Six of the best North Wales golf courses, but who's counting?

North Wales’ golf courses boast some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll find anywhere in the United Kingdom and thousands of people flock to the coastal resorts of Rhyl, Prestatyn and Llandudno every year.

There’s more than 50 courses to choose from across the region, from Holyhead in the east to the Vale of Llangollen in the west, but some stand out more than others with Hawarden, Rhuddlan, North Wales, Wrexham, St Melyd and Nefyn And District amongst the leading contenders for inclusion in the “six of the best”.

Perhaps one of the most photographed clubs in the country, Nefyn offers 27 holes that are a challenging test for even the lowest-handicap golfers. There’s an 18-hole championship course and the famous nine-hole “Point” loop – popular with drone pilots – that stretches out into the Irish Sea with the promise of challenging holes and some of the most scenic views in the game.

North Wales Golf Club is another outstanding championship links course. Sitting on the coast to the east of Anglesey, it’s situated in the seaside town of Llandudno and offers stunning views across the Conwy Estuary. Established in 1894 it serves as a testament to true golfing tradition with a layout that rewards brain rather than brawn.

An attractive parkland course, Hawarden is located on the border with Cheshire and a 20-minute drive from Chester. Founded in 1911, the par-69 is a delightful course but a tough golfing test with several water features that can make club selection a thought-provoking process. Former England and Liverpool football legend Michael Owen was a schoolboy champion there and still enjoys a round or two at Hawarden.

Rhuddlan, set in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd, is a gently undulating par-72 parkland course that provides a challenging test of golf and is regularly chosen for county and national championship events.

Located below a wooded hillside above the town of Prestatyn in Denbighshire, St Melyd is a mature parkland course with tree-lined fairways and excellent greens. Founded in 1922, it’s a nine-hole course with 18 tees, which provide a different perspective depending on which of the two options you’re playing. A challenge for golfers of all abilities, the course has stunning views towards distant Snowdonia.

And finally to Wrexham Golf Club, opened in 1905 and originally designed by James Braid, with its tree-lined fairways and the backdrop of the rolling Welsh hills. The par-70 course is split into a long front nine and a short back nine and regularly plays host to prestigious Welsh and British competitions.

But outside these six great courses there’s no shortage of other challenging tests with Royal St Davids one of the finest. With Harlech Castle serving as an imposing backdrop, the par-69 18-hole links course was founded in 1894 and is one of the shorter championship venues at 6,629 yards. But don’t let that fool you, its clever design means that a rough wind can transform the course into a golfer’s nightmare.

Nestled between the hills of Snowdonia and the Cambrian coast, Aberdovey Golf Club is a classic 18-hole links course that offers a golfing experience elevated by a stunning panorama. It was founded in 1892 and registers as 6,535 yards from the back tees, with some of the firmest and fastest greens in the country.

Moving on, Conwy Golf Club is another stunning links course that has played host to numerous prestigious championships such as the Wales Seniors Open and The Curtis Cup. The views of Conwy Mountain, Llandudno’s Great Orme and Anglesey provide a serene environment that contrasts sharply with the tough golfing test the course presents.

Situated on the rugged coastline on a beautiful stretch of Anglesey, the 18-hole par-70 Bull Bay Golf Club offers panoramic views over Snowdonia and has a breathtaking backdrop of the Irish Sea. As the most northerly course in Wales, it meanders along valleys, rocky outcrops and through gorse, providing an exciting challenge for golfers of all levels.

Blending parkland and links styles to beautiful effect, Porthmadog Golf Club is a delightful 18-hole course founded in 1905. A well-established links course designed by Braid, one of the most famous course architects of his time, the front nine starts the round on heathland-style terrain, with stunning views over Cardigan Bay and Snowdonia. The back nine though is renowned for its tough links-style design.

With panoramic views over Cardigan Bay, Abersoch Golf Club offers a delightful blend of parkland and links holes. Not a long course at only 5,873 yards from the back tees, the meticulously-maintained layout will test your skills with its varied hole designs. The more links-style holes that hug the coastline are a true test of accuracy with any wayward drives severely punished.

Then there’s Llandudno Golf Club, also known as Maesdu, which is a mixed course of parkland and links with incredible views of the North Wales coast. Nestled between Conwy and Llandudno, the club offers a unique mix of quality golf, stunning views and more than 100 years of history. Established in 1915, the course offers a fair challenge to golfers of all abilities, with strategically-placed bunkers and challenging greens.

And finally to Pwllheli Golf Club, another parkland-links course with the sea on one side and the backdrop of Snowdonia on the other. At just over 6,100 yards from the back tees, the par-70 course was designed by Braid and Tom Morris… and courses don’t get much more scenic than it. But that can be said of so many North Wales courses that the only way to really find those you’d include in “six of the best” is to head there this summer and see which get your vote!