Down

Northern Ireland

According to the results of a Top 100 survey, Royal County Down is the most scenic golf course in Britain & Ireland.

There is always lively discussion about which golf course is better than another, but none is more passionate than the debate over the relative merits of Royal County Down and 

. If you haven’t played either of them yet, we recommend a golf trip to Northern Ireland; you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Royal County Down Golf Club is at Newcastle, a little holiday town nestling at the feet of the majestic Mountains of Mourne. It’s an exhilarating location for a classic links golf course where the Bay of Dundrum sweeps out into the Irish Sea and where the mighty peak of Slieve Donard (3,000 ft.) casts its shadow over the town.

A Scottish schoolteacher called George L. Baillie, who was on a personal mission to establish golf courses, originally laid out the first nine holes at Newcastle and they opened for play in 1889. Later that year, Old Tom Morris was paid the modest sum of four guineas to extend the course and 18 holes were ready for play in 1890. Harry Vardon modified the course in 1908, the same year King Edward VII bestowed royal patronage on the club.

Royal County Down maintains tradition; the “Hat Man” still mixes the pairings for the Saturday matches (foursomes in the winter and four-balls in the summer) as he did around 100 years earlier.

Bernard Darwin commented that the greens “lie, moreover, in a good many instances, in those pleasing little hollows which are the most adroit flatterers in the whole world of golf.” In 1926 Harry Colt was commissioned to make further alterations to the course which included addressing the gathering nature of the original greens and reducing the number of blind drives.

Old Tom however deserves most credit for the layout and he was presented with an idyllic piece of ground on which to design a golf course. The sand dunes are rugged but beautifully clad in purple heather and yellow gorse, the fairways are naturally undulating, shaped by the hands of time. The greens are small and full of wicked borrows.

Measuring nearly 7,200 yards from the back tees, Royal County Down is a brute. It’s a mystery that this fantastic course, with one of the finest outward nine holes in golf, has never hosted an Open. Factor in the ever-changing wind and you have as stern a test as any Open Championship venue.

The 4th and 9th holes are both universally admired. The 4th must be one of the most scenic long par threes in golf described as follows by one commentator: “Innumerable gorse bushes, ten bunkers, three mountain peaks, and one spire equal the most magnificent view in British golf”. The 9th, a long par four, is perhaps one of the world’s most photographed holes, the line from the elevated tee is directly at the Slieve Donard peak and the sweeping fairway lies eighty feet below—magnifique.

Sure, the course has a level of eccentricity; there are still a number of blind drives and some of the bunkers are fringed with coarse grass, which gathers the ball with alarming regularity, but this simply adds to the charm. If a measure of a great golf course is the number of holes that you can remember, then Royal County Down is one of the greatest courses of them all.

Architect Martin Ebert kindly supplied the following short update in November 2021:

“A review has been made of the Championship course. Plans have been drawn up for the 16th hole. These include the reshaping of the green. At the 17th, the triangular pond has been filled in and further reshaping of the area where the pond used to be will be carried out in the near future.”

Royal County Down (Championship)

Britain & Ireland

Royal County Down Golf Club is at Newcastle, a little holiday town nestling at the feet of the majestic Mountains of Mourne. It’s an exhilarating location for a classic links golf course...

Antrim

Royal Portrush has the honour of being the only club outside mainland Britain to host the Open Championship.

"Portrush stands on a rocky promontory that juts out into the Atlantic, and, if I may allude to such trivialities," wrote Bernard Darwin in, 

, "the scenery of the coast is wonderfully striking. On the east are the White Rocks, tall limestone cliffs that lead to Dunluce Castle and the headlands of the Giant's Causeway. On the west are the hills of Inishowen, beyond which lie Portsalon and Buncrana and the links of Donegal."

Since its foundation in 1888, Royal Portrush Golf Club has undergone a transformation in more ways than one. It was originally a 9-hole course, known as the County Club. The following year it was extended to 18 holes. In 1892, its name changed to the Royal County Club, with the Duke of York as patron. In 1895, the Prince of Wales came along and the name finally changed to Royal Portrush. Why who knows?

However, the biggest transformation came along when Harry S Colt redesigned the course in 1932, including two holes in an area known as “The Triangle”. Just before the Second World War, when it became apparent that the clubhouse would have to be relocated, the professional at that time, a Mr P.G. Stevenson, designed the current 10th and 11th holes, allowing the old 1st and 18th in the Triangle to be released. It would take until 1946 though before club members moved to their present premises, the former Holyrood Hotel.

The Dunluce links is named after the ruined Dunluce castle that overlooks the course. It was the venue for the first professional golf tournament in Ireland, won by Sandy Herd in 1895. Until 2019, The Open Championship has been held outside of Scotland and England only once; that occasion was here at Royal Portrush in 1951 when Max Faulkner triumphed. Faulkner was the last British Open champion until Tony Jacklin lifted the claret jug in 1969 at 

. More recently, American Pete Oakley won the Senior British Open here in July 2004.

In 2014 it was confirmed that Royal Portrush would return to the Open Championship rotation in 2019. 2011 Open Champion, Darren Clarke, was thrilled to hear that his home club will stage the tournament. “It is wonderful for the area, for Northern Ireland and the whole of Ireland that one of the biggest sporting events in the world is coming here," he said. “It's just massive, with pictures of Royal Portrush being beamed around the world to people who haven't seen how beautiful it is.”

Royal Portrush is certainly beautiful and it has one of the most dramatic entrances to any golf course. As you wind your way towards the course along the coastal road, the crumpled, undulating links land suddenly appears in front of you, flags fluttering in the breeze. It's a classic seaside links, located in an evocative setting on the north Antrim coastline, blessed with magnificent ocean views. On a clear day (from the 3rd tee) you can see the Paps of Jura and the island of Islay.

