Bucket Lists
Is there a greater bucket list course in the world than the Championship Links at Royal County Down? Augusta National, St Andrews and Pebble Beach might have something to say about that, but it is the sort of international company that this links in Newcastle keeps. Judged to be the best golf course in the world by Golf Digest and often topping lists as the best course in Ireland, Royal County Down is the perfect mix of scenery, prestige and course configuration.
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The design is attributed to former Open champion Old Tom Morris, but it has been refined by a dozen architects in the past 120 years, most recently by Donald Steel. Like St Andrews and Lahinch, the course is in a seaside town, in this case Newcastle, and when tournaments come the town is taken over by golf.
Rory McIlroy has called it his favourite course in the world, although he has had some bitter experiences as a professional there, losing by a shot last year in the Irish Open and missing the cut in 2015, shooting an 80 in the opening round. When the wind blows and it gets wet, it is a beautiful but brutal test, even for the world’s best.
Slieve Donard provides the backdrop to a course where the remarkable ninth hole is one such stunning vista. The tee box sits below the crest of a fairway, where there is a view of the golf course with the sea to the left, the back nine and the clubhouse to the right, the mountain and the Slieve Donard hotel ahead. It is a very difficult hole, but the score barely matters for most golfers who are lucky enough to grace Royal County Down.
The Annesley Links is Royal County Down lite, a much shorter course with no par 5s, but still carved from the same beauty and physical features. Mackenzie and Ebert carried out a significant redesign in 2015, adding three new holes. With reduced yardage also come reduced green fees, so it is well worth a play.
Royal County Down Golf Club, 33 Golf Links Road, Newcastle, Co Down; 02843723314; golf@royalcountydown.org; royalcountydown.org
For a taste of the drama of Royal County Down at a fraction of the price is Ardglass Golf Club, where a supremely scenic front nine stands out. Ardglass has one of the best openings to a course on the island, where you are left thinking “how have they made a hole here?” The second, called Howd’s hole, is one such example. A 167-yard par three, it is played across a rocky inlet to a small, distant putting surface, where the punishment for pulling your tee shot short and left is clear for all to see.
Ardglass Golf Club, 4 Castle Place, Ardglass, Co Down; 02844841219; info@ardglassgolfclub.com; ardglassgolfclub.com
Hidden Gem
The most easterly golf course in Ireland, Kirkistown Castle Golf Club is one of the better-value links experiences on the island. Situated on the Ards Peninsula, it is easily accessible from Belfast. An old-school links design from James Braid, the old mill is in view on the second, 12th, 15th and 16th greens. The signature hole is the par 5 10th, called “Long Reach”, fittingly named as, with the green on top of a hill after a gradual ascent, it will require a few clubs more from your yardage to get it pin high, especially into the wind.
Kirkistown Castle Golf Club, 142 Main Road, Cloughey, Co Down; 02842771233; office@kirkistowncastlegolfclub.com; kcgc.golf
Honourable Mentions
Belvoir Park is a top-quality parkland designed by the esteemed Harry Colt, designer of Wentworth and Sunningdale. The course has been largely unaltered since it was first built and should be part of a Belfast golf itinerary.
Belvoir Park Golf Club, 73-75 Church Road, Newtownbreda, Belfast; 02890491693; info@belvoirparkgolfclub.com; belvoirparkgolfclub.com
Royal Belfast is the oldest golf club in Ireland, established in 1881, and another Harry Colt classic, where panoramic views of Strangford Lough make for a pleasant round.
Royal Belfast Golf Club, Station Road, Craigavad, Co Down; 02890428165; admin@royalbelfast.com; royalbelfast.com
Clandeboye Golf Club in Bangor has two great parkland courses on the property, the Dufferin and Ava, and the Dufferin stands out for its yellow gorse and lake views.
Clandeboye Golf Club, Tower Road, Conlig, Newtownards, Co Down; 02891271767; office@cgc-ni.com; cgc-ni.com
