![]() An extra club to the back of the green at both of these holes is the sensible play although that is not an option at the signature 12th where you play to a high and exposed green where only the correct yardage will do. ![]() You will find trouble fronting both the third and ninth a large dune is the main obstacle at the former whilst a series of bunkers must be cleared at the latter. The quartet of par threes are also worthy of special mention. I liked the look but it was the position of them that added extra spice to the round several times you must flirt with the hazards to be in the perfect position. The bunkering at Aberdovey, recently restored to what they were like a century ago, have an almost eroded style with long wispy grass growing on top. I imagine the strategy at Aberdovey will be exemplified when the course is playing much firmer and faster than the one we experienced. I can imagine you could play this hole a thousand times and still be perplexed as to the best way to play it. The sensible option may be to hit a mid-iron to the fat of the fairway and leave yourself a pitch to the small, ledged green but this will be a semi-blind shot and there is no guarantee of having a birdie putt. Once again the railway line is a factor, this time on your left, and must be carried if you dare to chance driving the green. Go safe and left off the tee and your chances of hitting the green are diminished significantly due to a cluster of bunkers short and to the left of the putting surface.Īnother fine example of where there are plenty of options from the tee comes at the risk-reward 16th, a short par four of just 289 yards that follows the curvature of the train track. There is no better example of this than at the sixth where one must flirt with the railway line (which is obviously out-of-bounds) in order to open up the second shot which is likely to require a running approach with a long iron or fairway metal. There are numerous holes where there is a clear benefit to driving down one side of the fairway or the other in order to give the best angle of attack into the green. ![]() Strategy comes to the forefront at Aberdovey. Holes on the middle section of the course are reminiscent of all that is good at Royal North Devon, another favourite course of mine. The opening three and closing trio of holes are draped over bumpier ground whilst the rest of the course has a flatter and more roaming marshland terrain that creates a rugged feel to your round. The out and back routing, flanked by large dunes on one side and hemmed in by the railway line and Snowdonia on the other, exudes feelings of a bygone era yet the course still remains a challenge to the modern golfer. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place to play golf. Whilst many famous architects from the Golden Age of golf course architecture have had a hand in the present layout of Aberdovey it was essentially nature that was the creator of this old-fashioned, rustic and romantic links at the mouth of the Dovey Estuary. Aberdovey is famed for its association with Bernard Darwin and his writings about a place that his, ‘soul loved best of all the courses in the world.’ And it’s easy to see why he fell in love with it. It’s not only a testament to the individual holes but the way they come together to create a unique and timeless links.įrom the moment you walk from the car park, over the Cambrian Coast railway line, to the course and clubhouse at Aberdovey you know that you have arrived at a special place. Indeed the rain became so heavy that by the time we had finished our round club officials had closed the course for the day.įor the best part of four hours I had been totally drenched, was freezing cold and soaked to the bone… but I had loved every minute of it!ĭespite the driving rain and darkened sky I can vividly remember each and every hole at Aberdovey. Even the sheep that freely roam this classic links had disappeared to take shelter. The bad weather had deterred even the most ardent of members and meant that we were the only souls on the entire course, once another two-ball had retreated to the warmth of the clubhouse after just half a dozen holes. Persistent rain from daybreak and a forecast that showed it was set in for the day meant it certainly wasn’t a morning for playing golf.
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