Royal Porthcawl Shines at 2025 AIG Women’s Open: A Legacy of Championship Golf in Wales

Stand at the edge of Royal Porthcawl's opening tee and you can feel the weight of history. More than 130 years of championship golf have unfolded across these windswept fairways, where the Bristol Channel provides both backdrop and constant companion. The gorse-lined holes have witnessed triumph and heartbreak in equal measure, creating a legacy that few courses can match.

Last week, the world's elite female golfers discovered what makes this Welsh links so special — and so unforgiving.

In 1891, golf was still finding its feet in Wales when a group of ambitious Cardiff entrepreneurs decided to change that. These wealthy industrialists, flush with profits from the booming coal and shipping trades, spotted an opportunity on some scrubby common land near Porthcawl. What others saw as worthless heath, they envisioned as Wales' answer to the great Scottish links.

Their timing was perfect. While the established golfing nations were content with their existing courses, Wales offered a blank canvas. Charles Gibson from Westward Ho! laid out their initial design, but the real vision took shape in 1895 when Ramsay Hunter created the eighteen-hole layout that would become legendary.

When Edward VII granted royal status in 1909, making it Wales' second "Royal" course, those Cardiff visionaries had their validation. They'd built something truly special.

Few courses can claim to have hosted golf's most memorable upsets, but Royal Porthcawl earned that distinction during the 1995 Walker Cup. Gary Wolstenholme, a seasoned amateur at 35, faced off against teenage sensation Tiger Woods in what should have been a mismatch. Instead, Wolstenholme's local knowledge and steady play overcame Woods' raw power, delivering a 1-up victory that announced this course plays by its own rules.

The Amateur Championship has visited seven times, each occasion adding to the folklore. None more so than Michael Bonallack's extraordinary rally in 1965. Trailing Clive Clark by six holes at the halfway point of their 36-hole final, Bonallack seemed finished. Then came the lunch break, where his winning streak at the clubhouse slot machine seemed to shift the momentum. "Must be my lucky day," he told Clark after hitting the jackpot — and proceeded to prove it by claiming a 2&1 victory.

Welsh golf reached its pinnacle in 1980 when Duncan Evans became the first Welshman to lift The Amateur Championship on home soil, battling torrential conditions that seemed determined to wash away his moment of glory.

The professionals arrived to find a course that demanded respect from day one. Peter Thompson's mastery of the 1961 Dunlop Masters became the stuff of legend — not for his comfortable eight-shot margin, but for the courage required to execute his final approach shot into brutal coastal winds. That one-iron to the 18th green remains one of golf's great clutch shots.

The 1980s brought the Coral Welsh Classic and European Tour recognition. Sandy Lyle's victory that inaugural year told the Porthcawl story perfectly: his brilliant 67 in round three showed what the course could reward, while established stars like Nick Faldo and Brian Barnes discovered how quickly it could humble the unprepared.

Perhaps no tournament captured Porthcawl's character better than the 1982 finale, where Gordon Brand Jr.'s triumph over Greg Norman was almost overshadowed by nature's own dramatics. Lightning repeatedly struck the clubhouse as reporters tried to follow World Cup matches between weather delays — a perfect metaphor for golf at this exposed outpost.

Recent Senior Open Championships have reaffirmed Porthcawl's championship credentials. Bernhard Langer's consecutive victories in 2014 and 2017 showcased different aspects of links mastery, while Alex Čejka's 2023 triumph proved new champions can still emerge from these demanding conditions.

Today's course stretches over 7,100 yards at par 72, presenting a thorough examination that values course management over brute force. The opening sequence immediately establishes the theme: accuracy trumps distance, strategy matters more than strength. Those omnipresent sea views serve as more than scenic beauty — they're a reminder that weather and wind shape every shot.

The closing holes from the 16th provide one of golf's sternest tests. Local members take special pride in this finishing stretch, where championships have been decided and dreams realized or dashed with equal frequency.

For the 2025 AIG Women's Open, Royal Porthcawl brings something increasingly rare: authentic championship golf unmarked by modern artifice. This isn't a course constructed to meet television demands or corporate requirements. It's a natural links that has evolved organically over more than a century, maintaining its essential character while adapting to contemporary needs.

The world's best female golfers deserve venues that challenge without overwhelming, that reward skill while punishing poor decisions. Royal Porthcawl delivers exactly that examination. Where those pioneering Cardiff entrepreneurs first dared to dream of championship golf, today's stars will write the latest chapters in an already remarkable story.

In the end, Miyū Yamashita held off a hard-charging Charley Hull to claim the 2025 AIG Women's Open title after an epic week of Major Championship golf at Royal Porthcawl.

PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent Monday Recap on RG.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.