DARREN Griffiths must think his old man had it easy.

Former world champion Terry, after all, had six holes within a few feet when he was knocking balls round a snooker table.

But there's only one every few hundred yards at Glyn Abbey Golf Club, where Darren is the pro.

Glyn Abbey bills itself as having a "friendly, relaxed atmosphere and the warmest welcome anywhere".

It's a bold claim.

But take a trip to Trimsaran and you'll see what they mean.

Any golfer who is put off playing the game by frosty encounters in the pro's shop should give this place a go.

You don't get looked up and down, you don't feel like your best behaviour is required just to gain permission to make the first tee.

Darren is easy going, and that sets the mood — at least until you start slicing and hooking your way round the course.

Glyn Abbey also claims to have the best technical layout in South Wales.

If that's the case, the Evening Post's golf reporting team are technophobes.

As ever, we had our fair share of struggles during a round where a couple of heavy downpours did not do much for morale.

But then Glyn Abbey cannot be blamed for the British summer.

The course, in fact, provides a fair golfing test.

In a sense it is as welcoming as the atmosphere in the clubhouse, with the rough — as we regularly discovered — not too severe and the greens not too intimidating.

A few putts dropped for us in the Gwendraeth Valley, which is a few more than usual.

This is not a seriously long track either — it plays just under 6,000 yards off the yellows, with only two par fives and a par of 70.

It could easily be bumped up to 72 mind you — the 11th (439 yards) and the 17th (431) were not par fours for hackers like us.

"Two of your finest are needed here to get home," the course planner points out on the 11th.

Sadly, we're the kind of golfers whose "finest" don't often come one after the other.

To get to the 11th tee, you have to take a woodland walk where there is wildlife to look out for.

"It's a golfer's chance to forget the poor shots and concentrate on the positive," the club website tells us.

In fact, Glyn Abbey is the kind of place that will make you feel positive all the way round.

HOW MUCH? £20 midweek, £25 weekends. Various offers are available depending on what time of day you play.

CAN YOU GET ON? Yes, visitors are very welcome at Glyn Abbey, but it is still a good idea to call ahead of your visit.

WHERE IS IT? In Trimsaran, turn right at the mini roundabout with the Bird in the Hand pub on the left hand side, towards Carway. The club is about a mile and a half along this road on the left.

HARDEST HOLE: 17th — it was a toss up with 11 for us, but 17 takes it for its length before a raised green protected by a ditch.

BEST HOLE: 10th — we enjoyed this one, with a tee shot running away from the clubhouse and then a second across the road.

DID YOU KNOW? Glyn Abbey have recently opened a nine-hole par 3 track where beginners can learn the ropes while more experienced players test out their all-important short game.