Dragons and Fairways: Great Golfers of Wales | Y Lolfa

Celebrate Welsh golf heritage with Dragons and Fairways

Dragons and Fairways: Great Golfers of Wales is a timely, richly composed celebration of Welsh golf, weaving together the careers, rivalries, and triumphs that shaped the game across decades. From the days of plus-fours and bar-room bets to the moments that captured the world's attention, this book invites readers to sense the sea breeze on windy fairways and the hush of a sunlit green.

The narrative threads together iconic figures and enduring stories, including the early chapters that spotlight Henry Howell and Dai Rees, the modern era led by Ian Woosnam's 1991 Masters triumph, and the dramatic Ryder Cup ties that keep Welsh golf in the spotlight. It also gives space to the contributions of women golfers who have raised the sport's profile, alongside young talents like Rhys Davies who symbolize the sport's future in Wales.

Organized with care, the book follows a biennial rhythm that mirrors the Ryder Cup's high-stakes drama. The introduction by John Jermine, chair of Ryder Cup Wales 2010, sets the tone for a tour through legends, near-misses, and hard-won moments on famous venues.

What you’ll find inside

• Profiles of legendary Welsh golfers across eras, including Henry Howell, Dai Rees, Ian Woosnam, and beyond.
• Accounts of pivotal moments and iconic venues—from windswept fairways to green surrounds at Augusta.
• Spotlight features on women players who raised the sport's visibility and on rising stars like Vicki Thomas, Becky Morgan, and Becky Brewerton.

Reading experience and structure

• A clear, chapter-by-chapter journey that maps the sport's evolution in Wales and its global connections.
• A blend of historical context, personal portraits, and sporting milestones that invites reflection and curiosity.
• A celebration of the Ryder Cup's enduring drama as a unifying thread through Welsh golf history.

This book is for fans who want a richer sense of Wales's golfing legacy, researchers seeking a cohesive storyline, and collectors of sports literature that captures character, setting, and ambition. While it does not promise definite outcomes, it offers vivid possibilities: a deeper appreciation for the moments that shaped Welsh golf, and a sense of how the game's stories continue to unfold on both familiar and faraway greens.