Abergele - North Wales - Wales

Founded in 1910, Abergele Golf Club is situated close to the North Wales coast in the grounds of Gwrych Castle, which was constructed over a seven-year period by the Countess of Dundonald, starting in 1819.

Fred W. Hawtree designed the modern day course in the late 1960s and this is largely the layout that’s now in play, apart from holes 9 and10, which were introduced in the mid-1980s when adjacent land became available on the east side of the estate.

In more recent times, David Williams rebuilt all eighteen greens to USGA specification over a two-year period at the start of the new millennium so the course is renowned locally for the quality of its fine putting surfaces.

The tree-lined fairways at Abergele are routed around a fairly flat site that’s easy to walk, even for golfers who choose to play the course from the back markers at 6,547 yards, so it never feels like a test of stamina when teeing it up here.

The right doglegged 6th is the most challenging hole on the outward half, with the best hole on the back nine kept until the signature 18th, where a downhill tee shot to a tight, sloping fairway is then followed by a testing approach to the 3-tiered home green.