Brecon is just 45 minutes’ drive from Newport and the demand for accommodation around the M4 corridor is expected to rocket over the coming months as the build-up to the 2010 clash between Europe and America gets underway.
The town council is preparing to put on a show that will attract golf fans looking to sample some real Welsh hospitality before the match gets underway. Civic dignitaries and golf fans from its American twinned town of Saline, in Michigan, have been invited to visit during the week.
And with two top golf courses of its own, Brecon’s civic chiefs are inviting supporters of both the American and European teams to stay in the heart of the Beacons with its breathtaking scenery.
Councillor Mike Foster, who is heading a Ryder Cup working party, said, “Whether you are English, Irish, American, Swedish, Spanish, French or German, Brecon can help give golf fans a real taste of Wales during Ryder Cup week.
“Once this year’s Ryder Cup is played at Valhalla in September, the countdown to Celtic Manor will really begin, and will be happy to welcome golfers anytime between now and the event in early October 2010.”
Visitors can put their own golf game to the test on the cracking Cradoc golf course, overlooking the Beacons, just outside of Brecon. Voted the Welsh Golf Club of the Year in 2005, Cradoc is part of the Heart of Wales golfing group and offers great golf all-year round.
On the edge of the town itself lies one of the nine-hole gems of Wales. None other than legendary designer James Braid laid out the Brecon Golf Club, which unfolds alongside the same River Usk that provides the backdrop for Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten course, used for the first time in this month’s Wales Open.
Brecon’s parkland course, which dates back to 1902, features Braid’s trademark bunkers and boasts stunning mountain scenery views.
The Brecon National Park, which extends to some 1,350sq kms, has eight 18-hole and one nine-hole courses within its boundaries – Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells, Knighton, Machynlleth, St Giles, St Idloes and Welshpool golf clubs are all within easy reach.
All types of accommodation are available including quality hotels, comfortable b ’n’ bs, pub hotels and self-catering in a wide variety of country cottages. The Beacons also has some of the best caravanning and camping parks in Wales.
Brecon Beacons www.breconbeaconstourism.co.uk