round 1 - fairwood
lovely welsh countryside
fairwood was designed in 1969 by the renowned hawtree dynasty and is the only course in the county of swansea to have hosted a pga event. the course was a nice parkland but wasn’t the most memorable.
the match was close but neil and nic prevailed, helped significantly by al only scoring 15 stableford points.
match score: neil & nic 6½ -3½ phil & al
round 2 - gower
great views over the valleys
after lunch we played the gower golf club, formed in 1995 and designed by donald steel. it is set in beautiful rolling parkland and reveals dramatic vistas over south wales. the course is well laid out and is an exciting challenge for all.
the match was one sided with neil and nic taking victory. it was harsh on phil who scored 38 stableford points but neil hit six pars in a row which lead to victory. this left neil and nic two-nil up with three games left, however golf is very fickle and everything can change quickly…
match score: neil & nic 7½ -3½ phil & al
round 3 - tawe vale
is the sky always this blue in wales?
after a few beers we decided to play an extra 18 holes… we struggling to find the course and paid via an honesty box but the course was surprisingly good. since we played here, the course has been renamed to mond valley golf club. each hole was unique and the course provided an interesting challenge for a last minute choice.
during the match the balance of power shifted to phil and al. neil and nic lead for the majority of the game but phil and al fought back to win 1-up on the 18th, leaving everything to play for.
match score: neil & nic 7½ -4½ phil & al
round 4 - neath
view from the 15th tee
after lunch, our afternoon round was at neath golf club, a really beautiful heathland course designed in 1934 by james braid, one of the best in south wales. the course is set on a plateau above neath valley and the elements change the playing characteristics of the course daily.
the match was defined by neil falling to pieces and phil playing some solid consistent golf that slowly ground the opposition down. the result was a solid victory for phil and al leaving the scores level with the decider for following day.
match score: neil & nic 7½ -5½ phil & al
round 5 - pennard
stunning views if it's not raining
the forecast for the last round was shocking, however given the forfeit at the old course we were determined to play. it was so wet no scorecards survived the onslaught from the rain. the course is a classic, formed in 1896 and nicknamed “the links in the sky”.
the match was a battle in the rain. eventually phil and al prevailed with a 2&1 victory and the holiday victory which looked unlikely towards the end of tawe vale.
then came the KOP… neil and nic struggled, even with their cheerleaders by the green. phil had two putts from 10 feet for victory but only needed one.
overall a fantastic trip with great golf, sunburn and trench foot. phil and al showed incredible fight to win both in the match and the KOP.
match score: neil & nic 7½ -6½ phil & al