Focus On
Rob Smith discovers world-class golf and much more besides in County Down
1 ROYAL COUNTY DOWN
For many years, the Championship Links has been an irresistible magnet to golfers from all over the world. It sits close to the top of various world lists, and it’s easy to see why. I was lucky enough to be staying next door at the excellent Slieve Donard, from which it takes about a minute in rush hour to drive to the superbly appointed clubhouse.
Surrounded by the Mountains of Mourne and looking out over the Irish Sea, this is a stunning location. Every hole on the Championship course is stylish and distinct, and to describe them in detail would fill a book. Let me simply say that each is a wonderful and memorable design that is pretty much guaranteed to keep the broadest smile on your face.
I played the revamped Annesley course, which may be short but is also exceptionally sweet. Five par 3s and 13 par 4s, only one of which exceeds 350 yards, add up to a massively fun round that can be enjoyed in two and a half hours. The three new holes at the far end take you down to and alongside the beach and have transformed the course. This is the consummate bucket-list golf club. Stats: Championship: Par 71, 6,675 yards; Annesley: Par 67, 4,594 yards W: royalcountydown.org GF: Round: Championship £230£250, Annesley £50
County Down has one of the world’s finest courses, but it is home to far more, as Rob Smith discovers…
2 ardglass
I will admit to being a sucker for setting and views, and it will therefore come as no surprise to anyone who knows the course that I was smitten with the layout at Ardglass.
A firm fixture in the Golf Monthly Next 100, you may argue that architecturally a few of the holes aren’t that special… but who cares! The first five make for a sensational opening as you teeter your way up and along the clifftops, and even when you detour inland on the four holes that close each nine there is still plenty of drama, along with great views out to sea and of the surrounding mountains.
Around 20 years ago the club bought extra land at the far end which caters for another exciting sequence from the 10th to the 12th. Back in the unique castellated clubhouse, I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with a few of the extremely friendly members. If you’ve not been, go! Stats: Par 70, 6,268 yards W: ardglassgolfclub.com GF: Round: £100-£130
3 Belvoir Park
On the southern outskirts of Belfast, Belvoir Park is a sumptuous parkland layout dating back to the late 1920s. Created by Harry Colt not long before he designed Royal County Down, it has two distinct loops of nine, each of which returns to the modern, elevated clubhouse. From the bar there are glorious views down over the course and to the city and mountains beyond.
Gently undulating and constantly changing direction, there are plenty of interesting and memorable holes. My personal favourites were the dogleg 3rd played right-to-left up the hill, the attractive and wellbunkered short 8th, the SI1 12th played over a dip to a beautifully framed green and the perfect finishing hole, left-to-right to a tricky green right below the clubhouse. In their haste to get to the trophy courses, many overlook this excellent layout – it’s their loss! Stats: Par 71, 6,474 yards W: belvoirparkgolfclub.com GF: Round £75-£85
4 Clandeboye
Clandeboye is blessed with two fine courses, the Dufferin and the Ava. The former is a heathland/ parkland hybrid with plenty of gorse and bracken, and it runs over land that was once grazed by monks.
The Ava is shorter, quite narrow and even quirky. It is also very natural in appearance and twists and turns over elevated ground that in its time has served as both quarry and reservoir. Rocky outcrops are a feature and both courses have some fun par 3s. Stats: Dufferin: Par 71, 6,550 yards; Ava: Par 70, 5,755 yards W: cgc-ni.com GF: Round: Dufferin £55-£65, Ava £40-£50
5 kilkeel
Before researching this trip I had never heard of Kilkeel. However, following a hearty Slieve Donard breakfast, I enjoyed the 30-minute drive south and was impressed by what I found. The course was expanded in the 1990s by Eddie Hackett, and it runs over a large tract of parkland with plenty of mature specimen trees. There are three par 5s, two of which bookend the course, all of which I managed to par. There are also three short holes, the best of which is the 11th, none of which I parred! Stats: Par 72, 6,579 yards W: www.kilkeelgolfclub.com GF: Round: £30wd/£35we
6 Warrenpoint
Fifteen minutes west of Kilkeel, the parkland design at Warrenpoint makes use of every available inch of a compact piece of land.
What it lacks in length it makes up for in the demand for accuracy, with tricky tee shots and approaches on many holes.
With three par 5s in the first four holes, it is best to make your score early as some of the later par 4s are very tough, especially the 9th to an extremely well-protected green and the 17th, which plays longer than its yardage to a very narrow putting surface. Stats: Par 71, 6,001 yards W: warrenpointgolf.com GF: Round £30wd/£35we