2011 has been a very good year for Northern Ireland, 2010 was also a very good year for the 6 counties that occupy the North East of Ireland. How? Rory McIlroy, GMac and Darren Clarke are the top three reasons why. Following its phenomenal success, Northern Ireland has seen an increase in the number of recreational golfers from Great Britain, the US and continental Europe (particularly France and Germany) wishing to play golf in Northern Ireland. And it’s not hard to see why it’s become such a popular spot: with three of its courses ranked in the top 100 golf courses in the world combined with local players winning golf majors, it’s a great recipe for success. The courses in question are Portstewart, Royal Portrush and Royal County Down Golf Club.
Most visitors usually come to Northern Ireland for a week and that is certainly enough to see and play the key areas of this fertile golfing region. Belfast International Airport has excellent flight connections from London Heathrow and there is direct service to the US via Newark with Continental. With Dublin Airport just a two hour drive from Belfast city centre, this is another feasible solution and Dublin is directly served by a wider selection of long haul international flights.
Night 1: Merchant Luxury
Belfast, a wonderful city full of history that has seen darkness and yet now has a very positive and bright outlook. The yellow cranes that built and launched the Titanic amid a fanfare of flag waving and cheering are definitely worth checking out. There is also an exciting new Titanic tourism center that will open to the public sometime in 2012 to mark the centenary of the great ship’s launch. Of course, after possibly a long-distance journey, a night of luxury and comfort is required and the Merchant Hotel, an impressive 5-star hotel in the heart of the city provides the tonic. Rates are reasonable given the quality of accommodation on offer with a great selection of restaurants and bars and excellent staff.
Second Day: First Day of Golf
Just a short 30-mile drive from Belfast, Royal County Down is located on the east coast in the small town of Newcastle. Situated at the foot of Slieve Donard Mountain and along the coast with views across to Scotland, this truly magnificent golf paradise has to be seen to be believed. Its distinctive topography with numerous whisper-faced bunkers and, above all, its unique and spectacular yellow and orange gorse create a golfing experience unlike any other. In order to play in this wonderful golf course it is necessary to book in advance and you can do so by contacting the secretary. Green fees and golf reservations can be found on the Royal County Down Golf Club website. During the summer months Ireland benefits from extended daylight hours and you will be able to play comfortably until 10pm on a long June/July afternoon. Visitors can play all day Monday, Tuesday, Thursday morning, all day Friday and Sunday night.
Night 2 & 3: Stay in Historic Slieve Donard
Located next to Royal County Down is the Slieve Donard Hotel. It is a good 4 star hotel and is situated on a considerable area of land. The hotel has a long and distinguished history and celebrated 110 years as a hotel in 2007.
Third Day: Second day of Golf – Ardglass Golf Club
Ardglass Golf Course in Northern Ireland is a ‘little beauty’ as the locals are known to say. Its characteristics are unique and the view from the field is really nice. The club and the people involved in the club make you feel welcome and this is especially true for outsiders! They are famous for making you feel like you are one of their own. It is a wonderful club and we really recommend it as a place to play. The price of tee times at Ardglass varies between £43 and £62.
Fourth day: play at Royal Portrush Dunluce Links
A 90-mile drive north, taking approximately 2.5 hours, brings us to another of the renowned and highly esteemed golf courses that dot the Northern Ireland coastline: Royal Portrush. As befits a golf course of such quality, Royal Portrush has hosted many major events over the years. The Irish Amateur Championships were inaugurated here in 1892, while the first professional event on Irish soil was also held in Portrush in 1895. However, it was not until July 1951 that Royal Portrush made headlines on the world stage, when it became the first (and last) Irish golf course to host the British Open Golf Championship, an event won by Max Faulkner with a total score of 285 over four rounds. Today Royal Portrush offers two excellent links courses and while the Dunluce course will always be regarded as the championship course, the slightly shorter Valley course also represents a serious test of Dunluce’s golfing prowess. links. Tee times for the most in-demand Dunluce Course range from 75-150 depending on the time of day/week you play. The Valley course offers a much less expensive alternative and tee times range from €37 to €45 per round.
Night 4 and 5: Bushmills Inn
Located in the town that is home to the world’s oldest distillery, the picturesque Bushmills Inn is nestled between the Giant’s Causeway and Royal Portrush Golf Club. Since its re-opening in 1987, the inn has come to symbolize the true spirit of Ulster hospitality and has been highly successful in recreating its origins as an old coaching inn. The welcoming glow of four grass fireplaces, oil lamps, and stripped pine are just a few of the elements that give this historic inn its distinctive character. In the smoky bar, live music plays every night and the bartenders can give you extensive advice on which whiskey drink to recommend.
A pleasant walk from the Bushmills Inn is the Giant’s Causeway. Its nature made a geoformed rock formation on the coast that is remarkable to see. Not only that, the walk up to the rocks itself is beautiful. If you don’t feel like walking, there is a little train that leaves from Bushmills and takes you to the bus stop from where you can go down to the rocks.
Day Five: Play Portstewart Golf Club
Located on Ulster’s magnificent Causeway Coast, Portstewart Golf Club is one of the few 54-hole resorts in Europe. The Strand Course is the golf course that visitors want to play and why not! With a distance of 6,779 yards from the championship stakes, the Strand Course at Portstewart, set on a classic links course amidst towering sand dunes, is a stern test but fair links layout and offers magnificent views of the hills of Donegal, the Atlantic Ocean, the Strand beach and the river. prohibition. And in days when new course development can cost millions of pounds, it is to Portstewart Golf Club’s credit that its own staff have largely created the layout of the Strand Course.
Tee times at the Strand Course in high season start from 80 until 95 on weekends.
Day Six: Play Castlerock
Located close to Portstewart and Royal Portrush, Castlerock Golf Club is a classic golf course set amidst towering sand dunes and is a more than worthy neighbor to these two great Irish links. With a mix of inside and links holes, a game of golf at Castlerock will test every department of your game and the opening hole aptly reflects the incredible experience of playing here. Measuring just 348 yards, with the prevailing wind trying to animate your ball into the out of bounds to the right and a plateau green waiting to greet your approach, a par four here is a good return. The 200-yard-by-three fourth hole, called “Leg o’ Mutton,” is probably Castlerock’s signature hole and requires a tee shot over a river, with a railway lurking to the right.
The departure times in Castlerock in high season range from 65 to 80
The drive back to Belfast shouldn’t take more than 2 hours.
Night 6: Return to the Merchant Hotel in Belfast to bid farewell in style
After leaving Castlerock the drive back to Belfast for the last night is a 1.5 hour drive, another night at the splendid Merchant Hotel would be our recommendation to finish off in style. There are of course other great hotels in Belfast and it’s a good opportunity to try them out on the last night of what we hope will be an exciting week of golf in Northern Ireland.
Seventh day: Check out day, so fly home