At 6,556 yards, the Roman Road Course may not be the longest on the European Senior Tour circuit, but don’t be fooled by its length – there are plenty of twists in the tale at the Celtic Manor Resort.
Just a stone’s throw from the Severn Estuary, Celtic Manor Resort boasts three Championship golf courses, including the Twenty Ten course which hosted The 2010 Ryder Cup, and the Senior Tour returns to the course on which Paul Wesselingh triumphed in 2015.
Jim McKenzie, Director of Golf Courses and Estates Management at Celtic Manor Resort, told europeantour.com he is delighted to see the Roman Road return to the public eye as he and his staff prepare for the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open, which starts on Friday.
“It was the first course here in 1995, but for many years it was overshadowed by the Twenty Ten course which hosted the Ryder Cup,” he said. “We host the Welsh Senior Open on the Roman Road, the Welsh Professionals and many of our tournaments on that course. It’s nice to see it back in the limelight.
“It really is a thoroughbred course. When we built the Ryder Cup course, we utilised the Roman Road course for the Wales Open on the European Tour (2004-2007) and we had winners like Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Robert Karlsson.
“It’s a nice, compact venue. It’s not long but, as many people know, Wales is a nation of steep hills and valleys.”
It is those hills and valleys that will ensure that Senior Tour members will have a testing first event of 2016 on European soil following last week’s US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.
“We probably have one of the biggest sets of undulating greens on the Roman Road course,” McKenzie continued. “If you miss any, you can find yourself pitching uphill. It’s tricky but it’s not too taxing for the amateurs who will be taking part in the pro-ams. It’s a perfect course for this event.
“It is important for the amateurs to enjoy themselves out there too, nobody enjoys being beaten up by a golf course.
The 16th hole on the Roman Road is one of the most memorable holes on the course. A 397-yard par four with the only lake on the course, which demands the most precise of second shots on approach to the sloping green.
McKenzie also highlighted the fifth and 12th as feature holes – the fifth a par five 547-yard double dog-leg and the 12th a deceptively short par four.
“There are a number of standout holes,” he added. “People talk a lot about the 16th, which is a short par four across water, that’s one of the signature holes.”
“The fifth is a double dog-leg downhill and is definitely one of our feature holes, and the 12th is a very tough one to manage. It requires a very accurate drive and your second shot to the green could be made with one of as many as five clubs depending on where the pin is, it’s a great test.”
The Celtic Manor Resort first hosted the Wales Senior Open in 2015 and McKenzie is delighted to see the event return to Newport this year.
“It is really good for the profile of Celtic Manor Resort to have tournament golf on a regular basis,” McKenzie said. “It’s a fun event. I have been to a lot of Senior Tour events and the boys are a bunch of great lads. It’s great for the crowds too because these players have nothing to prove.
“There have been a number of initiatives in the Newport area to support the event, with the likes of Mark Mouland and Paul Mayo getting involved. One of the cornerstones of the Ryder Cup document was driving golf in this region and it’s important that we continue that.”
