Royal County Down (Annesley)

Like the much underrated Valley golf course at Royal Portrush, the Annesley at Royal County Down is often overlooked by visiting golfers when they make the pilgrimage to play one of the finest links layouts in the land.

It’s a very short layout at only 4,548 yards from the back tees, which is hardly surprising when you consider there are no par five holes, only one par four measures in excess of 350 yards and six of the holes are par threes.

Nonetheless, it’s a challenging test where your driver can remain in the locker room as you negotiate your way round the heaving fairways that twist and turn in the duneland beside the Championship course.

The best holes are found between the 5th and 15th holes where short, narrow fairways play to small, undulating greens – some visible, some blind – that are firm and fast enough to ensure the par of 66 is rarely matched.

Mackenzie & Ebert carried out a significant redesign of the Annesley course in 2015, adding three new holes around the turn, with the fairways of these holes routed through the towering dunes in the northeast corner of the property.