Golf in Cardiff

Golf in Wales has been put firmly on the map by Sir Terry Matthews and his Celtic Manor Resort will, of course, stage the Ryder Cup in 2010. But there are plenty of people who have known for a long time that a trip to the Principality has been well worth making when it comes to holiday golf. And, while both West Wales and North Wales have lots to offer, it's Cardiff, the capital city, which takes a bit of beating if you're looking for some golfing gems.

With its magnificent views overlooking the city and the Bristol Channel beyond, Radyr, for instance, has one of the most idyllic settings of any golf club in South Wales. Nestling in rural heathland its gentle undulations provide both members and visitors with a course which is a delight to the eye, yet which offers the sternest of challenges to golfers of all standards.

Three miles north west of the city is Whitchurch Golf Club, an undulating parkland course which also enjoys panoramic views of Cardiff. The course has hosted the Welsh Professional Championship on three occasions and Ian Woosnam holds the course record with a 62. Cardiff Golf Club, founded in 1922, is situated on the north-east side of the city within easy reach of the city and its approaches.

As the name implies, it is the city's main golf club and this gem of a parkland course is extremely popular with all visiting golfers. Measuring 6,000 yards and with its many tree-lined fairways, a premium is placed on accuracy and course management rather than length and it if you miss the fairway it is almost inevitable that you will drop a shot. Boasting a recently-built clubhouse, Cardiff Golf Club provides a fine facility both for visitors and members alike.

A new course on the block in the Cardiff area is Cottrell Park, which was founded in 1996. It boasts two courses set in historic parkland that was landscaped over 200 years ago and offers views sweeping northwards as far as the Brecon Beacons and southwards to the Mendips. Other courses in the Cardiff area include Creigiau, Llanishen, Petterstone Lakes and St Mellons and, in nearby Penarth, there's the Glamorganshire Golf Club.

Add the likes of Celtic Manor, Royal Porthcawl, Southerndown and St Pierre, all of which are within a short drive from the capital, then you can see how Cardiff is worth a visit on your next golfing holiday.