Overview

This is an affordable Wales golf package using nice Welsh hotels and absolutely the top 7 courses.  Stay at the our hand-picked Castle Hotel, Royal Sportsman, and end up at the luxurious Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, so you can play the Ryder Cup golf course (for a bit of a splurge).  Golf Royal Porthcawl, Celtic Manor 2010 Ryder Cup Course, and Pennard, among others and all the best of Welsh golf courses.  If you want a superb golf package at an affordable price, consider this Welsh golf package!

"Not only is Wales a fantastic value – about half the cost of its more famous neighbors, but the clubs are very welcoming and portray absolutely no stuffiness.  Visitors are welcomed with genuine warmth, and the courses are gorgeous and an absolute treasure !” – Bill Hogan – President - Wide World of Golf  (as featured on page 2 of the “Visit Wales” Tourist Board’s Wales Golf Guide) 

What is included

• 9 nights in small hotels and guesthouses: 2 nights Castle Hotel Conway, 2 nights Royal Sportsman in Porthmadog, 3 nights Fairways or Atlantic Hotels in Porthcawl, and 2 nights at the Celtic Manor in Newport, all in queen or twin rooms (upgrades to deluxe rooms or suites available on request for extra cost)
• 9 breakfasts  
• 7 rounds of golf, one each at Conway, Nefyn & District, Royal St Davids, Pennard, Pyle & Kenfig, Royal Porthcawl, and 2010 Course at Celtic Manor
• 10 days automatic transmission rental van (based on 4 persons) from Manchester or Liverpool Airport and drop at Cardiff, Bristol, London Heathrow or Gatwick 
• local services of your WWG golf staff 
• Welcome package covering sightseeing and culture, restaurant recommendations, and local activities.
• All 17.5% VAT local taxes and service charges for items included in tour price
• Detailed itinerary and luggage tags 

Your Itinerary

Day 1   Arrive Manchester, pick up rental vehicle, and drive 90 minutes to The Castle Hotel Conway, a great little 4-star hotel in the middle of the ancient village!   Meet and greet by our local staff to go over your itinerary, discuss driving directions, restaurants, and sightseeing. Dinner included tonight in the hotel’s gourmet restaurant.   (Castle Hotel)

Day 2   Warm up round of golf today at the Conway GC, an easily walkable course nearby the hotel with tons of history and good links holes.  (Castle Hotel – B)

Day 3   Check out and golf today at the Nefyn & District GC, one of the top 5 scenic courses in the UK, set high on the cliffs overlooking the Irish Sea.  Make sure you stop for a drink at the Ty Coch Inn, down on the beach after the 12^th hole!   Check into the Royal Sportsman Hotel in Porthmadog.   (Royal Sportsman - B)

Day 4   Golf nearby at Royal St Davids GC in Harlech.  Afternoon and evening free to explore Cricenth, Porthmadog, Harlech and the Snowdonia National Park. (Royal Sportsman – B)

Day 5   Leisurely morning today before a midday departure south to Porthcawl on the south coast and The Fairways or Atlantic Hotel. Both hotels are located on the waterfront with views to the sea and The Bristol Channel.  From most rooms you can see across to England. (Atlantic or Fairways – B)

Day 6   Today play at Pennard GC, perhaps the best 6200 yards in the world of golf.  Nowhere will you see such magnificent views and challenging holes as at this classic links!  A WWG favorite!  (Atlantic or Fairways – B)

Day 7   Super day of golf today playing on Wales most prestigious and best links course: The Royal Porthcawl GC.  Hopefully you’ll play better than Tiger Woods did here during the 1995 Walker Cup, and we know you will love these historic old links. (Atlantic or Fairways – B)

Day 8   Check out of the hotel and golf at Pyle & Kenfig GC, a HS Colt design with high dunes and perhaps the best three finishing holes in Welsh golf. After golf, drive to Newport and the great 5-star Celtic Manor Resort. A little pampering at the end of your trip! (Celtic Manor – B)

Day 9   Golf today on the 2010 Course, site of The Ryder Cup, a great match play venue with the best service and amenities in the entire country.  Afternoon free to relax in one of the two world class Spa’s, Clarins or The Forum.  For dinner we highly recommend the The Crown Restaurant, with Michelin Star chef James Sommerin. (Celtic Manor – B)

Day 10 Check out and return the rental vehicle to Cardiff, Bristol (Continental Airlines), Heathrow (2 hours) or Gatwick Airport (2.5 hours) and depart.  Extensions can be added to this package for extra cost, such as extra nights at The Celtic Manor and golf on their Montgomerie or Roman Road courses. 

