North Wales Regional Overview

A brief insight into North Wales!

There are a lot of sheep in North Wales. An awful lot of sheep. But that is a good thing because it means there is also a lot of countryside, and where there is countryside there tends to be golf courses. And there are also a lot of very good golf courses in North Wales - and places with unpronounceable names, but more of that later.

North Wales is a short drive from Manchester Airport, and you don’t need a passport to cross from England over the Welsh border. The region is steeped in history and was for almost 1,000 years known as the Kingdom of Gwynedd. The mountainous stronghold of Snowdonia formed the nucleus of that realm and would become the last part of an independent Wales — only overcome in 1283.

To this day it remains a stronghold of the Welsh language (far more so than in the south) and a center for Welsh national and cultural identity. Almost all signs are in both Welsh and English, and some locals are reluctant to speak English. But don't worry, they will soon open up when they hear an American accent. They may be reserved, but they are friendly and welcoming.

Mount Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales and is well worth a look - there is even a cafe at the summit!

The coast features a host of traditional holiday towns, including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Rhyl, Abersoch (which has a glorious sandy beach) and Barmouth. The pace of life can be quite sedate, so you are more likely to come across sandcastles, candy floss and Punch and Judy, sailing and windsurfing than bright, flashing lights and packed-out night clubs.

Wherever you stop to rest your weary head you will be able to find a welcoming pub and a restaurant serving good, wholesome Welsh food.

There are lots of places worth visiting and these include Harlech Castle, Llangollen (pronounced Clangollen), Portmeirion, where the cult TV series The Prisoner was filmed and a must on any trip to this part of the world, Caernarfon Castle (Carnarvon), Conwy Castle (Conway), Llechwedd slate caverns (Clekwed), Great Orme Tramway and Penrhyn Castle (Penrinn).

You will have worked out by now that pronunciation in Wales is a challenge. But you might like to try this one out for size. The place with longest name in Europe is Llanfair¬pwllgwyngyll¬gogery¬chwyrn¬drobwll¬llan¬tysilio¬gogo-goch. Or Llanfairpwllgwyngyll for short. And before you ask...don't!

Discover my golf reviews of the following courses that make up a truly spectacular golf tour throughout the North of Wales and are part of the Nefyn & District, Royal St David's & Aberdovey Vacation:

Request a quote or find out more detail if you are interested in playing any of these courses as part of your golf vacation to the UK and Ireland by calling the golf experts at Golfbreaks.com TOLL FREE on 1-855-699-5853.

Derek Clements

Derek Clements is a golf journalist - he has covered many Open Championships and European Tour events, as well as The Masters. Born in Glasgow, he writes for The Sunday Times and Golfshake, and has also written for Today's Golfer, the Daily Mail, Swing by Swing and many other golf websites, magazines and newspapers. He has played golf all over the world and numbers Gleneagles, Kingsbarns and Aldeburgh as his three favourite golf courses in the United Kingdom. He lives in Suffolk, is a member of Waldringfield Golf Club and has a handicap of nine. He had lessons from the late Bob Torrance and has worked with Jean-Jacques Rivet, one of the world's leading golf biomechanists.