Andrew

Royal Porthcawl richly deserves its ranking in the Top 100 courses and frankly were it not in Wales it would rank higher in the global rankings than some of the more famous Scottish and Irish courses. The first indication of the standard of the course preparation was whilst I was having a coffee the green staff finished triple cutting the practice green, relocated the pins and scissor cut around the holes! I was first out and with no wind and a sunny day I played the course in the most benign conditions but be warned you really need to know your lines here and watch for the run outs especially as the rough is particularly deep at the moment owing to the lack of ability to cut it during the COVID period (Head green keeper apologised for this when he saw me during the round). The greens as you would imagine have very subtle breaks but are beautifully conditioned. The fairway bunkers are deep and unforgiving and with all good links the fairways will funnel the wayward drive into these hazards. The Par 5s are not long and give the golfer a good opportunity to pick up some shots and the Par 3s are a joy. Finally the members are extremely friendly and is obvious that people use the clubhouse not only following a round but as a place to have lunch and a drink with friends.

What a treat this Par 69 Harry Colt design course this is, whilst some may think that a short course with a Par 69 is no test they would be much mistaken. The holes a wonderfully laid out with position off the tee is key and accurate irons onto raised sloping greens a necessity. The greens were immaculate with very subtle borrows. The real gems are the Par 3s ranging from 120 - 198 yds true golfing architectural works of art. The clubhouse was extremely welcoming and the outside seating commands a wonderful view of the tremendous 18th. Finally I recommend you watch the course overviews on the website before you play.

You will not receive a friendlier welcome anywhere in the world than at Westfields Golf Club. Every member of staff is keen to ensure you enjoy your day here. Between 2012- 2015 I ran a golf society in DC and we made a point of going back to this course every year. the course designed by Fred Couples is challenging with plenty of bunkers but is still extremely playable regardless of handicap. Finally if you get a hole in one they give you a flag signed by Fred Couples.

This course is not for the faint hearted or those who do not like playing on firm and very fast greens. In addition if you do not like playing out of sandy waste areas with tricky scrub then this is not the course for you. If those factors do not dissuade you then you will be playing one of the most immaculately prepared courses I the Middle East. There is lilttle point me describing the holes they are exactly as many readers will have seen on the TV however, do not think this is a flat course there are some significant elevation changes. The 18th is my personal favourite.

I played this on a rainy day in April but that did not detract from the experience. Is this one of the toughest Par 69s in the world, I would certainly think so. If you were a member here your handicap would definitely travel. We had rainy weather for the previous 5 days and yet the course was in stunning shape with great greens . If I am in the North of Wales again I will definitely be playing this course again

I played the Front nine and the old and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The views along the sea on the front are stunning and the holes present a great test of golf as for the Old Course it really has to be played if you are a golfer visiting North Wales every hole is wonderful but the Par 3 2nd followed by the dog leg 3rd are jaw droppingly good.

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Royal Guernsey. The professionals was extremely welcoming and gave me plenty of pointers on how to play this tricky course. I played on a <img src="/images/royal-guernsey-golf-course-review-ROGU007.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Royal Guernsey Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Royal Guernsey Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> reasonably windy day although given its location there are probably few days where the wind doesn't influence the course. I particularly enjoyed the par 4s running along the sea front, the blind tee shot on the uphill 17th and the fantastic downhill par 3 18th which if you were a member could definitely be a bit of a card wrecker if it was playing into the wind.

What a golf course and to think it was a flat old Army Camp before they moved truck loads of sand to create this masterpiece. Every single hole is a test of golf but if you struggle to play out of sandy waste areas this is a course you Amy wish to avoid. My personal favourite was the 18th a wonderful finishing hole.

Struggle to understand why this course is ranked so low in the Maryland rankings. It is a cracking golf course with a well designed routing and I would place it close on the heels of the <img src="/images/lake-presidential-golf-course-review-LAKP004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Lake Presidential Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Lake Presidential Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> widely acclaimed Bulle Rock. It is a long course but as always you can tee it forward and still be tested by the design. The 570-yard, par-5 No. 8 was one of my favourites requiring an accurate tee shot through the trees to set up an approach to a narrow green guarded by bunkers and Lake Presidential and also the risk-reward 515-yard, par-5 18th playing around the Lake.

