Conwy Golf Club has closed its course and all its facilities after a serious fire caused “significant damage” to its clubhouse on October 31.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to the club at about 9.21pm. Crews from Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Rhyl, Denbigh, St Asaph, Abergele and Betws-y-Coed attended, with a high-volume pump from Caernarfon, and were still on site on Sunday. Residents nearby were told to keep their doors and windows shut because of the smoke.
Pictures show the clubhouse roof burned through and collapsed in places. The building had recently been refurbished, with two bars, a 60-seat restaurant and a lounge overlooking the course. The cause has not been determined, and a police car was parked at the club entrance on Sunday morning.
In a statement on social media, the club said it was with “great sadness” that it had to report a serious fire. “Thankfully, no one was hurt,” it said. It thanked the emergency services for their “rapid response and hard work throughout the night”, and said it would not speculate on the cause while official investigations take place.
The course and all facilities are closed for safety reasons. The club said the emergency services have asked members, visitors and the public not to go to the club “under any circumstances” until the site is declared safe, and that access to the grounds and buildings is prohibited. “We know this news will come as a huge shock to our members, visitors, and the local community,” it said.
Wales Golf said it was deeply saddened by the fire and would support the club as it begins the difficult journey towards recovery and rebuilding. Members have also posted messages of support online, with one saying they would all have to “pull together and play our part in the rebuild”.
Founded in 1890, Conwy is one of the oldest clubs in Wales, and its links course on the Morfa overlooks the Great Orme. The club describes it as the number one course in north Wales. It hosted the Curtis Cup in 2021.
It isn’t the first time a fire has hit the club. Its first clubhouse, built in the early 1920s, was gutted in the summer of 1933, and a replacement opened in March 1934.
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