Celtic Manor

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LUFC 1972

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going to Celtic manor next week playing Montgomerie on Tuesday and 2010 Wednesday with my 15 year old anyone got any tips/advice or local knowledge about what the course is like.

Staying at the main hotel anybody got any views on that.. or where to eat, there seems so many choices.. or what the spa facilities are like as I am assuming that's where my wife will be spending most of her time!

Sorry lots of questions in one post
 
Lovely course but a couple of things to watch out for. The greens are pro slick, be extra careful when playing shots over water and on the back nine you are likely to be playing into a strong head-wind making the holes feel that bit longer.

Also, don't try and cut the corner on the 15th like the pros. It looks do-able, but trust me you'll lose your ball.

If you are a solid driver and good putter you'll enjoy it.
 
Played the 2010 on a very wet June day and it was wet so don't expect too much roll this time of year! Buggies, even in June, were restricted to paths alongside holes so typical stop and grab 4 clubs, none of which were the right ones when you got to your ball that was always the other side of the fairway! Also, not the quickest round, nearer 5 hrs than 4 I'm afraid.

facilities were, as you'd expect top notch. I had a meal in the 2010 club house which was excellent looking down the 18th from the window.

dont know about spa.

have a great day,

s
 
I played there late last year, staying at the hotel as well.

The course: can't give you any specifics on holes as I've only played it once but it's a hike! Don't be late for your tee time, even though they ferry you around everywhere, it's still a drive from the hotel to the course and give yourself enough time if you want to practice. If you're in a buggy, no probs.. If not be prepared for a walk, especially in between holes. Some very tricky holes so choose your clubs with care. I went after we had some rain and the course was boggy/slightly waterlogged in places... Which is normal,I was told afterwards.. That said, lots of pars/birdies to be made..

The hotel: absolutely fantastic! Brilliant service from the staff. Terry the doorman is a hoot. We ate at the rafters and newbridge on usk, both amazing. My wife did the spa, loved it... All in all, you'll have a blast, enjoy!
 
LUFC 1972 said:
going to Celtic manor next week playing Montgomerie on Tuesday and 2010 Wednesday with my 15 year old anyone got any tips/advice or local knowledge about what the course is like.

Staying at the main hotel anybody got any views on that.. or where to eat, there seems so many choices.. or what the spa facilities are like as I am assuming that's where my wife will be spending most of her time!

Sorry lots of questions in one post
Click to expand...

I am going this weekend...playing sunday and monday (roman road and then twenty-ten). I went a couple of years ago and played the Monty. Can be quite hilly in places around the Monty. The twenty-ten isn't too bad as it is right in the valley. The 3rd on the Monty is one of the best par 5's I have ever played...you'll see why when you play it.

The shortcut on the 15th is doable. Did it twice when we went a couple of years back. Just need to be confident with driver. You only needed to carry it around 190/200 but it would be in some rough...you have to give it a go.
 
There is a 2 tier range in the main pro shop near the monty and roman road. The twenty-ten has it's own practice ground, which you are provided with as many pyramids of balls as you like before teeing off...all part of the experience.
 
My neck off the woods.
The hotel is lovely, as your only staying a couple of days I wouldn't venture out. Plenty of places to eat and Newbridge on Usk is good as is Terry M.
Plenty of facilities in the hotel and the spa is very good.
As for the courses I'd take a buggy on the Monty, look out for the hole which goes up and over the hill and then looks out onto the usk valley, camera at the ready for that one.
The 2010 is nice but loads of water, lots of run offs for the greens as well, a safe **** is usually the middle of the green.
Enjoy and hope you get the weather, if you need to warm up there is a driving range as well just along from the clubhouse.
 
the 2010 is one very hard track, it forces you to lay up as long but with bunkers covering all the greens its makes it impossible.

The experience is first class though, get there early to have a walk around the club house, then they drive you to the range where you will find a nice triangle pack of range balls waiting near the first tee then off to the 1st where a photographer will be waiting to take a couple of pics of you teeing off.

they make a massive effort to make you feel important.
 
