Pennard

I have to thank Sean Arble, a regular contributor to that superb golf architect website, golfclubatlas, for introducing me to Pennard and its traditional quirky fine golf.

We were met by the delightful Chairman of Green, John Beynon, and long term Professional, Mike Bennett, who clearly are used to giving visitors a pleasing welcome.

Jonathan on the 7th green

This Club was founded in 1896 and the course, which has only just come onto my radar, is managed in a fully sustainable manner with fine greens running with trueness at a good speed, cut at 5mm to encourage the wonderfully dappled bents and fescue grasses.

Like Brora in the Scottish Highlands, historic commoners’ rights are exercised by the grazing of cattle but their evidence, apart from low wire around the greens, was not obvious.

Inevitably I started with some scepticism and with the second hole out of commission and a weak hole coming at the par five fourth; the course did take a little time to warm me up but it then just blew me away.

The challeging short 13th, The Admiral

Hole after hole poses the strategic challenges of natural links land with pitching and tossing fairways laid within what has some similarities to a moorland terrain, though known as ‘The Burrows’, and located well above Three Cliffs Bay.

It has been dubbed the ‘links in the sky’ and from the short fifth hole onwards amazes the visitor with its challenge and enjoyment, giving spectacular scenery with even a haunting ruined castle in the background.

Great courses require some criticism as a highlight to their strengths and it must be said that playing downwind, the 300 yard twelfth verges on being diddytown or tricked-up golf while the four par fives each of around 500 yards are all good fun and characterful but perhaps not what one would call championship golf.

The 17th green across the gorse

Nevertheless, I shall always remember my second shot across a sea of yellow gorse to the back of the seventeenth green into the wind, which set up a bump-and-run birdie.

New back tees are planned that will extend play substantially beyond the present 6267 yards (par 71,  SSS 72) that are designed to attract the best category one players with audacious carries from the tees on holes 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 but for most players  this truly quirky course is quite difficult enough!

This is the opposite of predictable lush, ‘target’-style golf and deserves to gain much greater recognition among fine golf aficionados.

All great courses need to be played many times as it is only then that all the subleties emerge and I am sure there are supporters of both the fourth and the fifteenth among the members but for the sake of debate let me add a further first impression.

James Braid putting at Pennard

The James Braid routing is, as usual, magnificent in the questions it poses, though if a way could be found for another short hole, so as to do away with the rather weak uphill short fifteenth, it would allow the white eighteenth tee to be relocated, as it presently frankly gives an almost impossible drive!

I am returning for a weekend later in the year and, with the pressure on my time, I do not do so lightly. I strongly recommend others to discover this course with so many ‘joy to be alive’ factors.

See ” 100 years on the cliff or The complete history of Pennard Golf Club ” by P.M.Grant

Mini-Review by Lorne Smith  2010.        Do leave a comment below

hi Lorne, glad to see you enjoyed Pennard. Have played it a few times and rate it very highly. South Wales is such a good golf venue but unfortunatly the world will see celtic manor. A friend played celtic manor recently and he said it took six hours! Clyne golf club in swansea never gets a mention but has some great moorland holes. P and K also which im sure you have heard of. What about a ryder cup at Pennard ,such a good matchplay course. and any bad shots could be blamed on, not quiet perfect lie, the ponys were in the way, or getting distracted by the stunning views! keep up the good work. all the best , Paul.

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