Going for Golf

Welsh jewel benefits from a polish

Marriott St Pierre

Set in the rolling hills of south Wales, in 400 acres of beautiful Chepstow parkland, the former Curtis Cup and Solheim Cup venue, with its two courses, is the perfect venue for a well-deserved break ‘in the valleys’.

Last year £1.8m was spent upgrading the Old and Mathern courses and £5m on the other facilities at the hotel. The complex is built around a charming 14th-century manor house and a picturesque 11th-century church but offers an array of modern facilities.

King Henry V, who hailed from nearby Monmouth, stored the Crown Jewels at St Pierre when he defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt, but now the resort’s jewel in the crown is the 7,100-yard, par-72 Old Course, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012.

It is built around an 11-acre lake and studded with many ancient trees, including a 400-year-old Chestnut that dominates the second hole.

It is a delight to play and can claim one of the finest finishes in golf. The long, uphill dog-leg par-four 16th is followed by the downhill 430-yard 17th which plays to a green situated on the edge of the lake. Over-clubbing your approach leads to a certain watery grave.

The 18th is the signature hole. The 235-yard par-three requires a tee shot over water to an elevated green, protected by sand. Sitting on the clubhouse patio behind the green, I must have seen two dozen players come up short.

The shorter par-68 Mathern, which opened in 1974, complements its elder neighbour and possesses its own unique challenges, with a stream meandering its way across several of the fairways, making the placement of your shots vital.

Trees and water offer more than enough to the golfer who is either over ambitious or not very straight. The second is a great par-three cut through dense woodland to a raised green. 

Accuracy off the tee is vital on both courses and especially on the Mathern’s 299-yard, par-four ninth, where thick trees down the left, as well as plenty on the right-side of this dog-leg left, put a premium on getting your tee shot off straight. The signature hole is undoubtedly the par-four 428-yard 14th which crosses two rivers.

The architect behind the improvements at St Pierre was Ross McMurray, whose company, European Golf Design, created the new Twenty Ten course just down the A48 at The Celtic Manor Resort.

During the 1980s and early 90s, St Pierre was placed well and truly on the global golfing map. It hosted the Dunlop Masters and the Epson Grand Prix of Europe, won by Wales’ very own Ian Woosnam in 1990. Arguably its biggest claim to fame came in 1996 when it hosted the Solheim Cup, as America beat Europe in the biggest event in women’s golf.

St Pierre’s director of golf, Will Hewitt, accepts those dizzy heights may never be scaled again but is determined that the Old Course retains its reputation as one of the best in the UK.

He said: “Hosting a big tournament without major commercial backing is not really viable these days and we probably no longer have the infrastructure to cope with parking and practice and all the demands of the tour.

“There would be no problems in setting up the course itself for a main tour event, it’s whether or not we would have the capacity for a tented village, big practice facilities and everything else – probably not.”

St Pierre decided to concentrate on putting members, visitors and hotel guests first. And what a great job they are making of it.

McMurray’s brief included the reconstruction and repositioning of all bunkers and the building of 18 new tee boxes on both courses, as well as significant work to improve drainage and irrigation. Last year was one of the wettest years in history for this part of Wales but the course, and the new greens in particular, handled the weather superbly.

Members and guests are now seeing the benefits of a long-term strategy. Around 180 ideas were put forward by the members and more than half of their suggestions have since been implemented.

The bigger picture at St Pierre involves the internationally-recognised Marriott resort. The 148-bedroom hotel has also had massive investment and retains that ‘wow!’ factor. Beyond the fairways, there is a spa, tennis courts, fitness club and an indoor pool. The hotel has two restaurants: the highly-acclaimed Morgans features the very best in international and traditional Welsh cuisine, and Zest offers a more casual setting featuring contemporary modern food.

The hotel and golf staff could not have been more attentive and I left very impressed. The tour’s loss is our gain.