Celtic Manor Resort (The Roman Road)

The resort at Celtic Manor was conceived and developed by Sir Terence Matthews. In the late 1970s, Matthews bought a near derelict manor house and turned it into a small hotel. The hotel became popular and successful, winning the Egon Ronay Best Hotel in Wales award five years on the trot. Matthews’s long-term vision was a golfing complex; and after three years in the planning and making, the Roman Road course, designed by Robert Trent-Jones Senior, opened for play in 1995.

The par 69 Roman Road course played host to the 2007 Celtic Manor Wales Open for the third consecutive year. The last par 69 course used for a European Tour event prior to this one was the 2003 Hong Kong Open, staged at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

European Tour history was also made on the Roman Road course during the 2007 Celtic Manor Wales when nine golfers tied for the first round lead on 65 (-4) beating the old record of eight which happened at the 1995 European Masters – staged at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland since 1939. The 2008 Celtic Manor Wales Open was held on the newly opened Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course. It is therefore unlikely that the Celtic Manor Wales Open will return to the Roman Road course in the future.

The main Roman East-West road crosses the course, hence the name. However the routing of the holes has ensured that the Roman archaeology has been preserved. In fact, the whole design is totally in tune with its surroundings. The natural contours of the land and the mature trees are at one with the golf course.

It stretches to a testing 6,600 yards from the back tees, but it’s likely that you will be asked to play from the yellow tees which brings the yardage down to a modest 6,000 yards (5,300 yards from the ladies’ tees). From the forward tees you might dismiss the course as short, but it certainly doesn’t play like a short course. Quite the contrary.

We are not buggy lovers, but we advise you to consider taking one because the walks between greens and tees are quite lengthy and the undulating layout makes for tough walking.

There are many memorable holes on the Roman Road, especially the long par three 8th, played through a tunnel of trees and the short par four 14th, a right to left dogleg. The second shot needs to carry a lake, which protects the green.

Trent Jones Senior has created an American-style course that will appeal to golfers of all abilities for the holes are captivating and challenging. Combine Celtic Manor's Roman Road with the course (2010 Ryder Cup course) for a really memorable golf day.