Celtic Manor, Roman Road course: review

Overshadowed by the the Twenty Ten, but deserving of the limelight

Charlie Lemay's picture
Thu, 11 Jun 2015
Celtic Manor, Roman Road course: review

Like cricketer Mark Waugh and tennis player Jamie Murray, the Roman Road is not the most famous member of its family.

But the difference between this superb layout and those two athletes is the Roman Road can claim to be just as good as its celebrated sibling.

Celtic Manor's Twenty Ten Course was conceived to stage the 2010 Ryder Cup, when Colin Montgomerie's Europe pipped the United States over four rain-sodden days. 

Measuring 7,493 yards and with more water hazards than Splashdown, the layout is not well suited to amateur golfers - let alone your average hacker. 

The Roman Road, however, is.

Located 10 minutes from Newport train station in South Wales, the vast Celtic Manor Resort benefits from superb transport links, with a train from London taking less than two hours. 

Named after the Roman East-West road that crossed the course, the Roman Road was the first of three courses to be built at Celtic Manor, opening for business in 1995 and staging the Welsh Open in 2005 and 2006. The Montgomerie, designed by the man himself, completes the trio.

Unlike the Twenty Ten, the Roman Road is a suitable distance measuring 6,600 yards from the tips and 6,000 yards from the yellows. It bears its teeth at times, with well-placed hazards and doglegs punishing errant shots.

It requires guile to score well, and the driver should remain in the bag on a number of holes unless you are certain of finding the middle of the fairway.

Players will benefit from being able to work it both ways, as this allows for maximum distance off the tee on holes that turn to the left or right. Picking a side of the fairway to land on is also important, as many have steep undulations which could see your ball run off the fairway if you land on the wrong side.

The greens are both superb and punishing in equal measure. Fast, undulating and with pins placed in punishing positions, players need to approach the green with caution. Often, players will be putting towards a pin that has a run-off behind the hole, which gladly whisks away an over-exuberant ball.

Long, undulating walks between holes means a buggy may be the sensible option, but players who walk will be rewarded by having longer to gaze at the spectacular views over the Severn Estuary, Somerset and Devon. Every cloud...

Conclusion

The Roman Road is better suited to amateurs than the Twenty Ten and it makes for a more enjoyable round of golf.

The Ryder Cup course should be sampled, but it is not a design you would wish to play regularly if you are not a long hitter, or low handicapper. 

The Roman Road still punishes poor shots, but it is not unjust, allowing players to recover when they find themselves going off-road.

It has superb greens, both fast and true, which matches the excellent standard to which the course is kept. The views are also stunning.

Designer: Robert Trent Jones Junior 
Length: 6,000 yards (yellows)
Par: 70
Green Fees: £40-£84

For accommodation, look into the Celtic Manor Resort.

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