As blustery as the wind patterns at Southerdown can be, they don’t hold a candle to the sheer velocity at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. Distinguished by a “royal” designation and a location directly on the Bristol Channel, I appreciate Royal Porthcawl for far more than the 6,870 yards it stretches. Late in the day, as our round got underway, a choppy sea ensued as high tide rolled in. The wind had been blast- ing at a continuous 40-mph rate, the kind of gusts that force men to chase their hats down the fairway as walking trolleys and golf bags spill left and right.

It was on the 116-yard par-3 seventh that we encountered a sturdy crosswind. The conditions commanded a stinger-type shot aimed far right of the green with a hopeful reliance that the wind would bring it back. And did it ever. Following a few bounces, my trusty Titleist rolled right into the cup.

As Great Britain prepares to host two of what will undoubtedly become historically significant events, there has never been a better time to make the journey. The decision to do so would be nothing short of an ace.