Bernhard Gallacher picked up his first pay cheque at Ashburnham Golf Club when he won the 1969 Schweppes PGA Championship.
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Bernhard Gallacher picked up his first pay cheque at Ashburnham Golf Club when he won the 1969 Schweppes PGA Championship.
Ashburnham Golf Club
Ashburnham is one of the finest and oldest golf courses in Wales, founded in 1894. Itâs located close to the Burry Estuary and Wormâs Head with fine views over Carmarthen Bay. A number of important events have been hosted at Ashburnham, including the PGA Championship. Bernard Gallacher picked up his first pay cheque here, when he won the 1969 Schweppes PGA Championship. Sam Torrance and Dai Rees were also victorious at Ashburnham.
âI played my last PGA Championship as a tournament regular at Ashburnham in 1969, and the club also hosted the event in 1959 â really hosted it, for this was the last occasion a club had to put up all the prize money.â Wrote Peter Alliss in his book â The Good Golf Guide featuring the 200 Best Courses in the British Isles. âIt cost them ÂŁ2,000. Although the course was a good deal shorter in those days, only five players in the field managed to break 70. The late Dai Rees was one of them, and his 70 and 69 on the last day saw him home by six strokes for his first win in Wales.â
Ashburnham originally started out in life as a nine-hole course and was extended in 1902 to 18 holes. Todayâs course, which measures just over 7,000 yards from the back tees, is the result of alterations by J.H.Taylor in 1914, Fred G. Hawtree in 1923 and then Ken Cotton (himself a member at Ashburnham). These three great architects have created a classic out-and-back links course, rolling gently through the dunes.
Unusually, Ashburnham begins with a downhill par three, where out-of-bounds lurk menacingly at the right of the green. In fact, the course is a nightmare for the right-handed slice, as there is invariably trouble beckoning to the right on many holes. The first two holes and the closing two holes are somewhat out of character with the rest, having an inland, almost park-like feel. But the holes in between are the real thing â undiluted and undulating linksland. By the time we reach the 3rd hole, weâre running parallel to the sea and often into the teeth of the prevailing wind. At the turn, we head back, wind assisted but a little further inland.
According to local Ashburnham folklore, an extraordinary tee shot was struck on the 18th. During the Home Internationals, an amateur event, Englandâs John Davis struck his drive from the 18th tee directly onto the clubhouse roof. The ball ricocheted off and landed to the left of the green, pin high! Admittedly, the wind was from behind, but the ball must have travelled at least 400 yards.
After a game at Ashburnham, make sure to have a drink in the welcoming clubhouse. The members are friendly and often willing to tell a yarn or two. Above all, ensure that you donât miss playing this historic links, itâs an absolute delight and itâs guaranteed to put a smile on your face, making you want to come back for more.
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions varyâeven among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
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