Vale of Llangollen Golf Club, Wales

Vale of Llangollen is set in the beautiful Llangollen Valley with scenic views on virtually every hole. Its setting is superb and many who come to play for the first time usually organise their return visit fairly soon.

Llangollen as a beautiful setting for a course where the members of Vale of Llangollen Golf Club have played their golf since 1908. The original 9-hole layout was doubled in size to a full 18-hole course at the end of the 1960s and the many young trees planted then have, over time, transformed the former farming terrain into a magnificent, modern day parkland course.

The lush fairways at Llangollen are laid out on the banks of the river Dee, overlooked by the imposing Castell Dinas Bran and the course has been a favoured venue for many professional and amateur competitions in recent years. It is also a challenging track to play to your handicap, as a Standard Scratch Score of 73 against a par of 72 will testify.

There are only three par threes and some of the holes will require your finest golf if you are to escape with a respectable score. The first is as tough an opening hole you’re likely to find in British golf but the best has been saved for last.

The signature hole is the par four 9th which plays to a length of 439 yards from the medal tees. The river runs along the right hand side of the fairway but with the hole doglegging left, the tee shot must flirt with the water to stand any chance of getting close to the green in two shots – little wonder many consider “The River” hole to be one of the best in North Wales.