Rhos-on-Sea Residential Golf Club

Played on 26.5.09 very windy day. Course - I enjoyed the par 3's. The par 4's were all of a similar length at 300 - 350 yards. The greens were very slow (perhaps just as well in the wind). There are lots of new trees which will toughen the course up in a few years. Value for money - we paid £42.5 for a society day (14 of us) wich is about the going rate but the facilities were poor. The visitors changing room is about 5 feet by 15 feet(I am not exaggerating). The 3 showers (in a different room)dispensed alternate freezing cold/ boiling hot drips. However towels were provided. Hospitality - I cannot comment on service because there was another function at the club with all kinds of Civic Dignitaries in attendance so I think our experience was not typical.

I played here for the twilight rate of £10.50 in July partly because this was the course where my father learnt to play whist on family holidays around 1930. Sadly I found the course flattered to deceive as the best holes all came in the first 5 with the exception of the 18th and its island green. Most of the course was flat and open offering little challenge and although I was striking the ball well I do not believe that my golf merited the figures that I achieved. I also found there was a huge difference between the medal tees and those from which visitors played. This was much greater than normal in percentage terms rendering the stroke hole index meaningless. The 12th (SI 1) may or may not be worthy of its classification from the medal tee but from the front tee was only a utility club and a wedge. While I appreciate that as a visitor one cannot generally expect to play off medal tees I feel that when a course is as short as this even from the medal tees such a great difference to the tees for visitors is unfortunate. Great efforts are being made with the planting of new trees and this will perhaps in due course make the course more of a challenge. Its location causes problems in that it is almost below sea level and on the honest admission of the greenkeeping staff very prone to flooding. For my own personal reasons I am glad I have played this course but it is not one which I could recommend to other golfers in spite of the bargain basement green fee. |