Lottery funding has assisted two South Wales clubs, Palleg Golf Club and Glynneath Golf Club in extending or improving their courses.

Palleg Golf Club, in the Swansea valley in South Wales, has long been acknowledged as one of the best 9 hole courses in the whole of South Wales and, as such, has a very high quality of player and also a very thriving junior section.

In recognition of this, the Club were sucessful in obtaining Lottery grant for the extension of the course from a 9 hole to an 18 hole layout. As David Williams explains ..The Club felt that although their 9 hole course was very highly rated by the members, they were finding that visitors and societies were less likely to book a 9 hole venue compared with nearby (and often much more inferior) 18 hole venues. The Ciub felt that to progress, it was essential that it expanded to a full 18 hole layout.

The site is an extremely dramatic one, with a major tree-covered gully running through the centre of the site, and it was this feature which strongly influenced the final DWGD design to be adopted. With five holes designed to cross over the gully, it was essential that they be positioned still allowing play, especially by the lesser players, to be undertaken unimpeded by the feature and, after numerous alternative layouts, the final layout was adopted, which was translated into reality in summer 2002 by the selected contractors Barrelfield Construction Limited, with whom DWGD have previously created eight new 18 hole courses in the south-east of England. The new holes are projected to open in early summer 2004.

At neighbouring Glynneath Golf Club near Pontneddfechan, the Club already had 18 holes, but wished to improve the course by the construction of four new holes on new land, and the alteration or abandonment of some holes on the existing course.

DWGD were instructed to prepare the new layout, and although the layout of the holes on the new land appeared relatively straight forward, the major debate concerned how the existing 18 were to be altered to 14 holes to accommodate the new holes.

As David Williams explains ..”We produced seven or eight alternatives which were discussed at length by the Club. Like most golf clubs, many Members had different views as to their favourite holes or holes which should be retained or abandoned, but ultimately a scheme has been agreed which makes the best use of the existing layout on the new land.

Construction of the 4 new holes was undertaken in Summer 2003 by Barrelfield Construction Limited, with opening programmed for Autumn this year.

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