I'd say go for it on 15 too. I'm by no means a long hitter and was safe enough - there's plenty of landing area short of the green. You do need to be careful on your second shot, though, and make sure you don't finish on the bank to the right of the green. I went in there and it's really tangly, horrible rough and really hard to get out of. You'll have a downhill lie too and be chipping towards a steep slope which runs down to water on the other side.
 
Wabinez said:
There is a 2 tier range in the main pro shop near the monty and roman road. The twenty-ten has it's own practice ground, which you are provided with as many pyramids of balls as you like before teeing off...all part of the experience.
Click to expand...

I have played the 2010 4 times and have always been disappointed with the amount of time you are allocated to use the practice facilities. You are driven down 40 minutes before your tee time (non-negotiable), you have 5 mins with the started who explains the yardage markers, pin position for that given day, pace of play and pitch mark repair etc. You have to be at the tee 5 mins before your tee time. So in theory you get 30 mins on the mats hitting really poor quality range balls.

I have no idea why your not allowed more time and why they don't let you hit off the turf or why they have invested in such crap range balls because the facilities have the potential to be perfect. If you are keen to have a good range session under your belt before teeing off i would definitely visit the driving range on the main resort side first. You can then use the putting green and chipping area (both of which are immaculate) for 30 mins before teeing off on the 2010.

As for the courses - the Monty is very up and down, its a real challenging walk but one i thoroughly enjoyed. The Par 5 third is a beautiful hole, the view from the brow of the hill down to the green is stunning - i'm sure you'll be blown away. The front nine holes are better laid out and offer a more challenging test of golf. Not a massive fan of the back nine which seems, at times, a little squeezed in and can get very boggy. Definitely attack the first hole, its a very short par 4 with little to no trouble over the hill.

The 2010 is a very well laid out course with some very challenging and rewarding holes. Driver will be the key club, otherwise it'll be a long day! The 15th hole is definitely one to cut the corner on, you'll be in the rough but left with a short pitch to the green. The 18th is a monster - make sure you take plenty of club on your approach to the green. Anything short will roll, agonizingly, back into the water.

Sounds like a great weekend, enjoy.
 
TheAlbatross said:
I have played the 2010 4 times and have always been disappointed with the amount of time you are allocated to use the practice facilities. You are driven down 40 minutes before your tee time (non-negotiable), you have 5 mins with the started who explains the yardage markers, pin position for that given day, pace of play and pitch mark repair etc. You have to be at the tee 5 mins before your tee time. So in theory you get 30 mins on the mats hitting really poor quality range balls.

I have no idea why your not allowed more time and why they don't let you hit off the turf or why they have invested in such crap range balls because the facilities have the potential to be perfect. If you are keen to have a good range session under your belt before teeing off i would definitely visit the driving range on the main resort side first. You can then use the putting green and chipping area (both of which are immaculate) for 30 mins before teeing off on the 2010.

As for the courses - the Monty is very up and down, its a real challenging walk but one i thoroughly enjoyed. The Par 5 third is a beautiful hole, the view from the brow of the hill down to the green is stunning - i'm sure you'll be blown away. The front nine holes are better laid out and offer a more challenging test of golf. Not a massive fan of the back nine which seems, at times, a little squeezed in and can get very boggy. Definitely attack the first hole, its a very short par 4 with little to no trouble over the hill.

The 2010 is a very well laid out course with some very challenging and rewarding holes. Driver will be the key club, otherwise it'll be a long day! The 15th hole is definitely one to cut the corner on, you'll be in the rough but left with a short pitch to the green. The 18th is a monster - make sure you take plenty of club on your approach to the green. Anything short will roll, agonizingly, back into the water.

Sounds like a great weekend, enjoy.
Click to expand...

Interesting...The only time I played the twenty-ten, we hit off grass and I think they were proper balls as well. Of course, this was 2 years ago, so a lot could have changed since then...
 
You'll love it.