What a golf course with the original Ross design being brought back to life by the talented Coore and Crenshaw partnership. the fairways are fast running and not too difficult to find and if you do run off into the pine needles you stand a good chance of having a shot into the green but that is the real test of this course hitting an upturned saucer green which is firm and fast is a real challenge and your clubbing will need to be spot on. I took a caddy and definitely benefited from his insights and green reading skills.

There are so many top courses in the Myrtle beach area that they each have to offer something unique to get <img src="/images/myrtle-beach-national-golf-course-review-MYRT004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Myrtle Beach National Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Myrtle Beach National Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> the golfers in. Kings North offers The Gambler a classic risk and reward Par 5 well worth the visit just to test yourself - will you drive over the water onto the island fairway leaving 200yds over the water again to the green or will you plot your way round and try for the birdie the other route?

To see this course 28th on the list of courses in South Carolina is a surprise but this may be owing to it being one of the more high priced courses in the region but the old adage you get what you pay for definitely applies to True Blue. It is a marvellous course and a typical Mike Strantz thinking golfers course. You can often get a package deal with Caledonia Golf and Fish and this would be golfers heaven for a 36 hole day and make the trek to the far end of Myrtle Beach well worth the day out.

This a Private Course but if you can get <img src="/images/wachesaw-plantation-golf-course-review-WACH002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Wachesaw Plantation Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Wachesaw Plantation Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> yourself an invite this is a must play. Perfectly manicured fairways, superb fast running greens and stunning vistas, I have been lucky enough to play it on 3 occasions and in my opinion the course is in the top 5 courses in South Carolina. Best holes on the course are the 17th and 18th.

In my opinion this is the best course in the Myrtle Beach area. Mike Strantz has done a terrific job designing a wonderful layout in a limited area of property. Not long by modern standards but a well designed course does not need to be long. The Par 3s are wonderful and all the Par 4s need you to think about tee shot placement rather than just blasting a driver. Last but by no means least do not miss out on the clam chowder at the turn.

Be under no illusions this is a real test of golf and the difficulty of this course in any sort of wind will challenge even the best of golfers. The clubhouse is wonderful with lots of Ryder Cup memorabilia from "The war on the shore" and from the USPGA. The staff are extremely welcoming and the breakfast on the balcony looking out over the 18th was superb. It was then off to the range and meet-up with our caddies well worth the extra money. Prior to teeing off think about which tees you wish to play from i.e. if you are not a Pro do not play from the Black tees I guarantee you will not enjoy your round. We are all single figure golfers and played off the Dye tees 6475 which were a great test but still offered birdie chances. Overall a superb test of golf in stunning surroundings.

First thing to say is this is an incredibly welcoming golf club from the professional in pro shop who offered a refund for one of our group who couldn't carry to the friendly club members who were only too happy to talk about the course and the welcoming team in the wonderful club house which has one of the most spectacular views all the way to Poole. Considering the recent weather the course was in wonderful shape and a credit to the green keeping staff. There are some great holes, the par 3s are not excessively long but each presents a different challenge and the blind dogleg 5th is a cracker. Myself and my partner will definitely back in the summer to test ourselves again.

For the last 7 years I have been travelling too and playing golf in South Carolina and the Myrtle Beach area and I have played the Heritage Course for the last 4 years as part of a package <img src="/images/legends-heritage-golf-course-review-LEGS007.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Legends Golf Resort (Heritage) - Photo by reviewer" title="Legends Golf Resort (Heritage) - Photo by reviewer"> at the Legends Resort. It is by far the best conditioned and managed of the 5 courses and definitely one of the best courses in the area. Benefiting from wonderful Par 3s and some very challenging dog leg Par 4s. My group will once again be playing the Heritage Course this year and as most golfers know satisfying 44 golfers desires every year is no mean feat and Heritage is the first course on our list every time

Visited on the 11 July for the first time. What a fantastic golf course, every hole has numerous features which make the course stand out. The professional was extremely welcoming, providing plenty of advice and direction. This is a course that requires a certain amount of local knowledge and when I visit again I will certainly be playing some of the holes differently. The only downside was the greens a number of which are currently suffering although the green staff are working hard to recover the situation.

From the welcome in the pro shop to the end of a wonderful 18 holes this was a first class golfing experience.  The course is not a long course nor is it tricked up but then it doesn't need to be.  You do not need to bomb it 280 yards with a driver but you do need to think about ball positioning if you are going to be able to attack the greens.  Once you have found the right part of the fairway that is by no means the end of the difficulty the greens are wonderfully laid out with tricky slopes to negotiate and understanding all the nuances would be a joy as a member.  Finally the course was in immaculate condition and a credit to the grrenkeeping staff.  If you are in the Hampshire area do not miss this course out from your itinerary.