The fairways nestle in natural valleys between towering sand dunes. The small greens blend perfectly into the landscape, one of Colt’s masterstrokes. The greens are generally protected by natural grassy hummocks rather than sand bunkers, further adding to the understatement.

The most spectacular parts of the course are down by the shore. The 5th hole (called “White Rocks”) is an absolute stunner. It’s a short, downhill par four with a left to right dogleg. The elevated tee provides a platform to soak up the vista. The green is perched on the very edge of the course some 50 feet above the seashore. The 16th, called “Calamity”, is a 210-yard par three; a deep chasm to the right of the green makes it a nervous tee shot.

The Dunluce is a seriously tough cookie and requires solid driving to hold together a decent score. It will intimidate many golfers; the rough is penal (and sprinkled with heather and briar). It has very few bunkers but frankly, it doesn’t need them. The course has enough natural hazards to wreck a card, not to mention the ever-present wind. However, at all costs avoid "Big Nellie" at the new 7th—it's one of the biggest bunkers in Ireland.

A trip to the Giant’s Causeway may provide some respite after a gruelling round, followed by a nip of whiskey at nearby Bushmills, the world’s oldest distillery. Failing that, you could head directly to the first tee of the 

. It may be the second course at Royal Portrush but it’s a little cracker.

In preparation for the return of the Open, architects Mackenzie & Ebert proposed a number of course changes to the course, the most significant of which was the replacement of holes 17 and 18 on the Dunluce with two new holes, located where the old 5th and 6th holes lay on the Valley course.

The new hole 7 is a par five, played over much of the former 6th on the Valley course, but in the opposite direction. The famous “Big Nellie” bunker from the old 17th on the Dunluce has been recreated in the dunes to the right of this new fairway. The new par four 8th is then played from close to the tee boxes on the old Valley hole number 5, back to a green perched in the dunes at a slightly higher elevation.

Although the four par threes remain untouched, except for mowing the green further out at the back of “Calamity Corner”, additional tees and bunkers at several holes have been added, as well as extending the greens at holes 5 and (the newly sequenced) 15.


Mackenzie and Ebert commented as follows:

"As part of the course review exercise, investigation of the evolution of golf at Portrush was undertaken to assess how the layout had changed over the years and especially since Harry Colt laid out his final design for the Dunluce Course in 1932. That highlighted a fundamental issue. When Harry Colt designed the Dunluce in 1932, the clubhouse was over 1,200 yards away from the present clubhouse in the town of Portrush. Two of his original holes - the key 1st & 18th holes – had been lost. They provided a link from the old clubhouse to the current 17th and 18th. The existing 8th and 9th holes did not exist. Although Harry Colt was consulted over the addition of the replacement 8th and 9th holes, they were the conception of the Club’s professional, P.G. Stevenson, and Colt was not involved with the detail of the holes. This shows that Harry Colt was open to adjustments to the course required by changing circumstances.

The Club found themselves at another juncture of its evolution with the opportunities presented by the possibility of The Open Championship coming to Royal Portrush again. The Championship has grown in scale tremendously since Max Faulkner lifted the Claret Jug when the event was held over the links in 1951. If The Open was to make a return, The R&A were clear from the outset of the negotiations that sufficient room had to be available in the right areas to allow all of the usual infrastructure to be put in place to support the Championship. Following an intensive study of all options, the inescapable conclusion was drawn that the existing 17th and 18th holes of the Dunluce Course would have to be made available for the majority of the tented village area.


Following a detailed study of the opportunities to replace the 17th and 18th holes, the conclusion was that two replacement holes for the Dunluce could be forged from the area of the old 5th and 6th holes of the Valley Course. This will provide a tremendous arena for two dramatic and iconic holes which should quickly achieve world fame. The knock on effect was that replacement holes were required for the Valley Course. In fact three new Valley holes have been formed with the last of them giving incredible views to the beach and the sea, something which the old course did not enjoy. The Valley element of the project also involved the restoration of one of the original holes at Portrush.

It will be fascinating to see how the world’s best players handle the reconfigured links in July 2019."


Fittingly is was Irishman Shane Lowry who dominated the final two days of the 148th Open championship to win his maiden major title by six shots from England's Tommy Fleetwood amid exuberant scenes at Royal Portrush. Tough weather conditions on Sunday saw every contender fall away, allowing Lowry to cruise home for a comfortable victory.

Royal Portrush (Dunluce)

The Dunluce links at Royal Portrush Golf Club is named after the ruined Dunluce castle that overlooks the course. Seven years after the club's formation, the first professional golf tournament in Ireland, won by Sandy Herd in 1895, was staged here.

Londonderry

Portstewart Golf Club was founded way back in 1894, but the origins of golf being played here date back even further to 1889. The Strand course is a bit of a hybrid, a mix of the old and the new. Major development took place in the late 1980s when the original Willie Park Junior layout was updated and seven new holes were constructed in the virgin sand dune range called “Thistly Hollow”. The new Strand course, designed by Des Giffin, opened for play in 1992.

And what an exhilarating golf course this is, set amidst imposing, gigantic sand dunes with panoramic views across the Atlantic mouth of Lough Foyle to the Inishowen peninsula beyond.

The Strand is an incredibly challenging and thoroughly enjoyable golf course, with one of the best opening nine holes in golf. The 1st hole is an absolute stunner, one of golf’s most intimidating, a sweeping downhill 425-yard par four that doglegs right towards the sea. There is a plethora of great holes here at Portstewart Golf Club; especially memorable are two of the new par threes, the 3rd and the 6th. The 3rd is a challenging single shotter, measuring 207 yards, whilst the 6th, measuring a mere 140 yards with a plateau green, is also a tough cookie and will stay in the mind for a long time.

