# Royal St. David's - Harlech



## RGDave (Aug 1, 2009)

So, I'm back for 48 hours and wanted to post a quick review of Royal St. David's in Harlech. My plan to play 2 or 3 of the famous Welsh coast courses rather crumbled with the bad weather and I ended up just making sure I played the one course I really wanted to play. 
I had to give up on one day, and rearrange the tee time for Tuesday to Thursday. The Pro was very helpful and happy to let me move times.
Royal St. David's is ranked no. 45 in the GM top 100 UK and certainly IS a course to play at some time. I opted for a twilight slot and ended up playing with a 9 h'cap from Texas who'd booked in 8 minutes after me.
I have a few pictures to give some idea of the terrain and style. It is a links course but big dunes (trouble!?) are mostly on the holes of the back 9.
This is a view of some holes 14-17....





I got off to a steady start, here's me rushing to get my putter out of the bag at the 2nd for a close birdie effort, taken from the castle where the family were looking around.





I struggled quite badly on the easier section of the course but went on to a par frenzy (holes 9/10/11/12/13) and then bogeyed home.
I drained a 45 foot beast at the S.I. 1 hole for an unexpected par but almost completely lost my way on the _insane_ par 4 15th which now goes down as the hardest hole I've ever played, bar none. You have to drive to a fairway that runs a 45 degrees to the tee, then somehow find a safe place to lay up, blind in between some dunes.
Here's another few photos





another of "us" on the 2nd - I hit a 300 yard drive down into the light rough (almost ran out of fairway!) then popped a 1/2 SW to 10 foot left of the flag.






Overall, it's a great course and a *must* play at some point. The welcome was friendly, the course less so (the rough was scary, but they do have the Welsh Ladies Open in a week) and it's a fun challenge.

I missed loads of greens with dead straight hits (including a 209 yard downwind 5 iron at the last to a 185 yard pin  

Managed a total gross 85....not too bad, 14 over SSS which on a windy course with a few blind holes was OK. 
I played a little better than my US companion but it was a great day's golf.

I'm looking into some sort of membership, but until then, if anyone wants to travel and play on a summer evening, send me a PM.


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## Smiffy (Aug 2, 2009)

Looks an absolute belter of a course and thanks for sharing.


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## TonyN (Aug 2, 2009)

Definitly take you up on this at some Dave. Looks fantastic.


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## Imurg (Aug 2, 2009)

Am I the only one who can't really get excited by a links course? Problem is I've never played one. I know the history/tradition side of it all but to me they just look bleak and unwelcoming. I've walked past Hoylake  zillions of times and it realy doesn't do anything for me at all.


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## Stuart_C (Aug 4, 2009)

I drove past there last week whilst away camping with the family and it looks superb.

I'm thinking about going down there and playing St davids and nefyn when the weathers  good.

Imurg, once you've played at a links track you will have the bug to return for sure.


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## John_Findlay (Aug 8, 2009)

Looks a cracker, Dave. Thanks for sharing. Reminds me a little of Cruden Bay with the dunes and the blind shots.


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## birdieman (Aug 8, 2009)

Am I the only one who can't really get excited by a links course? Problem is I've never played one. I know the history/tradition side of it all but to me they just look bleak and unwelcoming. I've walked past Hoylake  zillions of times and it realy doesn't do anything for me at all.
		
Click to expand...

Hang your head in shame!


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