It was evident from the standard of the clubhouse on our arrival that this was going to be an enjoyable day at the Arabian Ranches Course. Unlike the <A href="/golf-course/els-club-dubai" target=_self>Els</A> and <A href="/golf-course/jumeirah-earth" target=_self>Jumeirah</A> courses the clubhouse is not a temporary facility awaiting the money to complete the permanent facility and has been finished to a very high standard. We took advantage of one of the deals available between now and March paying 345DHS (£63) for as much golf as you wanted on the day we managed 36 holes exceptional value for golf in the Emirates. The range facilities were up to the usual standard out here with a good putting green well worth taking advantage of this as it will definitely pay dividends on the course especially if you practice those fast downhill left to right/right to left puts! We played off the blue tees 6500yds SSS73 there are Gold (7000yds) and Black (76000yds) for those big hitters out there but the challenge from the blues was ample enough for a 12 handicapper. The fairways are reasonably tight but not impossible to hit with good bunkering to make you think about ball placement. Stray off the fairway though and you are into waste ground with tufted grass and bushes to steal the errant shot. The greens are tough and knowledge of the course is a definite benefit otherwise toy will find yourself swiftly running down the well designed surrounding slopes or leaving yourself with a very tricky downhill or uphill put. The knowledge from the morning certainly gave me the chance to knock several shots off my morning score. After taking advantage of the marvellous changing rooms we had a very enjoyable meal on the outdoor terrace surrounded by local members and residents from the surrounding development. This is definitely a course not to be missed on your holiday and I for one will certainly be back next time I am out here.

Having visited the course during the Race to Dubai event the chance to play it could not be missed. Finding the course is not the easiest as it is in the middle of a building site. However, this is a quality course and will definitely find any chinks in your armour. <IMG border=1 hspace=5 alt="Jumeirah (Earth) - The reviewer on the tee" vspace=5 align=right src="/images/jumeirah-earth-review-andy-rhodes.jpg">Escorted from the driving range by the marshal we were given the choice of tee positions and decided to play off the Tournament Tees (7000 yds) 600 less than the pros. The fairways were in stunning condition and the greens were playing at 10.4. You need to really know this course as the greens are treacherous and the ball really needs to be put in the right place from the fairway to ensure your put is not downhill with a huge break. The bunkering is fantastic and Greg Norman has produced fairway bunkers which truly punish the errant shot no playing out with a rescue club or long iron here its wedges or you are not getting out! The final 3 holes are a great combination of holes with a downhill 2nd to a well protected sloping green on the 16th, a great179yd island green on the 17th followed by the intimidating 600yd 18th uphill with a fairway split by a stream all the way to the green what a finish. I have played all the courses in the UAE and in my opinion this is more than a gem it is better than the <A href="/golf-course/emirates-majlis" target=_self>Majlis</A> course and should be right at the top of everyone’s wish list.

The Abu Dhabi National is a wonderful course and one of my personal favourites in the region the attention to detail is spot on even down to a starter who presents you with your personally engraved bag tag on the first tee prior to you taking on the intimidating first – water all down the right.  The par 3s all present a challenge all requiring a good mid iron with clever bunkering or water to attract that errant shot and push your score up.  The 9th and 18th are memorable holes with huge greens overlooked by the magnificent falcon on the clubhouse roof.  The 18th green is huge reminiscent of greens at St Andrews you could easily leave yourself a 40yd put if you under club here.I was lucky enough to play the Championship 18 and have to agree with the previous reviewer that it would be disappointing if you arrived and found that another combination of holes was in play but that is a minor point and should not detract from this magnificent golfing facility.

I have to slightly disagree with the previous reviewer as both my playing partner and I had a very enjoyable experience at the Els Club. Met by friendly bag drop staff and a great clubhouse team our day got off to a great start. Playing off the blue tees the course is not repetitive and the holes in my opinion are varied not as much as the truly great courses out here the <A href="/golf-course/emirates-majlis" target=_self>Majlis</A> or the <A href="/golf-course/jumeirah-earth" target=_self>Earth</A> Course but still a good test of a mid to low handicap golfer. Well bunkered you can tell Ernie is good out of sand as most of the greens are very well protected and the fairway bunkers definitely require some forethought on club choice. The greens are small and accuracy is paramount if you are going to set up a birdie opportunity with only a few straight puts out there. Overall a most enjoyable days golf.

