Castell Coch Golf Club

Nice public course

Castell Coch Golf Club is a 9-hole par 3 course (1,144 yards at par 27) located below the namesake Castell Coch on the outskirts of Cardiff. You definitely need a navigation system to get there.

The entrance to the club grounds is easy to spot and leads to a small parking lot, from which you can see the clubhouse and parts of the course. There are a few practice cages and a small putting green for warming up.

In the clubhouse, I was greeted warmly (unfortunately, there are no souvenirs for sale) and then went straight out for my round.

Hole 1 is a short 137-yard par 3 to start, with the green well protected by a bunker on the left. The course is well maintained, the fairways are nicely short, the bunkers are well sanded, and the fairways are not easy but always fair to play.

The sloping lies are interesting, which—even on a par 3 course—don’t always make things easy, but that’s how it should be.

My signature hole is hole 7—a 142-yard par 3 with an extreme slope to the right. You either hit it cleanly or your next shot will be uphill again.

Golfers and footgolfers share the course, and I find it really interesting that there are no signs of wear from either sport—for a public and well-frequented course, that’s really impressive.

Type: Parkland

Difficulty: Easy

Reward factor: Good short game

Blind shots: None

Hazards: Sloping lies

Tip: Book in advance on weekends

Replay factor: Whenever possible

Overall Experience

Value

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