James W Finegan on the course: “How good is the Strand course at Portstewart? For my money, just one rung below County Down and Portrush and under no circumstances to be missed.” From 

Where Golf is Great – the finest courses of Scotland and Ireland

Credit must go to the designer because the new holes blend seamlessly with the old holes. Sometimes, when new land is taken in, there is a punctuation between the old and the new. Not so at the Strand.

A golfing trip to Northern Ireland would not be complete without a round on the Strand course. The members here are very warm and welcoming and if you add this course to a round at both 

, you will have played three of the world’s finest links courses, all of which have played host to the Irish Open.

Portstewart was honoured to host the Irish Open for the first time in 2017, when Spaniard John Rahm finished six shots ahead of the field with a 4-round total of 264, which was 24 under par for the tournament.

It was announced in the summer of 2022 that European Golf Design had been appointed to develop a master plan for all three 18-hole courses and practice facilities at Portstewart with the initial focus on the last three holes of the Strand layout.

EGD’s Jeremy Slessor was quoted as saying: “to have the chance to elevate the Strand’s course’s reputation to even greater heights is a genuine privilege. There’s enormous potential to add value to the Riverside course and we hope that the Old course can also benefit from a fresh, modern eye.”


Portstewart (Strand)

The Strand course at Portstewart Golf Club is exhilarating. Set amidst imposing, gigantic sand dunes with panoramic views across the Atlantic mouth of Lough Foyle to the Inishowen peninsula beyond.

Fermanagh

Little did supermarket tycoon Jim Treacy realise back in the late 1990s when he established the Castle Hume course in Enniskillen that it would be the starting point for a 10-year, £30 million golf project that would reach a dramatic conclusion with the opening of the Lough Erne course in the summer of 2009.

Think of luxury golf resorts in Ireland with both excellent accommodation and quality courses and the likes of Adare Manor, Mount Juliet, The K Club, Druids Glen and Carton House spring to mind – well, to that illustrious quintet of top notch establishments can now be added Treacy’s new 5-star Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.

Designed by Nick Faldo, the Lough Erne championship course extends to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees and it lies at the heart of an upmarket development in a part of the country more renowned for its angling and water sports than golf.

That perception will change once golfers get to know how good the facilities are at a course that sits on a spectacular site along the shores of Lough Erne – indeed, many seasoned observers anticipate the course will be a future professional tournament venue as it has all the attributes expected of a top European Tour track.

Castle Hume Lough and its many wetland areas come into play at most of the holes here so accuracy around the course is absolutely essential in order to score well. A good short game will also help at the handful of par threes on the scorecard, the last of which is played at the final hole, “Cygnets Rest,” where the home green is a welcome refuge for tee shots that avoid sand to the left and water to the right.

A couple of short par fours really catch the eye. The 2nd hole, “Forest Drive,” doglegs right from the edge of the Lough and the 351-yard 10th sweeps to a green jutting out into the water. A pair of par fives are also worthy of special mention. The first, the 637-yard 9th is a strategic three-shotter that plays to a narrow, angled green and the other is the 16th, “Faldo Turn,” which enjoys views over the estate that are simply stunning.

The competitive side of Lough Erne was initiated by a charity match in July 2009 between Ireland’s two leading golfers, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, when they played an 18-hole stroke play head-to-head match billed as “The Duel on the Lough.” Young Rory edged out 2-time Open Champion Padraig by two shots to claim the specially commissioned Belleek Trophy for the first time.

Lough Erne (Faldo)

Designed by Nick Faldo, the Lough Erne championship course extends to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees and it lies at the heart of an upmarket development...

Castlerock is a seaside village, located on the Causeway Coast. The Mussenden course (named after the nearby temple which is perched dramatically on the cliff edge) lies at the mouth of the River Bann where it meets the mighty Atlantic Ocean. On a clear day, the Isle of Islay is visible to the north, and to the west, the rolling hills of Donegal.

The club was founded in 1901, originally as a nine-hole layout, and was extended to 18 holes in 1908 by the famous Scottish club maker, Ben Sayers. In 1925, Harry Colt made further modifications to the course.

Living in the shadow of its famous neighbours, Portstewart and Royal Portrush, Castlerock Golf Club is every bit as good, and should not disappoint. This is one of the toughest links courses around, with some exceptional holes. Play close to your handicap and you are doing very well.

The wind is huge factor and when it blows, hold on to your hat. This will no doubt affect scoring. So much so, that in 2001, during the Ireland PGA International, Paul McGinley registered the course record of 64 on a calm day. The previous day, when the wind was up, the eventual winner Des Smyth, was the only player to score better than par. As with most links courses, you must keep your ball in play. Your short game must be of the highest standard because these greens are very quick, even during the winter. Maintaining concentration is important all the way round, because there are no easy holes at Castlerock.

The 4th, a 200-yard par three, is the club's best-known hole, called “Leg O’ Mutton”. The tee-shot is played to a raised green, with the railway line running the full length of the hole on the right and a meandering burn running diagonally from right to left. Do not try to bump and run your approach shot to the short par four 6th – the hidden burn runs across the front of the green. The 15th is a great par five, called “Homewards”. A blind tee shot needs to be struck slightly right of centre, providing a great chance to score well. The 18th is a lovely finishing hole – a tough dogleg to the right and the highest, double-tiered, green on the course.

James W Finegan on the course: “The entire course lies neatly between the railway and the river and the sea… Many holes meander through inviting duneland, but equally many occupy less attractive ground, among them the famous and very much inland 4th… This highly penal if rather ordinary-looking hole demands a straight, solid strike.” 

