Ashburnham Golf Club

Ashburnham Golf Club has one of the best courses that you can play for under £60 in Great Britain and Ireland. Golf World Top 100 editor Chris Bertram explains why.

Another vastly under-rated Welsh links, Ashburnham Golf Club is hidden away at Burry Port, west of Llanelli.

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Yes, it has an indifferent start and finish – the 1st and 18th play up and down a hill and the 2nd, 16th and 17th are undeniably modest – but that is only in relation to the quality of the rest of the course.

In the 13 holes between the 3rd and 15th inclusive, Ashburnham boasts 13 of the finest links holes in the Principality which can compare favourably with anywhere else.

So the start and finish ought not to disguise the fact this is overall an exceptionally good links. Don’t take our word for it though – Harry Vardon once said “The course I like best in Wales is Ashburnham.”

At its best, in the heart of the dunes, Ashburnham has no peers in Wales and in holes such as the short 6th, the par-4 9th, and the par-5 14th it can respectively offer the charming, the challenging and the characterful. 

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‘The Ash’ started out as nine holes in 1894 before being extended in 1902 and subsequently tweaked by JH Taylor, Fred Hawtree and Ken Cotton.

Stretching towards 7,000 yards from the tips has enabled it to successfully hosted numerous Welsh Amateurs as well as professional events that spawned two stellar champions in Bernard Gallacher and home favourite Dai Rees.

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• Course has: Bar
• Course has: Buggy Hire
• Course does not have: Driving Range
• Course does not have: Practice Green
• Course has: Pro Shop
• Course has: Restaurant
• Course has: Trolley Hire
• Course does not have: Dress Code
• Course has: Club Hire
• Course does not have: Handicap

• 3.5 out of 5 I will return AGAIN 20 May 2012

  By Anonymous

  Played here three times nd it's a proper links! Some very difficult holes and some interesting ones too. Watch the greens - they are very fast and added some extra shots on my round. It's a shame you don't see the sea as its on the coast due to the tall dunes, but when it's sunny there, who cares as the golfs superb.

• 2.5 out of 5 Ashburnham 11 November 2008

  By golfsteve1

  We played Ashburnham in relatively calm conditions and it was neither hard or testing, in fact to be honest, it was rather plain in comparison to other links courses we have played. There was definetly no wow factor here nor any memorable holes with the exception of the first, second, seventeenth and eighteenth that you have to hit across a busy road where the cars pay little or no head to golfers (so make sure your insurance covers you). There was work being carried out on the fairway bunkers while we were there which will probably make the course a little more interesting and tougher in the future. The fairways are more parkland than linkslike and the greens very receptive to approach shots, so does not play like a proper links course. Not much of a view to talk about. A very forgettable round of golf with many other courses to choose from nearby.

• 2.5 out of 5 Ashburnham 11 November 2008

  By golfsteve1

  We played Ashburnham in relatively calm conditions and it was neither hard or testing, in fact to be honest, it was rather plain in comparison to other links courses we have played. There was definetly no wow factor here nor any memorable holes with the exception of the first, second, seventeenth and eighteenth that you have to hit across a busy road where the cars pay little or no head to golfers (so make sure your insurance covers you). There was work being carried out on the fairway bunkers while we were there which will probably make the course a little more interesting and tougher in the future. The fairways are more parkland than linkslike and the greens very receptive to approach shots, so does not play like a proper links course. Not much of a view to talk about. A very forgettable round of golf with many other courses to choose from nearby.