What happens to the average golfer at Royal Porthcawl? We participated in this year's AIG Women's Open hosting course

It is widely believed that the Royal Porthcawl is the best golf course in Wales, a testament to many wonderful champions over the years.

Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington competed in the 1995 Walker Cup, Peter Thomson, who won the 1961 Masters, and 1985 Open champion Sandy Lyle hints at his seaside skills when he won the 1980 Coral Wales Classic.

Recently, Bernhard Langer won the Senior Open twice there (13 in 2014!) while Alex Cejka beat Harrington in the 2023 championship game.

However, at the end of July, the course will host the AIG Women's Open for the first time.

It's an exciting prospect for the 2018 Champion Georgia Hall, who loves Linksland and always has some ridicule when he's the champion Inland leader.

On media day of last week’s game, her good friend Charley Hull admitted that while she likes to play golf with friends, she isn’t that keen on playing with the scorecards in her hands.

But there is enough performance among England’s best performers, how much is the average golfer ticket for this Linksland Classic? Let's find out.

The first nine

Arriving at Royal Porthcawl is very special. The clubhouse not only perched on the edge of the Bristol Channel, but actually felt like the captain's old ship.

The first three holes are as interesting as this entrance. These three are light puppies, each left to left, and each embraces the coastline of the Rest Bay, all requiring accurate drives and methods of raising the green. It was a glorious start, but it was a difficult start for a golfer who hadn't played on his shoulder for three months. A lot of nice shots, but short games need precision and I have rust in my games.

Then, turn right and climb up the sea. It started with 4-shot 3 and it had a huge four-layer green that made me very upset. I recovered from 555 and let myself look at the bird three feet high, but completely misread the putter. Rod 4, 6 completes the trio, and a hole can be opened with a solid drive. Unfortunately, I lifted my left and right to the left and had a meal of the green.

The last three holes of the first nine holes complete a cycle on the high ground. It starts with the 7th pole of the small par-3, making up for the lack of length green green green. “July will have a hole here in July,” said one partner. “There are a few more doubles,” another added. I gave myself a 12-foot birdie putt and did it for three.

In better news, I found my driving swing on the eighth tee. Holes sweep across the left and right, in this sense, are definitely typical of the first nine – each non-PAR-3 is moving in that direction. The green is another huge green and I'm three shots even though the court is good. The 9th place will be the terrible prospect of a strong wind, with Goles on the right, which is down sharply to the left. Another three pole ended my efforts. I used all 12 techniques.

The last nine

There is a little gullane from the drive of the 10th T-shirt, most of the route is below the tall T-shirt box. Green is narrow but long. After a trembling bounce, I had a solid swamp that took my goal off the green.

The shooting of the day came when I popped up the 3rd 11-11 in the bunker, when I reached 3 wood to 15 feet and the putter threatened the hole. Another good effort from the driver on the tough 12 gave a solid bogey in the wind.

The next trio took us out of the clubhouse. The 13th slope, the 3rd 14th is the last short hole in the grand quartet, and the 15th tee is probably the best view on the route. It feels a bit like Ireland's link courses, with bunkers everywhere, tall grass and fairways somewhere. A brief race joined the driving party, and the next nine revivals continued. This is very interesting.

16 and 17 are running around, and they are having a hard time. 4 shots and 4 shots with steep hills on it, while the long 5 shots will be the last shot in the Women's Open. I negotiated without damage, but didn't use two long strikes on 17.

18 Green downhill on Bristol Channel. It's kind of like the golf version of the water slide. You can stick out the approach of nearly 70 yards and watch it wander around constantly, wondering if it will stop.

My last nine had a touch on my obstacles, so I hit 92 on 72. I'm satisfied with this. A rusty game with weird shoulders and a gentle breeze. This is my third crack in the course, I've completed 84, but I was at my best that day. Most importantly, what was revealed on his face this round. The clubhouse pints were earning a good income after that.

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