 – the finest courses of Scotland and Ireland.


We recommend a visit to Castlerock as part of a triple deal (with Portstewart and Royal Portrush). In 2003, the actor Michael Douglas visited Castlerock and he loved the course – a fatal attraction, you might say!

Castlerock also has a 9-hole course called the Bann. The layout is similar to the main Mussenden course, and the par five 5th is considered to be “one of the most scenic holes in Irish golf” – we can’t disagree. The club is is 'twinned' with Niagara Golf Club, considered to be North America's oldest existing golf course (1875).

In 2017 Martin Hawtree was commissioned to renovate the Mussenden course. Phase one of the project commenced in October of that year with updates to bunkers and greens (under the stewardship of SOL Construction) across six holes. Phase one was completed in April 2018 then phase 2 was carried out over the winter of 2019/2020, installing new bunkers, run off areas and mounding around several greens, along with the addition of new tees on another three holes.


Castlerock upgrades the Mussenden course


Castlerock (Mussenden)

Living in the shadow of its famous neighbours, Portstewart and Royal Portrush, Castlerock Golf Club is every bit as good, and the Mussenden will not disappoint.

The Valley course at Royal Portrush Golf Club was originally nominated by Stuart as gem and was added to the Top 100 site on 15th February 2005. Since then, the Valley has become a ranked course. Stuart’s original nomination article follows: “I’d played the 

 course a few times before finally deciding to play the Valley and pound for pound, the Valley is significantly better value at about a quarter of the price of the big Dunluce. For dune lovers, the Valley is set in more tumbling terrain with the holes cut between the dunes. You feel much more enclosed here than you do on the Dunluce. I certainly think Royal Portrush is missing a trick with the Valley course. They should market the course better than they do so that a few more people can get to know and love it like I do.”

The Valley lies between the East Strand and the Dunluce golf course in Portrush. As its name suggests, the course is situated between the huge sand hills immediately along the Atlantic shore and the higher ground on which the Championship course is laid out.

That is not to say the holes of the course are routed over anything like plain, level lying land, far from it, as the Valley has more than its fair share of the humps, hollows and undulations to be found on any links worthy of the name.

Jim visits the Rathmore Club to see Graeme McDowell’s US Open Trophy. 

Although owned by Royal Portrush Golf Club, the Valley has been the home club to the members of Rathmore Golf Club since its formation in 1947. Royal Portrush Ladies are also based at the Valley and it is very hard to avoid the impression that Royal Portrush are happy to keep all bar the gentleman members and the big spending golfing tourists off the Dunluce.

How many people have made a point of playing Royal Portrush Golf Club and never given a thought to playing the sadly underrated Valley – something approaching 90%, perhaps even more? And that’s a real pity as the 6,304-yard, par 70, Valley is a very fine test of links golf, with greens, in particular, every bit as well tended as those next door. Harry Colt is credited with designing the course three years after the Dunluce and he was never known to put his name to many, if any, poor courses.

James W Finegan on the course: “The Valley Links, as its name suggests, is tucked away, down in the lower reaches of the club property, tall sand hills enclosing the acreage and blocking out any view of the sea. A sheltered quality, an attractive snugness, if you will, characterizes the course… The Valley course is full of very good golf holes. Even accomplished players are challenged – and all of us are charmed.” From 

To accommodate changes to the Dunluce course, the existing 5th and 6th holes on the Valley have been replaced with a new par three 15th, played after the existing 16th (the new 14th), and a new short par four 18th, which will start from a new tee position in the dunes and progress to a green close to the 1st tee on the Valley course.

Two feature holes on the card are played back-to-back on the front nine and they are situated at the furthest point from the clubhouse. They epitomise all that is good about golf at Portrush. The 336-yard, short par four, 5th hole is played from an elevated tee in the sand hills to a green with steep drop offs left and right framed by towering dunes and protected by menacing, deep bunkers. The 237-yard, par three, 6th hole is then played slightly uphill to a green with its right hand edge obscured by a dune tongue. Beware of the bunker sited short and left of the green and also the steep drop off to the left of the apron.

In addition to these changes, the existing 17th (the new 16th) has been extended to a doglegged par five and the new 17th restored from old, obsolete tees to one of the greens on the 9-hole Skerries course.

Exciting times ahead for the Valley course.

Royal Portrush (Valley)

How many people have made a point of playing Royal Portrush Golf Club and never given a thought to playing the sadly underrated Valley course – something approaching 90%, perhaps even more?

Malone Golf Club is one of Ireland’s best parkland golf courses and it is virtually unknown. The club was founded way back in 1895, but the course has moved location no fewer than four times since its inauguration. Dunmurry became home to Malone Golf Club in 1962, and it’s situated 5 miles south of Belfast, in the lower Lagan Valley at Ballydrain.

The first architect who drew up plans for the course was John Morrison from Harry Colt’s design company but ill health forced him to withdraw from the project. Commander John Harris from C.K Cotton & Associates then stepped in to lay out the first eighteen holes. Two years later, Mrs Peggy Valentine, the Lady Captain, opened a third nine, which was originally called the Inner course, as it was laid out within the front nine of the main 18-hole layout.

In 1965, moves were already afoot to redesign the course and Fred Hawtree drew up a plan which largely reflects the Ballydrain nine that’s in play today. This included a spectacular new par three 15th which would make good use of the lake. Due to financial constraints, it took another five years before the alterations were carried out, along with the introduction of a new 4th hole at the expense of the old 11th.

In the 1980s, a decision was made to move some of the holes of the main course away from the low-lying area of the Lagan River. This resulted in holes 7, 8 and 9 being moved to higher ground, allowing Frank Ainsworth and David McLean to use their old location in the redevelopment of the Edenderry nine.

