GOLF TO RETURN TO THE GREAT ORME?

Golf was played on the Great Orme’s Head, the dramatic headland overlooking Llandudno, from the early part of the last century until World War II when, like many courses, it was requisitioned for agricultural use. The site of the old course, the 150 acres Parc Farm, has been purchased at auction by Dean Saunders, the popular Welsh soccer international, whose many clubs included Liverpool, Aston Villa and Derby during his playing career. Immediately after the purchase, he contacted DWGD to design the course.

As David describes.. The site has 360º views, to the north overlooking the Irish Sea, southerly and westerly direction overlooking the ancient walled town of Conwy, the River Conwy and its estuary, the mountains of Snowdonia, the Menai Bridge and the whole of the east coast of Anglesey.

I cannot imagine a course with more dramatic views. Even the fabled courses of the Monterey Peninsula in California, including Pebble Beach and Cypress Point, do not afford the all-round panorama that exists on the Great Orme.

The site itself, despite being on top of this dramatic headland, is relatively level, and will produce an easy walking course. However, the whole of the Great Orme, with the exception of the 150 acres of the site, is one of our most valuable and therefore most closely protected landscapes in the whole country.

The headland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the cliffs are designated a Heritage Coastline of European Significance, and the remainder of the headland is part of the Great Orme Country Park.

To achieve planning consent, it will be necessary therefore to satisfy a wide cross section of interested parties, and to date traffic assessments, an archaeological study and ecological survey as well as a measured topographical survey have been carried out prior to the preparation of the routing layout and detailed design.

However, as David explains, ..These designations can possible be of benefit. The Countryside Commission for Wales were extremely interested in purchasing the site to return heathland over the whole of the headland. At present, most of the headland is valuable protected heath, with the farm, because of its intensive agricultural usage over the past 60 years being an exception and of less landscape value. In close consultation with CCW, the intention is that a heathland course will be created by laying the course “gently on the landscape”, and hopefully enabling the site to be far more environmentally and ecologically beneficial than its previous use.

A planning application has now been submitted to Conwy County Borough Council, with a decision anticipated later this summer.

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