dog-leg hole to the left. Bunkers edging in to the centre of the fairway followed by bunkers to the right and left present a problem from the tee. The long hitter will carry all the trouble down the left side of the fairway considerably shortening the hole and leaving himself an easier approach to the well guarded green.
Hole 3 - Par 4 - Yardage 463 - S/I 2
This is a long slightly dog-leg hole to the right played half into the prevailing wind. Scrub and gorse extend for 240 yards on the left and right from the tee. The road to the right of the fairway awaits a sliced shot while the green is well guarded. Well placed bunkers on the right may be carried by the long hitter making it possible to reach the green with two good shots. A five will normally be a good score at this hole with prevailing wind from left to right.
Hole 4 - Par 3 - Yardage 188 - S/I 13
A fine short hole played to a raised green with a high bank and sand dunes at the back. A dip in front of the green forces the player to be up with the tee-shot and bunkers to right and left dare him to be straight.
Hole 5 - Par 4 - Yardage 378 - S/I 8
The fifth hole is played from an elevated tee and Moelwyn Mawr can be seen on a clear day on a line slightly left of the green. Bunkers on the left of the fairway will catch the wayward drive. A stout drive down the right of the fairway will carry the cross bunkers and open up the green. A good straight second is needed to find the centre of the green which has well placed bunkers flanking the left.
Hole 6 - Par 4 - Yardage 371 - S/I 11
The sixth hole is slightly dog-leg hole to the left and played to an undulating green. An accurate tee shot is required to avoid bunkers on both sides of the fairway. Cross bunkers some 60 yards short of the green can trap an under-clubbed second and still more bunkers flank our target. Moral: Play high, play straight.
Hole 7 - Par 5 - Yardage 483 - S/I 4
A long hole, against the prevailing wind, bends slightly to the left. It requires hard hitting down the middle all the way to avoid the trouble left and right and to carry the cross bunkers and extend rough calculated to trap the careless second shot. More bunkers guard the plateau green so a well-struck approach is imperative.
Hole 8 - Par 5 - Yardage 491 - S/I 6
The line to this hole is down the left side of the fairway and a good second again to the left will open up the green. But beware! Still more bunkers line the entrance to the green on either side.
Hole 9 - Par 3 - Yardage 173 - S/I 16
A difficult short hole rounds off the outward half. The green slopes upwards from the edge, and beyond the thick rough in front of the tee are tiers of bunkers to right and left. Certainly a testing hole on a medal round, especially with a prevailing wind coming from the left flank.
Hole 10 - Par 4 - Yardage 430 - S/I 1
Turning towards the sea, the drive here should be kept just left of the bunkers placed to the right of the fairway. There is plenty of trouble at this hole where sand dunes line the right hand side of the fairway and a stream with a bank behind it crosses some sixty yards in front of the green.
Hole 11 - Par 3 - Yardage 153 - S/I 17
Running parallel to the coast, this is perhaps the neatest of the short holes. The green is placed between two high sand dunes making a narrow entrance to the green which is guarded right and centre by bunkers and by a steep bank beyond.
Hole 12 - Par 4 - Yardage 436 - S/I 10
This tee is situated on top of a dune and the wisest line is down the left of the fairway to open up the hole. Bunkers line the right hand side of the fairway to catch a sliced second shot, and two further bunkers keep guard on the left and right of the green.
Hole 13 - Par 4 - Yardage 450 - S/I 7
A similar hole to the twelfth in length and character, except that the drive should be kept slightly more right to aid the approach. There are rushes on the left to catch the hooked drive and bunkers on the right. More bunkers also line the right side of the fairway for the last sixty yards and another lies to the left of the green.
Hole 14 - Par 3 - Yardage 220 - S/I 12
A blind one-shotter to an island green hollowed out among the sand dunes. Tiger country faces the player from the tee and a long high shot is needed to carry the high dune and undulating ground beyond which stretches to the green. A memorable hole!
Hole 15 - Par 4 - Yardage 427 - S/I 3
Here is a seaside hole on the grand scale. Slightly dog-legged from the tee, the fairway winged by sand dunes all the way narrows down some seventy yards from the green. Two good shots will reach the hollow in front of the green leaving a delicate pitch over the bank on to the cupped green.
Hole 16 - Par 4 - Yardage 354 - S/I 14
Standing on a very high tee overlooking the sea, from which a magnificent view of the old castle is obtained, only a good drive will carry the dunes which stretch for about 160 yards from the tee with bunkers to left and right. The necessity for a well-hit second is obvious with cross bunkers twenty yards from the green and little pot bunkers to the left and right of the green.
Hole 17 - Par 4 - Yardage 428 - S/I 5
A good drive may be unfairly punished on the undulating fairway. In any case cross bunkers in front of the green will keep many from 'going for it'. A high bank beyond the green and more bunkers to left and right increase the difficulties of this testing but wonderful seventeenth hole.
Hole 18 - Par 3 - Yardage 201 - S/I 18
A straightforward looking hole which may cause trouble. The fairway in front of the green is broken on the left by sand dunes which block the left approach from the tee. A high bank at the back of the green gives way to bunkers left and right.
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