The front nine is called Drumbridge and the back nine is called Ballydrain – named after the local area. Measuring almost 6,600 yards, Malone is a solid test of golf. Accuracy from the tee is demanded, because many mature trees wait to stymie the wayward tee-shot. Malone has seen some serious professional action: In 1966, Tony Jacklin recorded his first professional victory and in 1993, Gary Player claimed his umpteenth title when he won the Irish Senior Masters. Additionally, the course has hosted a number of prestigious amateur championships. Given that Malone has played host to all these events, we are very surprised that the course isn’t more widely recognised, because this is a parkland beauty.

James W Finegan on the course: “It’s a spacious beauty (on 270 acres), with an abundance of mature oaks, sycamores and pines, rolling terrain, the river Lagan bordering it on the east, and 27-acre Ballydrain Lake the centrepiece of the second nine. Black Mountain and the chequered fields of the Antrim Plateau provide a stirring vista from the 10th, one of the half dozen par 4s measuring well over 400 yards.” From 

. One of the best and most comprehensive golf course books we’ve ever read.

Malone offers a good deal of interest and variety – there are many memorable holes. None more so than Malone’s signature hole – the charming short par three 15th. We are only talking about a short pitch, but the tee-shot must be played across a gorgeous lake. It’s amazing what such an expanse of water can do for the nerves! The same lake comes into play on the 18th, where the drive must carry the corner of the lake – anything hit to the right, all the way along this hole will be consumed by the water – it’s a cracking end to a lovely parkland golf course.

If you are in Belfast and you’ve got your clubs handy, make sure you play Malone. You won’t be disappointed – the course is maintained immaculately and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better parkland course in Northern Ireland. Architect David Jones has consulted at Malone in recent years and this has resulted in the construction of a number of new greenside bunkers and the rebuilding of greens at holes 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 18. David was also responsible for the initial design of the sleeper edging at the par three 15th hole.

Architect Ken Kearney was engaged in 2019 to undertake an extensive bunker project, which was carried out over a couple of years and resulted in improved playability of the course. In addition to the bunker work, five new green complexes were fashioned (on holes 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18) and seven new teeing areas were created. New drainage was also installed, a significant tree management programme was instigated, and new practice facilities were brought into play.


Malone (Drumbridge & Ballydrain)

If you are in Belfast and you’ve got your golf clubs handy, make sure you play the immaculately conditioned Malone Golf Club. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better parkland course in Northern Ireland.

How many of the golfers who flock every year to the magnificent links of Royal County Down are aware that there is another great Irish golfing experience to be had just a few miles along the south east coast of Down in the fishing port of Ardglass?

It is, quite simply, one of the most spectacular courses on the coastline of Ireland, with dramatic elevation changes that offer stunning views of the Irish Sea from every hole as they wind their way from the clubhouse out along the cliffs to a craggy headland then back again.

Arglass Golf Club was formed in 1896 when members fashioned a 7-hole course which was soon extended to form a 9-hole layout. It was not until 1970 that the number of holes on the course were doubled to a full 18-hole configuration. The course is kept in tiptop condition with well-tended fairways, tricky pot bunkers and fast, true greens.

Shortly after the club’s Centenary, a major decision was made to remove three holes – the back-to-back par five 5th and 6th, along with the short 17th – and replace them with three exciting new holes at the furthest point from the clubhouse, creating a wonderful new loop from the new 9th to 11th holes.

Where Golf is Great – the finest courses of Scotland and Ireland 

, James W Finegan commented: “No more than six holes are authentic undulating linksland; the other dozen are rather meadowy. But virtually the entire eighteen is routed over high ground, with the result that the views – across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man, down over Coney Island Bay, and south to the Mountains of Mourne – are intoxicating. Simply to be abroad on Ardglass is a delight… Admittedly, Ardglass is not a great golf course. But the game here is nonetheless rewarding, studded with Bernard Darwin’s ‘pleasurable excitement’ in a setting of surpassing beauty. I cannot imagine playing at Royal County Down and not finding the time for a game at Ardglass.”


The opening five holes at Ardglass are truly memorable as they are routed along the edge of the cliff tops. The signature hole on the course is played early – the 167-yard par three 2nd, called “Howd’s Hole” where the tee shot is played across a rocky inlet to a seemingly small, distant putting surface. Another thrilling par three is the 12th, called “Cathlin” which is played from an elevated tee way above the green located 198 yards away on the edge of the rocky headland.

The clubhouse is a bit special too – a 14th century Castle that was once the home of the Fitzgeralds, Earls of Kildare – where you find the atmosphere relaxed and friendly. And if you are in any doubt about any of the above descriptions then view the stunning aerial hole by hole photographs of the course on the club website which is a great example of how to promote a course to the golfing public.

Architect Ken Kearney was appointed in 2015 to carry out a long term, multi-phase course improvement project, concentrating primarily on the bunkers.


Ardglass

With the opening five holes hugging the cliffs with resplendent views across the Irish Sea, it's clear that Ardglass Golf Club is special.

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.

Royal County Down (Annesley)

Mackenzie & Ebert carried out a significant redesign of the Annesley links in 2015, adding three new holes around the turn in the northeast corner of the property.

Belvoir Park, described by its esteemed designer Harry Colt as “a course affording an excellent test, and at the same time, one that will give maximum pleasure to golfers”. There is no doubt that Belvoir Park Golf Club is one of the definitive, classic parkland courses in Ireland.

Formed in 1926, Belvoir Park Golf Club was fortunate to have Lord Deramore as its first President, because it was he who leased one hundred and sixty three acres of his family estate to the members for the construction of a course.

