Featured Courses

View across the 13th Fairway Llandrindod Wells Golf Club Clubhouse, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5NY, Wales. Tel: +44 (0)1597 823873 email: secretary@lwgc.co.uk website: www.lwgc.co.uk Created at the turn of the last century by six times Open Champion Harry Vardon, Llandrindod Wells golf club is quite possibly the finest arena in which to play the game on the planet. In the days when the old Queen was rarely amused, Llandrindod Wells was one of the places to be for aspiring Victorian socialites. Much of the town has remained untouched by the 20th century. It's even rumoured that if you walk down main street at twilight you may catch a glimpse of old Vardon leaving the gentleman's outfitters in a dapper new pair of plus fours. The course too has remained almost unchanged since it's creation. Overlooking the town and the neighbouring valleys, you get a sense of timelessness as you look down from the first tee across the boating lake. By today's standards the course is not particularly long. These were the heady days of Mashies, Niblicks and Hickory shafts. When winning the Open was as much about the size of your hat as it was about your four round total. When it took guile and a cunning plan to think yourself round a tricky course, and not simply rely on the ability to drive 300+ yards with the latest Big Bertha. Golf truly was a different game when this wonderful course was born.     View down from the 1st Tee Playing a round at Llandrindod is much more than a Saturday afternoon down at the local club. Each hole is so distinct from the others that as you get to know them they seem to take on personalities of their own. To play the course well you almost have to have a new game plan each time you step onto the next tee. Length is not always the greatest asset on the course. Many approach shots are blind if you fail to find the correct side of the fairways, and blind shots can be dangerous and often lead to lost balls. Out of bounds comes into play on eight of the holes and a well played 80 can soon become a disappointing 95 if you put a couple over the fence and loose a few going for dangerous shots. To add to the interest, on even the stillest of days the wind comes into play. There's no protection from the elements on the mountain and if the weather decides to turn nasty and you are stood on the 15th tee, the warmth and comfort of the clubhouse can seem a mighty long way off. This is the romance of playing golf at Llandrindod. Stop at any moment and look around and you will be able to see for miles. There are any number of villages dotted around the valleys that look so tiny, but are probably home to thousands of people. Notice how green everything is and how beautiful the world looks when it's that green.     Another view from the first tee The first time you visit you will be amazed at how steep is the short journey from the town up to the club. You will stand in awe on the first tee as you look around. You will be glad to have finished the first hole after the stiff walk up what must be the longest 300 yards in golf. And you will fall in love with the place and will have planned your next visit long before you walk off the 18th green. To single out one hole at Llandrindod is almost impossible, but over the early years of MIGC the hole on which legends were built was the 13th. You face a tee shot from an elevated position that has to carry an almost vertical bank some 200 yards away, with out of bounds tight to the left side and trees and deep rough to the right. The approach shot from the fairway is a fairly simple one with a short iron to one of the flatter greens on the course, but if you are standing on that tee with the wind in your face and the rains coming down, needing at worst a five to stay in the competition, you may well be just about to get the fright of your life... The very first MIGC event was staged at Llandrindod back in April 1992 and the Open returned to the course in June 2000 after a two year break. It was a celebration of everything MIGC has achieved over the years, at what is certainly our spiritual home. If this piece persuades you to go play at Llandrindod, you will not regret it. The course is rarely busy, quite the opposite, it's not unusual to hardly see another soul throughout the entire round. The clubhouse, although not the original building, is welcoming and comfortable.