The Prince of Wales gave Newport's Ryder Cup venue the royal stamp of approval yesterday.

Prince Charles visited the Celtic Manor Resort where he was greeted by thousands of golf fans, tried Welsh bitter and putted with a Welsh schoolboy.

He was shown around the 2010 clubhouse where he met resort owner Sir Terry Matthews and Newport Mayor Bill Langsford.

The Prince went onto the balcony overlooking the 2010 course and chatted to European team captain Colin Montgomerie and US team captain Corey Pavin about their preparation, while around a thousand fans gathered below, clapped and waved.

He then travelled by golf buggy to the tented village where he shook hands with and chatted to visitors and staff.

Tour guide Rhian Jones from Conway gave the Prince a sip of her pint and told him she mentions him in her tour every week, because he once visited one of its venues.

She said: "He was asking what people were drinking and I said its Brains SA, do you want to try some? I’m saving this cups now."

Cerebal Palsy sufferer Frankie Jones, 12, from Llanfair Caereinion, putted with the Prince in the PGAs golf teaching zone and golf fans Kay Lewis from Blackwood and Jinny O'Grady from Ohio said they felt honoured to chat to him as he greeted the crowds.

The Prince also heard about the work Ryder Cup organisers had undertaken to reduce the tournaments environmental impact and met young volunteers selling merchandise as part of the Prince's Trust Get Into Retail scheme, which offers retail training to unemployed 16-25 year olds.

He finished his visit by walking over new £2m bridge at the resort and last night had dinner with both Ryder Cup teams at Cardiff Castle before watching the Welcome to Wales concert at the Millennium Stadium.