Included Golf Courses:

• Royal Porthcawl (7065 yards – par 72) Quite simply the best course in Wales, and former host of the Walker Cup (Tiger Woods played in 1995) and numerous R&A regional events.  The sea is visible from almost all holes, and like a true links, the bunkering (avoidance of) is the key to scoring.  Note here, like at St Andrews or Muirfield, how you don’t have to hit the ball directly at a bunker, as everything from 5 yards on either side will feed right into it!  The golf shop is the best stocked in Wales, and the lunch in the clubhouse, and men’s locker room are a classic.   WWG Grade: A
• Pennard GC (as featured on page 22 of the “Visit Wales” Tourist Board’s Wales Golf Guide) – “Wales is a true treasure in the world of golf. It is not overcrowded like some of the more famous British Isles destinations, and each day you feel as if you have discovered something anew.  Pennard was the biggest surprise of the trip.  We thought this course would be an easy day but it might be the toughest 6260 yards in all of golf!  If St Andrews had an equivalent in Wales, Pennard would be it.  Old and unspoiled.  Charming and challenging.  Gritty and gorgeous.” (Bill Hogan, a leading American golf tour operator, falls in love with Wales – and Pennard) - WWG Grade: A
• 2010 Course Celtic Manor – Purpose built for The Ryder Cup, this original RT Jones Jr course is made for tournament match play, with risk-reward holes abound and remarkable spectator mounds, and wonderful views in the beautiful Usk Valley.  This is a very good golf course, contrary to popular opinion that it is just another “American style course”, and it is not ordinary in any fashion.  The course stretches to 7493 yards and par 71 and helped make the 2010 Ryder Cup an epic event.  WWG Grade: A
• Nefyn & District GC (6548 yards – par 71) The Peninsula course at Nefyn (founded in 1907) is a spectacular cliff top setting like Old Head in Ireland. The work of James Braid and J H Taylor, Nefyn is as challenging as it is a joy to play.  Evidence?  The course record is just 67 by Ian Woosnam!  But what is truly special here are the views … and it is not uncommon to go through a roll of film on the Old back nine alone!  Don’t forget to stop at the Ty Coch Inn for a drink (a path to the right of the 12^th green down the hill to the cove), the walk is worth it!!!   WWG Grade: A-
• Conwy GC (6647 yards – par 72) A perfect warm up course for your trek through Wales, relatively open compared to most links and easily walkable.  Golf here started in 1869, and the club officially began about 15 years later.  Today, with all it’s important history, Conwy is a wonderful stretch of linksland and the far North of Wales finest test.  WWG Grade: A-
• Pyle & Kenfig GC (6588 yards – par 71) Established in 1922, the original course was laid out by that great architect HS Colt.  Glorious views and historic associations adorn this undulating course with its natural hazard of valleys and towering dunes. Whereas the front side is a good warmup, it really prepares you for the back side which is great links golf in perfect linksland; as good as can be found in the UK.  The back nine is as good as it gets!  Site of the 2002 British Amateur. WWG Grade: A-

• Royal St Davids GC(6601 yards – par 69) Royal St. David's (located in and called often “Harlech”), was founded in 1894 and is generally considered, along with Porthcawl, the best of all Welsh golf courses. Massive Harlech Castle, constructed during the reign and at the behest of Edward I, looms over the course. The Duke of Windsor, a former captain of the club when he was Prince of Wales, bestowed Royal status on the club. Many compare the back nine to Royal County Down … it is that good!  WWG Grade: A- 

Your Hotels

Celtic Manor (Town of Newport) – Host of the 2010 Ryder Cup, Celtic Manor is a 5 star resort with two spas, two large health clubs and three championship golf courses.  The Roman Road course has hosted the European PGA Tour Welsh Open several times, the Montgomerie Course features great elevation changes, and the 2010 Course is site of The Ryder Cup. The seven restaurants and three bars give plenty of options, from simple pub grub to the finest Michelin star experience at The Crown.  The highest level of service is offered throughout the resort, and you could not find a better place to end your great Welsh golf vacation.  (WWG Grade: A+)

The Castle Hotel Conway – Cute and quaint best describes this small, medieval castle converted into a 4-star hotel, located right in the middle of this storybook village.  A great place to stay to capture some old Welsh flavor, and explore the highlights of North Wales.  Just about 90 minutes from Manchester Airport, but a million miles from anything considered ordinary!  WWG Grade: A-

Atlantic Golf Hotel Porthcawl – Small, oceanfront 3-star guesthouse with outdoor café, nice little restaurant and relaxing esplanade flavor.  About 15 rooms in this small hotel, and when the sun is out the patio will be filled with town residents enjoying the view.  A great place for golfers along the seafront in Porthcawl.  WWG Grade: B+ 

Estimated Package Price

 $2960 per golfer double occupancy / $1938 non-golfer double occupancy.  Package rates shown are based on 4 persons sharing an automatic rental van.  Due to exchange rates, prices are subject to change. Upgrade to deluxe rooms and suites available on request.  A single room supplement privilege will apply (available on request).  Tour can be customized to fit your schedule and budget, or can be combined with other packages for a longer stay. A $1000 per person deposit is required for reservations and before any reservations are placed on your behalf.  For your comfort you can add a minibus or motorcoach and driver to any packaged tour for additional cost.