Royal County Down Golf Club – Championship Course Review
Now over a century and a quarter old, this fabled links in Newcastle on the County Down coast boasts a truly impressive roll call of architectural influences through the ages, starting with Old Tom Morris who first extended the links to 18 holes back in 1890.
Since then, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Donald Steel, and most recently, Martin Ebert, have all stamped their mark on this truly magical place.
Not only is it one of the best links courses in the UK but one of the best in the entire world, ranking 1st the Golf Monthly UK and Ireland top 100 golf courses list.
Royal County Down boasts arguably the most spectacular setting of any of the UK and Ireland’s traditional links. The Mountains of Mourne provide a glorious backdrop throughout with the sea to your right as you head out over a stirring opening stretch. When the gorse is in bloom, there’s no lovelier place to play.
The par-3 4th hole with the gorse in bloom
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Royal County Down provides an exhilarating, yet challenging, rollercoaster ride through the dunes via blind tests and some gloriously natural bunkering. Among a strong cast of standout holes are the tough par-3 4th, played from an elevated tee, and the wonderful 9th, with its blind drive back towards town via a hidden fairway some 60ft below. There’s always a real sense of anticipation both here and on the 11th as you stride over the crests to see if your drive is as perfect as your eye saw it.
And for those who found the triangular-shaped pond in the fairway a little way short of the 17th green a little incongruous, some good news. The pond is no more after the most recent changes to the links, which have also facilitated a better view up to the green on the 2nd thanks to a lowered dune ridge.
Some modern-day golfers may rail against blind holes. Whatever your personal perspective, surely even the most ardent ‘see it all in front of you’ campaigner would get a huge thrill making their way around this breath-taking links.
The club is also home to the Annesley…
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