The club were even luckier in having the foresight to appoint Harry Colt, one of the world’s leading golf course architects of his day, to set out the eighteen holes. His timeless design features are as valid today in the modern golfing era as they were over eighty years ago.

The members are rightly proud of playing on a course that has been largely unaltered since it was first laid out through magnificent stands of mature oak, beach and fir trees. Other varieties of tree, like Scots Pine, Larch and Cypress have been planted since, with Dr J A Smiley, Club Captain in 1958, largely responsible for this, particularly between the 7th and 15th fairways, an area which is known as “Smiley’s Wood”.

The great pity is that the vast majority of visiting golfers who come to Northern Ireland may arrive at the nearby City or International Airports in Belfast then make a beeline for the coast to play links golf without ever giving a thought to the pleasure of playing such a stunning parkland track like Belvoir Park.

The lush fairways, meandering streams, wonderful bunkering and super putting surfaces make Belvoir Park a delight to play. The quality of the general landscape is such that it really deserves to be on any serious golfer’s Belfast itinerary, along with Malone and Royal Belfast – now there’s a tasty threesome!

A programme of course improvements was started in 2020 under the guidance of William Swan of Swan Golf Design, concentrating mainly on the re-design and construction of bunkers. The intention was also to replace all tee box complexes over the following five years. A woodland management plan was also implemented, clearing scrub to open up areas to airflow and help with the return of native flora in these areas.


Belvoir Park

With undulating, lush fairways and avenues of trees, Belvoir Park Golf Club is quite rightly regarded as one of the best inland courses in Northern Ireland.

Royal Belfast Golf Club is one of only a handful in Ireland to have ‘Royal’ prefix their name – the others are Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Royal Dublin, Royal Curragh and Royal Tara. Royal Belfast Golf Club was formed in 1881 and was one of nine Ulster clubs who founded the Golf Union of Ireland in 1891.

Members first played on an 18-hole course at Kinnegar, Holywood in 1882 but within 10 years the course became so busy – and the land was being used as a rifle range – that they moved to Carnalea near Bangor, this time playing on a 9-hole course. In 1925, the club finally relocated to its present 140-acre site on the south shore of Belfast Lough at Craigavad, Holywood where the views across the water to the Antrim hills are quite delightful.

Heritage and tradition are bywords at Royal Belfast Golf Club. The magnificent former manor house that is their clubhouse has golfing memorabilia tucked in corners everywhere – from an Old Tom Morris driver to an original scarlet golfing coat worn by a founding member – and the club is rightly proud of its position as one of the oldest clubs in Ireland, predated only by Royal Curragh in 1858.

To cap it all, the Royal Belfast course was designed by none other than Harry Colt, one of the leading golf course architects of his day. Assisted by W.A. Murray, Colt routed the holes over rolling parkland in a manner that is very easy on the eye. Stands of trees, lush fairways, gentle elevation changes and intelligent bunkering all combine to make the course an absolute charmer to play on – with holes 9 to 11 right on the shoreline particular favourites of many members.

It may be relatively short in the modern era, but don’t be fooled into thinking Royal Belfast is nothing more than a walk in the park – far from it! A very strong pair of long par fours open and close the front nine, four of the five par threes measure more than 175 yards in length and two of the final three holes are stout par fives. Any net score, approaching the standard scratch of one more than the par total of 70, will be hard fought for.

In 2017, architects Mackenzie & Ebert completed a course renovation which concentrated on refurbishing the bunkers.

Royal Belfast

Founded in 1881, Royal Belfast is Ireland's oldest golf club and there are panoramic views across Belfast Lough from this delightful park course.

Clandeboye has come along way since the year 559 when the monks of St Comgall's Bangor monastery grazed their flocks on what is now the Dufferin course. Clandeboye Golf Club is located a mere twelve miles to the east of Belfast and a local linen merchant called William Renwick Robinson originally formed it in 1933.

The Ava course was Robinson’s original design, but it’s the Dufferin course that everyone now talks about, which was laid out by German architect, Bernhard von Limburger. The partners behind the famous Brabazon course at The Belfry, Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, helped von Limburger. The result is certainly one of Ireland’s very best inland courses and the views from the high ground across Belfast Lough are pretty impressive too.

Measuring 6,559 yards from the back tees, the Dufferin course is not quite long enough to test the world’s very best golfers, but it will certainly present a stern challenge to most of us. Accuracy, especially on approach shots, is the order of the day. The fairways undulate in a links-like way and trees, bracken and gorse flank many. They say variety is the spice of life and it’s here in spades at Clandeboye with stage-like greens, blind drives and daunting carries from some tees.

Belfast might not be a natural choice for a golfing break but there are some fine courses situated within a short distance of the historic city centre. Play Clandeboye alongside Malone, Royal Belfast and Belvoir Park and you will not be disappointed, but make sure you leave enough time to soak up the atmosphere of the old port and the docks where the Titanic was built. A new and vibrant city is emerging. The future is bright for Belfast.

In recent times, club volunteers have helped to clear old walls out on the property that were long covered up by ivy and scrub, adding more character to the premises and framing holes on both the club’s courses. Clearance work also included woodland management projects which have helped reduce the arboreal inventory.


Clandeboye (Dufferin)

The Dufferin course at Clandeboye Golf Club offers compelling coastal views, a sea of dazzling yellow gorse and a wonderfully strategic challenge.

The course at Galgorm Castle Golf Club lies within a spacious 220-acre estate that was once the ancestral home of the McQuillan clan and the Castle that looms over the 10th green dates back to 1618, when it was commissioned by Sir Faithful Fortescue.

The lush fairways of the course are laid out in mature parkland, bordered on two sides by the rivers Main and Braid, with several small lakes adding further aquatic interest. Because of the low-lying aspect of the site, four of the fairways were actually raised during construction to cope with potential flooding problems in the future.

