We had heavy rain and winds overnight which thankfully cleared by morning. Breakfast for those staying in the Royal Porthcawl dormy is served in the clubhouse dining room. Kevin nearly created an international incident by ordering a full ‘Irish Breakfast’. In Wales!
Our first round of the trip was a short drive from Porthcawl at the ‘Pyle & Kenfig’ golf course in ‘Waun-y-Mer, Kenfig, Brigend county’. P&K is laid out in 2, 9-hole loops. The original front nine was designed by Harry Colt and routes inland. P. Mackenzie Ross designed the back nine which plays though dunes. The last 9 holes are fantastic with the dunes and views over the Gower Peninsula. It’s like 2 different courses. One of my tee shots landed deep in the center of a rabbit scrape! Thankfully, rabbit scrapes along with mole hills, animal dung and hoof marks are noted as ‘abnormal ground conditions’ on the scorecard.
After dropping our gear at the clubhouse and a walk along the coast, we taxied to the ‘Prince of Wales’ pub in the small village of Kenfig. The Prince is a heritage award winning public house dating back to the 15th century. It’s thought to be one of the most haunted pubs in Wales. The pies were great as was the draft Bass Ale which is famous throughout the region and outsells all the other taps combined.
