Who designed Abersoch Golf Club?

Abersoch Golf Club was founded on Boxing Day 1907 and laid out by Harry Vardon, a six-time Open champion. The course opened in 1908 and has 18 holes with a par of 69, playing just under 5,900 yards.

Are there events in Abersoch during the summer?

The village hosts an annual summer jazz festival and a regatta, and boat trips run out to St Tudwal's and to Bardsey Island.

Things to Do

Updated September 2026

There is more to Abersoch than the water, though not much more — a golf links that predates the resort village, a coast path running out in both directions, a working marina, and a cluster of activity operators along the main beach. Add an offshore island with a lighthouse and a gallery at Llanbedrog and there is easily a week of it.

Sailing and watersports are covered in their own guide; this one stays with everything else, drawn from the directory listings and what is known about the places themselves.

Golf at Abersoch Golf Club

Abersoch Golf Club was founded on Boxing Day 1907 and laid out by Harry Vardon, the six-time Open champion. The course opened the following year, in 1908, and it sits on Golf Road immediately inland from the main beach. It is rated 4.5★ from 185 reviews in the directory.

It has 18 holes and plays to a par of 69, at just under 5,900 yards. What makes it distinctive is the mix: some holes are pure links running through the dunes, others are parkland in character, and the course overlooks both Machroes and Abersoch beaches.

It was named Welsh Golf Course of the Year in 2018. If you are after something less committed than a round, Caffi Traeth (4.5★, 138 reviews) sits on Lon Golff alongside the course.

St Tudwal's Islands

Two islands lie just off the southern tip of the Llŷn, south of Abersoch. They are named for the 6th-century hermitage of Saint Tudwal, and they are one of the more distinctive things to look at from the shore or, better, from a boat.

The lighthouse was built in 1877, automated in 1922 and has been solar-powered since 1995. Out on the islands themselves are breeding grey seals and seabirds including razorbills, guillemots and chough.

Small boats carry passengers from Abersoch to see the wildlife, and Abersoch Boat Trips (5.0★, 4 reviews) is the operator listed in the directory. Boat trips also run out to Bardsey Island.

Plas Glyn-y-Weddw at Llanbedrog

Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw is Wales’s oldest art gallery, and it is listed in the directory as Plas Glyn y Weddw Gallery (4.6★, 716 reviews) — the most reviewed business anywhere on the site.

The house is a Gothic mansion built in 1857 as a dower house for Lady Elizabeth Jones Parry of the Madryn estate. It was bought by Solomon Andrews in 1896 and opened to the public as a gallery, and it is Grade II* listed. Entry to the gallery is free, and the exhibitions change every six to eight weeks.

Around it are 12 acres of Winllan woodland with restored trails and an outdoor theatre, plus a sculptural café built between 2019 and 2022 that has won awards. Between the house, the woods and the café, it is easy to spend half a day here.

The coast path, both ways

The coast path runs out of Abersoch in both directions, and the two halves suit different days.

West towards Machroes is the shorter option — the Wales Coast Path section takes roughly an hour, and depending on the tide you can return along the beach. There is a beach café at the Machroes end, and Machroes Beach (4.5★, 69 reviews) is rated in the directory in its own right.

East towards Llanbedrog is the bigger walk, roughly eight miles round trip, passing Plas Glyn-y-Weddw on the way through to Llanbedrog Beach (4.7★, 724 reviews). That one works best as a full half-day.

Boats and the marina

Abersoch Marina (4.6★, 128 reviews) is a working marina at the head of the bay, and a good place to watch the tide go in and out around the moorings. The boatyard on The Saltings — Abersoch Boatyard ltd (4.5★, 28 reviews) — is the other waterside listing if you are after practicalities rather than a trip.

For time on the water without a boat of your own, the trip operators cover it — out to St Tudwal’s, or along the coast. See the sailing guide for the full list of who runs what.

Events and other activities

If your visit lands in summer, the village runs an annual jazz festival and a regatta, and the sailing open weeks fill out the calendar from late July onwards.

Otherwise there are a few more activity providers and attractions listed around the village and along the main beach.

Abersoch Hydro & Pwllheli (4.6★, 32 reviews) — on the Main Beach at Lon Traeth.
Abersoch Beach Retreat (4.5★, 49 reviews) — at Cae’r Rhedyn, Quarry Road.
Abersoch skatepark (3.3★, 8 reviews) — at 103 Lon Engan.
Môr Glas (4.4★, 9 reviews) — at 3 Ynys Fawr, Lon Engan.

Common questions

Who designed Abersoch Golf Club?: Abersoch Golf Club was founded on Boxing Day 1907 and laid out by Harry Vardon, a six-time Open champion. The course opened in 1908 and has 18 holes with a par of 69, playing just under 5,900 yards.
What is there to see at St Tudwal's Islands?: The two islands off the southern tip of the Llŷn are named for the 6th-century hermitage of Saint Tudwal. The lighthouse was built in 1877, automated in 1922 and has been solar-powered since 1995. The islands host breeding grey seals and seabirds including razorbills, guillemots and chough.
What is Plas Glyn-y-Weddw?: Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw at Llanbedrog is Wales's oldest art gallery. The Gothic mansion was built in 1857 as a dower house for Lady Elizabeth Jones Parry of the Madryn estate, bought by Solomon Andrews in 1896 and opened as a public gallery. It is Grade II* listed and entry to the gallery is free.
What are the grounds like at Plas Glyn-y-Weddw?: The gallery sits in 12 acres of Winllan woodland with restored trails and an outdoor theatre. Exhibitions change every six to eight weeks.
Are there events in Abersoch during the summer?: The village hosts an annual summer jazz festival and a regatta, and boat trips run out to St Tudwal's and to Bardsey Island.