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Thomas Dai

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The Rolls of Monmouth with pix
« on: October 08, 2020, 08:33:46 AM »
If you're travelling from the GB Midlands to South Wales and fancy a game en-route at somewhere you haven't played before The Rolls of Monmouth is worth a visit. Reasonable pricing too.



Once a huge country estate with a gorgeous stately home for a few decades now it has been an 18-hole parkland course laid out by Bob Sandow, who designed a few courses in the area, draped over rolling hills. It's hilly mind with quite a few long uphill walks from green to next tee so whilst it's walkable for most, if your in doubt take a buggy.

The Rolls is more of a 'proper' parkland course than is often the norm theses days. No tree lined avenues or corridors at The Rolls. Rather an open aspect landscape with many old, some very old, specimen trees which have on occasions to be navigated around or maybe played over.

Expect plenty of golfing challenge, score near your handicap and you've done well. There are some very contoured greens too, the more so as the round progresses. Quite a few pin locations should not be putted to from above the hole.

Some photos to give a flavour of what to expect.

Below - firstly the long uphill par-5 12th with the stately home/Clubhouse in the far distance and secondly the long par-4 16th as seen from behind it's decidedly contoured green.


Below - the par-4 2nd. An example of a proper parkland. No tree lined avenues or corridors instead occasional big specimen trees to play around or over.

Below - the maybe drivable for some short par-4 9th with it's very evil/wonderful green.


Below - firstly the over-the-pond long par-3 18th with the stately home/Clubhouse at rear and secondly the view of the same from behind the green.
For a while after opening Greg Norman represented this course and apparently during the filming of some promotional material he was asked to hit some shots from the back-tee on the 18th with his persimmon 3-wood. His response was apparently akin to "3-wood. You must be joking. From here I could knock it over the Clubhouse with a 3-wood!". Long hitter. Modest one too. :)



Worth a visit if you're in the area.
atb

See also - https://www.therollsgolfclub.co.uk/

Robin_Hiseman

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Re: The Rolls of Monmouth with pix
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2020, 06:11:11 AM »
I've been curious about this place for some time. The recent BUDA highlighted to me just how beautiful this corner of our island is and this looks like a nice play to pause for a few hours.


Reminds me a bit of Taymouth Castle, which will be worth a visit in the future when they can figure out how to reopen their recently redesigned course.
2024: Royal St. David's; Mill Ride; Milford; Notts; JCB, Jameson Links, Druids Glen, Royal Dublin, Portmarnock, Old Head, Addington, Parkstone, Denham, Thurlestone, Dartmouth, Rustic Canyon, LACC (North), MPCC (Shore), Cal Club, San Francisco, Epsom, Casa Serena (CZ),

Richard Fisher

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Re: The Rolls of Monmouth with pix
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2022, 07:33:29 AM »
Just spent a couple of days at The Rolls, which in the current drought was doubtless as dry and rolling as it has ever been. I think it's fair to say that my foursome quite enjoyed it, without in any sense being blown away, although there are some gorgeous views and it's a lovely place to hit golf shots. All the members we met were also extremely helpful and welcoming. The green sites were fun, and there was masses of width, although trees still dominated the shape of play on many holes. But there is a lot of hilly walking from green to tee (buggies are used a lot), and the clubhouse arrangements are bonkers, with the stately home (used for occasional golf functions) presumably a major financial drain on the owners (located somewhere in the Cayman Islands, apparently). The on-site dormy ('Raglan Lodge') in which we stayed was rather nice, and at £42 for dormy residents golf was very reasonably priced.


Nonetheless I don't think that I would rush back specifically to play there, and Thorndon Park (my other 'new' parkland discovery of 2022) is in an entirely different league. Still, if stopping off for the night en route to the many gems of South Wales, the Rolls would make a very attractive place for an evening game and a good breakfast the following day.

Tom_Doak

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Re: The Rolls of Monmouth with pix
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2022, 10:45:06 AM »


But there is a lot of hilly walking from green to tee (buggies are used a lot), and the clubhouse arrangements are bonkers, with the stately home (used for occasional golf functions) presumably a major financial drain on the owners (located somewhere in the Cayman Islands, apparently).




If the owners are in the Cayman Islands, let's spare the worrying about a financial drain on them  ;)

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