Glinton Golf

If you’ve got your heart set on enjoying a golf weekend break with your friends or family, you might wish to consider heading to Wales. The country is full of world-famous golf courses – and you can make the most of the beautiful scenery while you practise your swing.

Despite Wales’s small size – being only 60 miles wide by 170 miles long – you will be able to discover 200 golf courses here, so you’re sure to find several that will be perfect for you.

Wherever you choose to spend your time in Wales, there is likely to be a golf course nearby, but with so many to choose from, how do you decide where to spend your UK weekend break?

Aberystwyth Golf Club

If you want to discover mid-Wales, you could head to Aberystwyth Golf Club, which has 6,119 yards for you to explore during your weekend away. The par 70 course, designed by Harry Vardon, was built in 1911, and since then has gone on to become one of the most popular in the country. This club is ideal if you are travelling with a mix of people, some of whom are keen golf enthusiasts while others may never have picked up a club before.

At Aberystwyth Golf Club, you will find a par 3 pay and play course, which is perfect for beginners. Here, they can have a taster session, enabling them to work out whether they will enjoy a game or just have a one-off round of golf.

Those who have spent years playing golf in their spare time will also cherish a trip here, as the extensive grounds are dotted with a number of obstacles, providing challenges to your games.

Another reason to visit Aberystwyth Golf Club is because of its beautiful setting. You can walk around the greens and practise your swing with views over Cardigan Bay, where you may even spot the Preseli Mountains of Pembrokeshire or Snowdonia.

If you spend a few days here, you will also be within easy reach of a number of amenities in the university town of Aberystwyth. The golf club offers golf weekend packages, enabling visitors to enjoy the Aberystwyth Golf Experience, which claims to entice players to return.

Royal St David’s Golf Club

For a course that famous sportsmen have used time and time again, why not head to Royal St David’s Golf Club.

This course is set in north-west Wales, enabling players to enjoy the sight of Harlech Castle as they play. The 13th-century fort looks over the green, having a towering presence on the course.

However, it isn’t just the breathtaking Welsh scenery that has tempted people from all over the world to play here, but the fact that Royal St David’s Golf Club is one of the finest courses in Wales.

You can be confident that the championship-standard links will provide you with enough challenge to keep your weekend varied and interesting.

Cardiff Golf Club

Holidaymakers looking to visit Wales’s capital, Cardiff, could combine their golf weekend with a visit to the bustling city by spending time at Cardiff Golf Club. The course, which opened in 1922, has more than 6,000 yards for you to explore during your games, much of which is scattered with trees and bunkers. These, together with a small stream, means you will encounter a number of hazards on the 18-hole course, making your rounds all the more interesting.

An advantage of heading to Cardiff GC is that is has a modern clubhouse, which is full of facilities, including bars and a restaurant. However, you will also be close to the city centre if you fancy going sightseeing or heading out for the evening during your trip.

Creigiau Golf Course

Creigiau Golf Course, which has been open for 25 years, is also situated in the south Wales city of Cardiff. During this time, it has acquired a reputation for being a prestigious club and has even been named Welsh Golf Club of the Year. Players can expect to find the parkland covered in water hazards, although there are few hills, so you can use all your energy practising your swing – and avoiding those streams and lakes.

With so many golf clubs to visit in Wales, you may even want to stay near a different one each time you enjoy a golfing weekend away.

Golfers looking for somewhere to practise their game should head to Wales. The country has 200 golf courses, so you’re sure to find one that will be perfect for a golf weekend away. Come to Visit Wales and we can help you find golf weekend packages, which will make for unique weekend breaks. So, why not begin searching for your UK weekends away today?

The North of England is home to a number of high-quality golf courses – mixing some classics with ambitious modern layouts. So if you’re looking for a change from driving straight past and onto Scotland, here are some of the very best:

Formby

Although Formby was originally designed by Willie Park Junior, it was updated and made famous by Harry Colt. Set against the dramatic Lancashire coastline, the course can get particularly challenging when the wind steps up, though thankfully many of the holes are protected by a fine lining of pine trees. The sheer amount of rough, heather and sand here means that you need to be on the very top of your game to score well – concentration and accuracy are essential if you’re planning to visit here on a golf break in the UK.

The Hunting Course

The Hunting Course at Slaley Hall is an official PGA European Tour venue and was England’s entry to host the 2010 Ryder Cup…A statement of its quality. Incorporating moorland, parkland and forest features, you’ll need to shape your shots and hit all your clubs well. The views and ambiance are lovely so when you’re struggling to find your form, you’ll still have fun at one of the prettiest locations for a UK golf break.

The Nicklaus Course, Carden Park

As the name suggests, this course has the guaranteed mark of quality, being designed by the great Jack Nicklaus. In typical Nicklaus fashion, the course is clearly laid out and challenging but always fair. Watch out for the many hazards designed to trip up the greedy and always be aware of the option to play the “safe” line. Despite only being opened in 1998, Carden Park is already considered one of the best spots for a golf holiday in the UK and has hosted the PGA Seniors Tour on a number of occasions.

Royal Birkdale

If you only plan on playing one course in the North during your golf holiday in the UK, choose Royal Birkdale. Royal Birkdale has been voted the best course in Britain and is high up on the list of the finest in the world. It has hosted two Ryder Cups, The Women’s British Open, the Walker and Curtis Cups and the Open Championship on nine separate occasions. The course is an outstanding links that is universally regarded as being tough but fair. Challenging and with some outstanding views, Royal Birkdale is a must-play for any golfer who takes their game seriously.

