Pennard Golf Club

Pennard occupies an extraordinary position on the Gower Peninsula, where the course sits high above the Bristol Channel amid dunes, cliffs and ancient coastal ruins. Founded in 1896, the original design is attributed to James Braid, with later work by C.K. Cotton. The setting is one of the course's defining qualities: the ruins of Pennard Castle, the valley of the Pennard Pill and the distant coastline all form part of the landscape through which the holes are routed.

The course feels adventurous from the outset, with blind shots, steep natural contours and constantly changing elevation making it difficult to judge the shape of holes from the tee. The 7th, played between the castle ruins and the valley, is one of the most memorable examples of how Pennard uses its setting rather than imposing an artificial design upon it. The back nine becomes even more dramatic, with the 10th turning sharply through the dunes and the 12th and 13th falling towards the Pill. Pennard rewards imagination and an ability to adapt to uneven lies, changing winds and an often deceptive view of the target.