Vale (Wales National) - South Wales - Wales

This was an unexpected visit during last IGTM in Celtic Manor. We played the Event Tournament in 4 courses and although I asked for Twenty Ten or Porthcawl, I was put here and in the end it was better because I could play the other two in the sun!

It was maybe the wettest day I had on a abroad golf round, with rain all day and a course that already was absorbing some rain in the past days but I have to say I was not disappointed at all.

Texas Scramble format can be fun when you mix golfers of different levels and in a course that was set up maybe longer than I would have put it and with some nasty tough pin positions, in the end it was fun and we had a great afternoon.

I heard the story the course was built to compete for the Ryder Cup Spot finally won by Celtic Manor and the course showed it in every inch with some 450yds par 4s (from the yellow tees!), a couple of hybrids needed for par 3s and all 3 shot par 5s except 15th.

I feel many people could bypass this course and it would be a shame, it is good! Of course, if you seek for links and views it is not the recommendation but it is a serious test for your game.

Holes to highlight:

- Narrow 580yds 2nd … with water in front of the green. Not an easy start!

- Uphill 540yds 4th … really?

- Short par 4 6th where you can get to the green carrying the lake

- Monster 9th dogleg right over 450yds with OB on the right side.

- 16th and 17th, not tame to have two 450yds coming down the stretch.

Very very good greens with slopes and speed, getting in 2 from long range was quite a challenge. Happy that luck sent me here, I would not have played it if assigned to the ones I selected.

I have played here many times (I live about 2 miles from it) and it has some decent holes, it’s certainly brutal from the tips and even from the yellows it’s a challenge but for me it tried to be considered a top championship course and compete with the Celtic Manor as the premium resort in Wales...it failed in both attempts.

It is in my option an eclectic mix of holes that don’t blend or enthuse the golfer and neither does the course ask too many questions, it simply on too many occasions says hit it as hard as you can. It possibly also has the most disappointing finishing hole of any wannabe championship course.

Tip...Play it’s other course the lakes it’s far more enjoyable.

Very much of its type, you get a proper game of golf whilst not making much demand on your head or your heart.

A course that divides opinion. Firstly, it’s long, really long. And with soft fairways it plays its full length. But in an environment where pro’s are hitting the ball further and further, leading to some older classic courses becoming obsolete, I think it’s necessary that some new courses are built a thousand yards longer. And this course has been built with enough length to challenge the pro’s, so if you’re a handicap golfer don’t make the mistake of playing from the tips!

Secondly, it can be a bit of a bog. It rains a lot in Wales (Faldo was right), and this course is built on farmland. I’ve played here three times, always in May/June, and the conditions have been soft but perfectly playable. However, if it’s soft in May it must be a swamp in winter.

As for the layout, I think it has some really entertaining holes and there are a lot of nerve jangling shots. There are a lot of doglegs where you need to choose your line off the tee: an aggressive line can be rewarded but usually involves danger.

The long par 5 2nd plays through a very tight avenue of trees down to a green fronted by a pond. On the one hand you want to advance your ball as far as possible with your first two shots to leave a shorter iron over the water into the green, but on the other hand the tight fairway encourages you play more conservatively. The 6th is a genuine driveable short par 4, about 270 yards but downhill… the green was in range for me, but water guards the front of the green, and with trees left and right I’ve always found it too big a risk to take on. The back 9 starts with an intimidating long par 5 with water up the left and trees on the right, it is very tight, and this continues with more water in play on most of the back nine. The green at 13 is immense – maybe 100 yards wide – and there are some fun roller coaster putts here. After building to a crescendo, the round then finishes with a whimper, 17 and 18 are weak holes, with the 18th green located round the back of the car park with a horrible artificial pond on the side of a hill it’s a very low key finish.

It’s not a classic course, but there’s enough here to keep you entertained, especially if your driver is hot.

Such an enjoyable course. Good amount of variety in holes. The par 4 6th is probably my favourite hole I've played Driveable with water guarding the green.

