Celtic Manor Roman Road

The verdict

Before the Twenty Ten Course hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup and put Celtic Manor on the world map, there was the Roman Road. Opened in 1995 as the resort's first course, it was laid out by Robert Trent Jones Sr, the most influential architect of his era, on the wooded upper slopes above the River Usk. The result is a mature, classically proportioned parkland that has aged into the most characterful of the resort's three courses.

It plays as a par 70 of around 6,600 yards, and where the valley floor Twenty Ten is all water and theatre, the Roman Road is about elevation, woodland and the strategic use of slope. Tree lined corridors, raised tees with views across to the Severn estuary, and greens that reward the right angle of approach give it a quieter, more traditional appeal. For travelers building a stay and play around the famous Ryder Cup ground, the Roman Road is the round that rounds out the trip and, for many, the one they enjoy most.

The holes worth the trip

The Roman Road makes its case on the higher ground, where Robert Trent Jones Sr used the natural fall of the land to frame a run of memorable holes. Elevated tees give golfers the kind of long view, across the Usk valley toward the Severn estuary, that turns a tee shot into an occasion, and the woodland tightens the lines just enough to make club selection matter from the very first swing.

The par 3s are a particular strength, played to greens set against the trees where distance control is everything and a miss leaves an awkward recovery. Through the meat of the round, doglegs bend around mature oak and beech, asking the golfer to choose between the safe lay up and the aggressive carry, with the better angle into the green the reward for the braver line off the tee.

It is a course of subtlety rather than spectacle, the foil to the water laced drama of the Twenty Ten just down the hill. Played in sequence over a resort stay, the two make a fine contrast: the championship theatre of the valley and the classical, tree framed strategy of the Roman Road above it.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest base is the Celtic Manor Resort itself, whose hotel, lodges and spa sit beside the courses and make a multi round golf break effortless. Newport and Cardiff add city hotels and dining a short drive away for those who prefer to roam.

The Roman Road anchors a South Wales golf trip alongside the resort's other courses and the great links of the Glamorgan coast, an easy and rewarding cluster within reach of two airports.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Celtic Manor.