The short par four 4th is a hole to be reckoned with on the front nine (even though it only ranks as stroke index 10 on the card) as the fast flowing waters of the Braid River race past the front of the green. “Treasury,” the 141-yard 7th is another hole where water must be crossed between tee and putting surface.

On the inward half, locals will tell you the only way to play the 177-yard 14th, named “Devil’s Elbow,” is to “aim at the Slemish Mountains on the horizon,” but don't go too long or too far right, otherwise your golf ball will probably end up wet on the river bed.

Mount Juliet was due to host the Irish Open in May 2020 for the first time since 1995, but the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The European Tour hoped to stage the tournament later in the year at Mount Juliet, but quarantine restrictions for travellers into the Republic of Ireland forced the European Tour to move the event to Galgorm Castle.


The club’s signature project at the 18th has completely revamped the closing hole, with a new water feature installed to the left of the putting surface and stadium-like mounding around the green complex creating an exciting finish to the round.


Galgorm Castle

The course at Galgorm Castle Golf Club lies within a spacious 220-acre estate that was once the ancestral home of the McQuillan clan and the Castle that looms over the 10th green dates back to 1618...

Castledawson is situated in the middle of Northern Ireland, halfway between Belfast and Derry, and just outside this small village sits the beautiful wooded parkland estate of Shanemullagh and the Moyola Park Golf Club.

Designed by little-known architect, Don Patterson, and inaugurated in 1977 with an exhibition match involving Christy O’Connor Snr, the course attracted an even bigger golfing star three years later when Seve Ballesteros took part in a fourball match to mark the “official opening” of the layout.

The front nine concludes with a strong set of four par four holes, the toughest of which is undoubtedly the 421-yard 8th, where the approach to the green requires a carry across the Moyola River.

On the back nine, the 128-yard 17th, the second of back-to-back par threes, brings the same flowing waters of the river into play at one of the most fetching parkland holes in the Ulster province.

Moyola Park

Moyola Park Golf Club is one of Ulster’s best-kept parkland secrets and we make no apology for letting the cat out of the bag.

Kirkistown Castle Golf Club in Cloughey, County Down, is the most easterly 18-hole course in Ireland and members celebrated the centenary of their golf club in 2002. G.L.Bailie of Belfast designed the original 9-hole layout and the first green keeper, Frank Polley, held the position for almost 50 years.

The course was extended to eighteen holes in 1929 and then six years later saw the implementation of James Braid’s modifications when tees and greens were altered and bunkers were reshaped and repositioned.

Visitors sometimes wonder about a couple of large depressions on the opening holes – during World War II, sand and gravel was excavated from the front of the 1st tee and behind the 3rd green for the construction of Kirkistown and Ballyhalbert airfields and that is how these two artificial landforms came about.

Cloughey is a little village near Portavogie on the east side of the Ards peninsula and the drive down from Newtownards is one of the most scenic in Northern Ireland as the road follows Strangford Lough then crosses towards the Irish sea. Alternatively, if approaching from the south, the ferry can be taken from Strangford on the mainland to Portaferry on the peninsula, crossing the treacherous Narrow Water where Strangford Lough pours into the Irish Sea.

The Kirkistown Castle course measures 6,200 yards in overall length and is arranged in two loops of nine with a par of 70 for the 18 holes. Between the opening and closing par fives, there are five par three and eleven par four holes. Many of these par fours are very strong holes, with no fewer than seven of them measuring over 400 yards.

The signature hole is the par five 10th, named “Long Reach” where a pulpit green sits more than thirty feet above fairway level and is very hard to hold with a long approach shot. The hole was formerly a par four but it was extended in 2021 to a par five. The fairway was also re-aligned to create a more pronounced dogleg, with out of bounds introduced along the left side of the hole.

James W Finegan on the course: “Some insist that James Braid extensively revised the original eighteen, but hard evidence is lacking. At any rate, this is very good links golf – a turf base of sandy loam makes it quick to dry – with substantive elevation changes, a number of greens on the high ground that are fearfully exposed to the wind, plenty of revetted pot bunkers to add spice to the round, and a handful of par 4s over the 400-yard mark.” From 

Kirkistown Castle

Kirkistown Castle Golf Club in Cloughey, County Down, is the most easterly 18-hole course in Ireland...

Castlerock Golf Club is one of a truly great trio of links courses that lie within a few miles of each other on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland. Like the other two courses, at Portstewart and Portrush, Castlerock also has more than just an 18-hole layout to offer golfers.

The 2,446-yard 9-hole Bann is the par 34 relief course for the 18-hole Mussenden and it is routed through magnificent, towering dunes that sit just off the Atlantic shoreline. Created in the mid 1980s by the late Billy Kane who followed a Frank Pennink design, the Bann course is tucked away beyond a caravan park behind the clubhouse and it’s very easy for the casual visitor to know nothing about its existence. Once on the course, golfers are isolated in their own private little golfing world, hidden from view, for the most part.

The 5th is a 491-yard par five, called “Bannview” and it’s a truly memorable hole played downhill all the way to a green flanked by sand hills on three sides with the River Bann running all the way down the right side of the fairway – wonderful! This is the tough wee course the juniors practice on here at Castlerock, so look out for even more fine golfers to emerge from this part of Ireland in the future.

There's just one lone bunker on the Bann course at the front left of the 3rd hole, Kellys Eye, and it really shouldn’t come into play on this 92-yarder which sports a long and narrow bone-shaped green. Rollercoaster is a cliché much used in describing a round played over tortuous terrain but it is the perfect description of what it is like to play the Bann – severe elevation changes, left and right doglegs, blind shots galore –you’ll find them all here on a modern course steeped in old fashioned golfing values.

