Location: Aberdovey, Gwynedd, Wales | Ranking: #71 — The Global Golfer Top 100
Type: Links | Designer: Natural links, extended Harry Colt
Editor’s Note: Bernard Darwin called Aberdovey “the course my heart loves best.” He learned to play there and devoted some of his finest writing to its particular melancholy and beauty. The course sits at the mouth of the Dyfi estuary — backed by the Cambrian mountains, facing the Irish Sea — with a character entirely its own. Wales has several excellent golf courses; Aberdovey is its soul.
Contact & Booking
- Website: aberdoveygolf.co.uk | Green Fees: From £70 | Rating / Slope: 72.4 / 132 | Airport: Birmingham (BHX) — 2h; Manchester (MAN) — 1h 30m.
Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Yards | 431 | 445 | 160 | 378 | 528 | 418 | 152 | 396 | 354 | 3,262 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
| Yards | 388 | 432 | 173 | 510 | 395 | 420 | 162 | 380 | 498 | 3,358 | 6,620 |
Par 4Par 3Par 5
Key Notes & 19th Hole
- Bernard Darwin: Golf’s greatest writer learned the game here and never stopped writing about it. His essay “Aberdovey” remains the finest piece of golf writing in the English language. Read it before you play.
- Snowdonia: The Cambrian mountains rising behind the course are the southern boundary of Snowdonia National Park — combine Aberdovey with a day at Cadair Idris or the Mawddach estuary walk for the complete Welsh experience.
- Penhelig Arms, Aberdovey: A charming pub-hotel on the estuary — 5 minutes from the first tee. Post-round crab sandwich, Welsh ale and estuary views. Book via Expedia →