I was a bit sceptical in what to expect when going to play the wales national as the last few reviews were not good ones but also were from back in 2012.

This golf course is SEVERELY UNDERRATED!!!

I have played RSD, Conwy, Pennard, Aberdovey and P&K and the Wales National is up there with all of them. I think if this one wasn't on a big resort and was a normal members Golf club it would be rated much higher.

We played the day after a massive down pour and i was a bit worried after reading all the reviews about it being soggy,etc... the course was basically bone dry. The fairways were some of the best i've played on, the green rolled amazing, maybe just a bit slow but i guess they have to be with how undulating they are. And the bunkers were perfect, even after the rain.

I wanted to play off the Tips but we were playing with my friends dad who is off 22 so we agreed to play off the whites. It is very much a risk and reward golf course which i love, if you are willing to cut off corners and go over tree's, it really does pay off. But if you make a mistake, you get punished severely.

The opening hole is a dogleg left, you can hit driver over the corner and have 130/140 in or play safe and hit a 3 irons or something, leaving 190/200 in. This kind of sets the tone for the round.

The second is an absolutely stunning par 5, you hit your tee shot just over the ridge then there's a big drop down to the green with water in front, the whole fairway is lines with trees on both sides and makes for a very daunting tee shot.

There are some other fantastic holes on the front 9, 6 is a drivable par 4, is about 270/280 down hill, luckily we had it down wind as well so i went for it with me 3 wood and was safely aboard the middle of the green about 20 foot from the flag, this is very much risk and reward as it's a really tight hole with water all across the front of the green. You can hit 6/7 iron and leave yourself a flick of a wedge in or go for it!

7 is a very reachable par 5 if you're willing to take a driver over the corner again, 8 is an uphill par 3 with a very undulating green, you need to make sure you get your ball on the same level as the flag and 9 is a great par 4 to end the front 9, you take your drive over the corner and you'll have nothing more than a wedge to this green.

The back 9 in my eyes is definitely the better/harder of the 2, it begins straight away with a tough par 5, this is one i went for the safer option on as i was on a good score, i hit 3 iron so i was short of the water, you can hit driver but you'll be aiming in a fairly tight gap. The lay up is tough as theres water all the way down the left up to the green and trees all down the right. Not an easy start to the back 9.

11 is one where you can cut the corner with a drive over the trees or hit 5 iron to the big tree in the middle of the fairway, then you have a short par 3. 13 is a very tough, long par 4 with lots of bunkers and water down the right.

14, 15 and 16 are a fantastic stretch of holes. 14 is a short down hill par 3 with water all in front and a 2 tier green, if the pins at the front you can use the slope behind the flag to bring it back down to the hole, one of the best par 3s ive played, 15 is a long par 5, have to carry your tee shot over water, then your shot into the green is also over 2 lakes, this is another risk and reward kind of hole, where you can go for it in 2 or just lay up and have a flick into the green. 16 is a long par 4, dogleg right. A good drive will give you a chance of getting it near the green in 2, be aware there is also water down the right of the green.

In my eyes 17 is probably the weakest hole on the course, as when you're stood on the tee, its not easy to work out where you need to go, this is a dogleg right, again you can cut off some of the hole by going over the tree's which lives a mid iron into probably the flattest green on the course! 18 is a good finishing holes, uphill par 4 with a daunting tee shot as the road up to the hotel is all down the right, there is also water up near the green again and a par on this hole is a great way to finish.

To summarise, i genuinely don't know how this course isn't in the top 10 in Wales? It is a fantastic course in fantastic condition with some of the best holes i have played. I hope this rating will mean the Wales National course will be reviewed and moved up 20 odd spots to where it belongs.

The Vale resort is fantastic, the 'lakes course' is also a great course to go with this one, it has some fantastic holes and the 1 night, 2 rounds package is well worth the driver, wherever you are.