James W Finegan on the course: “As for the third nine, called the Bann course, it is a jewel. Just under 3,000 yards and closer to the sea than the eighteen [Mussenden], it sticks resolutely to the duneland, its fairways and greens are elusive targets, and honest shot-making is called for (but not brawn) hole after hole.” From 

Castlerock (Bann)

The 2,446-yard 9-hole Bann is Castlerock Golf Club's relief course and it's routed through towering dunes that sit just off the Atlantic shoreline.

Lisburn Golf Club was formed as far back as 1880 but the members disbanded less than ten years later. It was not until 1905 that the present Lisburn Golf Club was established and they played for nearly seventy years on a 9-hole course at Longstone Street in the centre of Lisburn.

In the late 1960s, a decision was made to move the club to the Blaris Lodge area to the south side of Lisburn and the distinguished English golf course architect Fred W. Hawtree was tasked with routing 18 holes on the new 124-acre site. He created a course which opened in 1973 with two loops of nine that begin and end at the clubhouse – very handy if a quick nine is the preferred option when pressed for time.

Lisburn is considered to be one of the best parkland courses in Ireland with a great variety of holes. The signature hole is “Larch Grove” the 164-yard par three 6th hole where the green is protected at the front by a pond and surrounded by pine trees at the back, demanding pinpoint accuracy off the tee.

The club has hosted a number of professional and amateur events over the years including the Ulster Professional Championship in 1989 and the Golfing Union of Ireland All Ireland Cups and Shields Final in 2003. The Ulster competition, incidentally, was won by David Feherty – with scores of 65, 64, 68 and 65 – who claimed the course record on his way to winning by 18 strokes from the nearest competitor.

Lisburn

Lisburn Golf Club is considered to be one of the best parkland courses in Ireland with a great variety of holes.

Bangor Golf Club was formed in 1903 when a 9-hole course was first used. A further nine holes were added the following year and members happily played on this 18-hole layout for thirty years until more land became available close by, prompting a move to the current location on the east side of the town.

James Braid was commissioned in 1934 to lay out a new course at a cost of £2,450. Braid’s fees were modest, in the region of twenty guineas plus expenses. According to page 21 of the club’s centenary history publication, “he laid out a course that, despite cosmetic modifications and changes, remains today much as he intended.”

Later, on page 125 of the same document, an opposite view is taken when it’s stated that “photos of the course taken in the 1960s show some signs of James Braid’s work still intact… everything Braid did was characterised by flowing lines but over the years a lot of his work on the Bangor course has been lost or overlaid by changing ideas.”

Immediately after World War II, Philip Mackenzie Ross was consulted and he advised on modifications to several holes. In all, six greens were constructed by Suttons of Reading. In the late 1960s, land was lost to a new ring road, requiring Frank Pennink to redesign the course and Braid’s old construction firm John R. Stutt was brought in to carry out the changes.

Trees that were planted then are now reaching maturity to give Bangor a classic parkland feel. The 6,410-yard course is laid out as two loops of nine holes with each ending at the clubhouse. The outward nine contains two of the three par fives on the course which is the main reason why their overall yardage is 550 yards more than the inward nine.

The hardest hole on the outward half is the 5th, a 463-yard right doglegged long par four where even a four on the card will feel like a birdie. The toughest hole on the back nine is on the adjacent fairway. The par four 15th, a 408-yard left dogleg, is the most difficult on the course so even a five here is a good score.

Mention should also be made of Bangor Golf Club's most favoured golfing son – Garth McGimpsey MBE. Captain of the GB & Ireland Walker Cup team in 2003 and 2005, he is one of the true greats of Irish amateur golf, winning the Amateur Championship at Royal Dornoch in 1985. He played no fewer than 125 times for Ireland over a twenty-year career than ended in 1999 with a record of winning or halving 86 of his matches – a fantastic match play record that may never be beaten.

Bangor

Bangor Golf Club still retains the original Braid design hallmarks that have delighted generations of local golfers.

Eighteen holes were first built at Clandeboye Golf Club in 1933, designed by local linen merchant William Renwick Robinson. Later on, this layout was split in two, with the second nine original holes to the south of the clubhouse retained and nine new holes added to form the Ava. The Dufferin was fashioned by carrying out a similar operation with the original first nine.

, author Kevin Markham has this to say about the Ava: “the course is seriously tight in places, it is wickedly short and greens are small, The landscape also moves more [than the Dufferin]. You will find plenty of blind shots.and some decent carries are required over gorse. Several holes are ‘hit and hope’ but that makes them no less exhilarating.

It really is the kind of golf that demands common sense because you see so little of the holes. They can bend around corners, banks and trees, over gorse or uphill – or all three. You have the violent fairways that can flick your ball away without you seeing it, so a flashing drive can wreak havoc... It’s the quirkiness that makes this a fun course to play.”

Clandeboye (Ava)

Massereene Golf Club was formed back in 1895 so members have enjoyed playing in a lovely parkland setting on the shores of Lough Neagh for over one hundred years. Fred W. Hawtree is credited with the design of the course as it is played now in the new millennium.

Measuring 6,605 yards in total, the Championship course has a par of 35 for the outward half. The back nine is three hundred yards longer – three of the four par fives on the course are located here – with a par of 37 for a total of 72. The inward half is also more undulating and links-like due to the free draining land they lie on.

Holes are generally tight, with relatively narrow, tree-lined, lush fairways, well-placed bunkers and small but smooth greens – all of which makes this a course for the strategist where accuracy is rewarded rather than raw power. Consequently, Massereene is a popular venue with visiting societies and lady golfers as the layout is not overly punishing.