Take your proofs (just in case) and enjoy. A UK golf holiday in the North of England is easy to get to and offers surprisingly good value and some fabulous courses and sights.

Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of GolfPlanet and French Golf Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf holidays for over 25 years. They are experts in the world’s best places to play, including golf holidays [http://www.yourgolfholidays.com/] in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Morocco and over 20 other countries. The award-winning specialist tour operator is determined to ensure that all golfers will enjoy an unforgettable experience wherever they go.

There are a myriad of places around the UK in which to take a golf break – the problem is choosing the right one! Here are some of the UK’s best golf courses on which to relax and play a few rounds.

Carnoustie Championship in the east of Scotland is famed for its historical past, and since the 16th century, has brought world-class golfers to their knees in either joy or desperation. Host of the 136th British Open, this course is kept in excellent condition, with regular upkeep ensuring the quality of play is the best it can be. Golf Monthly says of the course, “[it is] second to none, with well-bunkered fairways and sloping greens.”

Its famous annual competition – he Craw’s Nest Tassie – is a popular with players from all over Britain, with the 338 places for the 2010 tournament filled within five minutes of opening the event. Carnoustie also offers luxury hotels, providing luxurious spa and health facilities which are perfect for unwinding after a hard day’s golfing.

Farleigh Golf Club is another excellent course, situated in Surrey, just 15 minutes away from Gatwick airport. A relatively new club, the 13-year old course boasts a championship route with 27 holes, and has been host to events such as the Euro Pro Tour. Its picturesque surroundings make it an ideal places to relax and hit a few balls, whilst the 350-acre space provides plenty of room to roam after your game.

Once your round is complete, the 16,000 square feet clubhouse is perfect for relaxing those aching muscles in, whilst sipping a cold beer or hearty glass of wine, and the attached restaurant is famed for its’ Sunday carvery, with traditional British roast.

Finally, Skeabost Golf Club in the Western Isles of Scotland is an ideal setting for a few rounds – its tricky nine-hole, 18-tee course providing the ultimate balance between challenge and idyllic relaxation. Pastoral views surround the course, with loch side gardens and the beautiful Loch Snizort painting a beautiful landscape.

Simon Travis is a Travel Guide and golf lover currently working for an online Travel and Hotels Promotion Company. For more information on hotels with golf courses, he has recommend you to visit: http://www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com/

As the pound continues to tumble against the Euro, UK golfers looking to travel abroad may find themselves frustrated by the increased cost of travel, accommodation and green fees in Europe. Traditional golf holiday destinations such as France and the Algarve have become more expensive, but the increased cost of golf abroad is the perfect excuse to rediscover some of the finest golf courses in the UK.

Keen players looking for the perfect UK golf break need look no further than Scotland -its dramatic combination of coastal and mountain scenery provides a stunning backdrop for a golf holiday, and Scotland’s numerous championship courses are favoured by the very best players in the world. It is the home of the links course – flat coastal courses with few trees or water hazards, where the wind can have a dramatic effect on your game. While the Scottish links design has been much emulated around the world, it has never been bettered.

There are literally hundreds of courses to choose from in Scotland, including many of the world’s biggest and best alongside countless smaller hidden gems. But if you want to play on the most famous and world renowned courses on your golf holiday in Scotland, here are five that you simply must play…

The Ailsa Course

The Turnberry Golf Club is perhaps the most famous in Scotland. It contains three courses, but it is The Ailsa that is the best and most challenging. Looking out across the Mull of Kintyre, the Isle of Arran and the castle of Robert the Bruce, it is certainly the most scenic golf course in Scotland. But there’s more here than fine views; the strong winds demand even stronger drives, the ninth hole (with a tee perched on the edge of the sea) is justly famous, and the course as a whole is an absolute delight to play on.

Kingsbarns Golf Links

Stunningly designed by Kyle Phillips, this course is a masterpiece of links craftsmanship that hugs the coastline – the North Sea is never out of sight. This intricate and demanding course is only a decade old, but is already ranked as one of the finest in Scotland. Watch out for the par five 12th hole, the signature hole on the Kingsbarns Golf Links. Kyle Phillips may be a Californian, but he has created one of the very best Scottish links courses in existence today.

Gleneagles Kings Course

There are a number of outstanding Gleneagles courses that are well worth playing on your golf holiday in Scotland, but the Gleneagles Kings Course is the pick of the bunch; it is truly a course worthy of kings. Designed by James Braid, it offers breathtaking views and superb design that has been delighting and challenging golfers since 1919.

Carnoustie Golf Links

Skilled golfers looking for a real challenge on a golf holiday in Scotland need look no further than Carnoustie Golf Links. Widely regarded as the most difficult course in the UK, it has hosted seven Open Championships in its time, with even the world’s best players often finishing well above par. But if you are up to the challenge, the Carnoustie will offer you a round of golf unlike any other in Scotland.

St Andrews Old Course

Often regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, it is believed that St Andrews Old Course has been in use for over six hundred years. Not only is it the oldest, it is widely rated as the best in the world. The natural terrain has hardly been altered to create the course, and playing golf here allows you to enjoy historic holes, classic scenery, and one of the finest rounds of golf that you can play in Scotland.

Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of GolfPlanet Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf holidays worldwide for over 25 years. The award-winning specialist tour operator is privately-owned and determined to ensure that both experienced golfers and novices can enjoy unforgettable golf holidays in Scotland [http://www.yourgolfholidays.com/scotland-golf-breaks-holidays.html].