I recently played this course with my golf society and what a wonderful experiance it was.  The reservation staff could not have been more helpful in arranging tee times and providing advice.  On arrival we were welcomed into the impressive clubhouse and escorted to the proshop.  All the carts were parked up ready to go with players names on the back.  The range facility was excellent with balls available on the chipping and putting green as well as the main range itself.  The course has 5 tee positions, I would recommend playing off at least the gold tees if you are 12 handicap or better.  The course was in excellent condition but be warned you need to be accurate there is little room for error with errant shots quickly placing you in the sandy wasteland areas, they also plan to grow the rough prior to the HSBC in January 11.  The fairways are typical Mongomerie a lot of sloping lies.  The greens were in superb condition not a straight put in sight and reasonable speed but very receptive to a good iron/wedge.On return to the clubhouse we grbbed some food and a few beers in the Links restaurant which was extremely good value for money.Overall a course not to be missed if in town.

Pebble Beach – I had arrived at the home of the 2010 US Open and the chance to walk in the footsteps of all he legends of golf who have played here in this courses great history. The first thing you notice on arrival at the Pro Shop is the number of tourists just wandering around to take photographs and buy merchandise at all the shops around the practice putting green. The Pro Shop staff was very welcoming although I suppose they should be at $495 for a round. The practice ground is a short distance away and the course provides a shuttle bus to take you there and back (about a 5 minute drive). Practice balls are plentiful and the chipping green is one of the best I have ever seen. The starter welcomes you to the first tee and spends a short time explaining the layout of the course for the day and that carts are not allowed on the course (65000 rounds a year), a caddy will cost $100 + tip. He introduces you to your fellow players and you decide which tee to play off there is a sign which suggests the best tee for your handicap. Now the tingling really starts you are teeing up on the first a 400 yard dog leg to a tiny green but then all the greens are tiny which along with the thick rough which just grabs your club are what makes the course so tough. The fairways are surprisingly wide so if you keep it straight a good score is quite within your grasp (unlike <A href="/golf-course/spyglass-hill" target=_self>Spyglass Hill</A>)! The 5th and 7th are just as amazing as they look on the TV spectacular views and a helpful marshal on the 7th to tell you just how long it is playing that day (80 yards) and what a tricky 80 yards it is. Finally 5 hours later, do not expect a quick round, you come to the 18th just as good as it looks on the TV, the drive over the ocean aiming at the twin Cypress trees on the fairway then either a careful layup or a big 2nd to the green for the low handicapper. Hit into the green and then put out in front of all those people just there to watch and take a photo of those who a lucky enough to play this wonderful course. My highlights were the stunning views and the blind uphill second aiming at that lone Cypress tree at the back of the 5th a truly intimidating shot but so rewarding.

What a course. Played here the day after playing <A href="/golf-course/pebble-beach" target=_self>Pebble Beach</A> and the contrast is huge. The pro shop staff were extremely welcoming and very helpful and the range facilities were close to the shop no transport required. The starter was keen to explain the nuances of the course and explained that it played on average 400 yards longer due to the slope and elevation changes than the card suggested he was not wrong. The course is spectacular great views, wonderful greens and boy is it tough. You really need your A game to master this course but even if you haven't brought your best game you will thoroughly enjoy the challenge on the stunning tree lined fairways.

What a wonderful all round experience. Booking through the secretary was a simple and helpful process.  The club house was exremely friendly with a very good menu, well cooked and priced food served by helpful staff.  The range is well setup and at  only a £1 for 30 balls very reasonable.  The pro shop was again a pleasant experience.  The course was just superb especially considering the recent poor weather there are some superb holes and the closing holes 16, 17 and 18 could be a real challenge.  The greens were in good condition and at the height of the season would be even better.  I shall definately be back in the summer.

I played the course just before the club championships and it was in lovely condition.  The greens were reasonably paced and no a mark on them.  The course although short is well laid out and takes maximum advantage of the space available.  A good drive will often leave you with a half shot so I would recommend clubbing down.  Greens are firm and it was often better to land at the front and run up to the pin.  Clubhouse is very pleasant, good food, and very good showers.