Blazing the James Braid Trail!

Neath Golf Club has led the way in developing and promoting the new James Braid Golf Trail. The purpose of the trail is to link together golf courses throughout South Wales which were designed by the legendary Scottish golfer, James Braid.

The golf club located at Cadoxton, Neath has joined with six other clubs in South Wales, including Langland Bay, Maesteg, Morlais Castle, Pennard, Tenby and Wenvoe Castle, to successfully apply for grant funding from Visit Wales’ Tourism Product Innovation Fund to develop the trail.

Mr. Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure formally launched the James Braid Golf Trail at Neath Golf Club on Thursday 30th March 2017 to coincide with the Visit Wales Year of Legends 2017.

James Braid was the designer of over 200 golf courses mainly in Great Britain and his design principles still influence golf course architects to this day. He was also the winner of five British Open Championships, including consecutive wins in 1905 and 1906 (this remarkable feat has only once been replicated by Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008 in the entire 157 year history of the Open Championship).

Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Ken Skates, said: “This project celebrates the legendary James Braid golf courses of South West Wales. Linking these clubs as part of the trail will showcase the fantastic facilities on offer and make it easier for golfing visitors to plan their stay in south west Wales.”
The development of a website (www.braidgolftrail.co.uk) is a key part of the project enabling visitors to easily access information about the trail and its constituent golf clubs. Literature has also been produced to promote the trail.

Neath Golf Club Captain, Alan Doyle said, ‘We are delighted to have secured funding from Visit Wales and to work in partnership with other James Braid golf clubs in South Wales to develop this trail, which will provide a new experience for golfers. In order to promote the James Braid Golf Trail, we will be working closely with tourism related businesses across South Wales, including travel agencies, and will arrange packages for people to enjoy and experience the challenges of completing the trail.

Notes to Editors

Visit Wales’ Year of Legends 2017 campaign will showcase the country’s rich culture and heritage and attract even more visitors in a bid by the Welsh Government to both raise the profile and increase the number of visitors choosing Wales as a holiday and short break destination.

The purpose of the Visit Wales Tourism Product Innovation Fund is to work closely with tourism sector partners to deliver projects to achieve a 10% growth target in the contribution that tourism makes to the Wales economy by 2020.

James Braid’s remarkable achievements in golf are commemorated by The Braid Society whose aim is to cherish his memory and uphold the ideals of golf that he personified. http://www.thebraidsociety.com/