The Vale Resort — Wales National Course

Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan · Designed by Opened 2000 · Est. 2000

8.8/10Edge Score

££££Green fee

73Par

7,433Yards

18Holes

Why this Edge Score: One of the longest parkland courses in Wales at over 7,400 yards, the Vale of Glamorgan is a former Wales Open host and the muscular flagship of a 36-hole resort near Cardiff. Big, modern and well-conditioned, it ranks among our Welsh parklands.

The Wales National Course at the Vale Resort near Hensol is one of the longest and most muscular parkland courses in Wales, and for years the home of the Wales Open on the European Tour. Set in rolling countryside west of Cardiff, it stretches to a formidable 7,433 yards, par 73, with water, mature trees and generous but well-guarded fairways giving it a genuine championship feel.

It is the flagship of the Vale Resort — a 36-hole complex (with the shorter Lake Course alongside), a big hotel and spa, and one of the best practice facilities in Wales, long used as a training base by professional football and rugby teams. The National is a fair, modern test that suits players who like to open the shoulders, while the Lake Course offers a gentler alternative.

With accommodation, spa and two courses on site and Cardiff just 20 minutes away, the Vale is the most complete golf-resort base in South Wales.

Holes worth knowing

1The water holes — lakes come into play down the closing stretch, giving the long National course a dramatic, championship finish.
2The sheer length — at over 7,400 yards it is a course for the big hitter, a rare full-blooded modern test in Wales.

Highlights

Former European Tour Wales Open host
One of the longest courses in Wales (7,433 yds)
36-hole resort with hotel and spa
Superb practice facilities near Cardiff

Good to know

→The Wales National hosted the European Tour's Wales Open for years — a genuine championship course, and long enough to test anyone.
→It is a full resort: hotel, spa, two courses (the shorter Lake Course too) and a superb driving range, popular with touring sports teams.
→Cardiff is only 20 minutes away — the castle, the regenerated bay and the Principality Stadium make an easy city add-on.
→The pretty Vale of Glamorgan coast (Barry, Southerndown, the Heritage Coast) is close for a non-golf day.
→It pairs well with Royal Porthcawl, Pyle & Kenfig and Celtic Manor for a South Wales trip mixing links, parkland and resort golf.