Resort is lovely, being a Manor it's very old fashioned in places. If you want to feel a little bit more manly about things, and don't want to have to put up with the pretentious knobs then you can go to the Cellar bar at the other end of the hotel. Darts, pool, sport on the TV etc, might be a little more enjoyable for your 15 year old. Gym and pool are pretty much as good as you get and well worth visiting to waste some time if you find yourself twiddling your thumbs a bit. Food is pretty limited, included breakfast is self serve and very nice! Dinner is a buffet but at £32 a head it's a bit pricey, but I'm told the food was awesome, I wouldn't know though as my group decided to go to a poxy Toby Carvery instead.....I hate Toby Carvery! I was gutted.

Montgomerie course is excellent, although as others have already said, it's a hell of a walk and I'd highly recommend getting a buggy for the round, also means that you'll save your legs for the next day when you play the headline course! The view on the 3rd hole is one of the best views you're ever likely to encounter, especially when you're down at the green and you're looking over the 2010, absolutely stunning. Course is well looked after and a pleasure to play, I thought it would be tough to beat but the 2010 smashed it.

The 2010, is the nuts. Enjoy it and take your time. My biggest tip would be to watch some of the 2010 Ryder Cup clips on YouTube before you go as you know you're going to want to reenact that GMac putt and go to the point of THAT duffed chip, or the Casey hole in one? You'll also realise just how different everything looks without the spectators and how damn hilly the place is!!

The 15th is the risk reward hole, can you hit the green from the tee through the trees? You've got to give it a go, you'll regret it if you don't, and they've really opened up all the tree's now to really tempt you. Think it was something stupid like 280 straight uphill to the pin though so it's not for the faint of hearted and will require one of your Sunday best to get there.

There are 3 shops all stocked with loads of Celtic Manor logo'd stuff including one down at the 2010 Clubhouse, although don't feel like you have to wait to get down there to see what they have, pretty much the same as the other two and the other two are easier accessed. The best shop is definitely the Academy shop which has the 2 tier range attached to it. Loads of stuff in there and will no doubt dent your wallet a bit.

Ah, one other thing. When you turn up, don't turn right into the multi level car park. Follow the road to the main entrance and speak to the concierge bloke who greets you at the entrance. There is a free car park around the back of the hotel. Drop your stuff with him, and get him to call for a shuttle to pick you up from the car park. Drive down to the car park, park up and await collection to be taken back to the resort. Waste of money using the main car park, think it was about £20.
 
Casey hole in one ?!

Celtic Manor is nice

2010 is a good course , hotel is nice , food is good

Beer is a bit on the expensive side

You will enjoy yourself there
 
You'll enjoy it although the Montgomerie is a bit of a trek so take a buggy if you can, especially as it may be a bit wet in places. The hotel is nice, good service, and I enjoyed the grub but drinks can be a bit steep but there again you'd expect that from most hotels
 
I'm with the guys who say go for it on 15, I can get it out there ok and managed to hit the green, but even my dad who drives it about 190-200yards these days cleared the rubbish and had a simple pitch from reasonably short rough up to the green. Definitely one you'd regret if you don't at least try.

The shot into the green on 18 is one you absolutely must carry well onto the green. I had two in a row roll off the front all the way down into the water. Eventually I bailed over the back into the bunker.

Try to leave your ball under the hole as much as possible, the greens are faaaast, you want uphill putts!

Loved 2010 course, it was great.
 
The 2010 was awesome but you had to play it smart, know when to lay up and know when to take it on, I stiffed my drive to about 10ft on 15th and I'm no long hitter, but after my drive I played the hole the correct way as the approach to the green was picturesque

ReGarding the greens, the 2010 greens wasn't that fast, but the Roman road had the fastest greens I've even been on,
 
swanny32 said:
you know you're going to want to reenact that GMac putt and go to the point of THAT duffed chip, or the Casey hole in one? You'll also realise just how different everything looks without the spectators and how damn hilly the place is!!
Click to expand...

Casey's Ryder Cup Hole in One came at the K Club, so you'd be doing well to re-create that at Celtic Manor! :D
 
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