Welcome to County Down the view from teh 11th tee. 2,912 sqft. Suggest edits to improve what we show. RCD, as it's sometimes known, 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. Playing over the gorse and bunker infested ridge, the player may be able to just see the left edge of the green or at least the left greenside bunker. The Championship course provides an exhilarating, yet challenging rollercoaster ride through the dunes via blind tests and some gloriously natural bunkering. To learn more about caddies for your upcoming trip, give a read of our Caddie FAQs. Rory McIlroy: If you play for the front half of the greens, you're going to have a chance. Hole overview would go here. However opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We welcome visiting golfers on the Championship Links on: Monday, Tuesday and Friday - morning & afternoon // Thursday - morning // Sunday - afternoon. ringed with difficult shots, be it from gorse, heather, bunkers or the tightly mown swale around the green. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Complete Guide to Golf in Ireland Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne, the links stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay, zigzagging back and forth to provide a different vista from virtually every hole. Enjoy a Round at The Royal County Down Golf Club, Weekend in Cork: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary, Golfing At Holywood Golf Course: A Complete Guide, A Weekend in Dublin, Ireland: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary, Where To Stay in Dublin: Best Areas and Accommodations, Where To Stay in Killarney: Best Areas and Accommodations. Hotels near Royal County Down Golf Club: (0.16 mi) Slieve Donard (0.12 mi) Number Ten B&B (0.21 mi) Holiday home perfect for golfers and walkers (0.31 mi) 1 Sea Haven (0.44 mi) Amble In Accommodation; View all hotels near Royal County Down Golf Club on Tripadvisor It's unbelievable land for a golf course, the dunes are unreal. The thrill of a well struck tee ball is immense but infrequent. Green 6249 yards is suitable for handicap seniors Many of the holes were on the grounds that the present day No. With a par of just 66 (six par 3s and no par 5s) and conditioning equal to its big sibling there has never been a better warm-up act. The canvas at County Down is perfect for golf and it paints the most c, Gehrt nicht umsonst in allen Rankings zu den Top Pltzen auf der Welt. Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Although Royal County Down finds itself among the best golf courses in the world, the club continues to evolve and reach for new heights. Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. RCD has been used regularly for all the major amateur competitions and the Irish Open, most recently in 2015, the British Seniors Open and both the Curtis and Walker Cups. Over the last several years, Ardglass Golf Club has become a must-play stop on golf trips to Royal County Down. Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. The members of The Union League of Philadelphia prepare to tee off on the 4th at Royal County Down. Up ahead, todays 9th was played as two holes prior to Harry Colts visit. The club boasts arguably the most spectacular setting of any of the UK and Ireland's traditional links. Can you rent golf clubs at Royal County Down Golf Club? The only days that visitors cannot play are Wednesdays and Saturdays. This is easily one of the top 5 courses I have played anywhere in the . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. A tee ball hit long down the right yields this view for ones approach. Hole 17 (SI 10) 443 yards Par 4 requires an accurate drive to a narrow fairway and good club selection to avoid all the sand further up the hole. If youre counting down to a tee time at this illustrious course, here is your complete guide to Royal County Down. If you are looking to become a member of Mourne Golf Club, we welcome applications and notes of interest and would ask you to contact us and we will get back in touch with you. The Championship Course at Royal County Down can be an extremely difficult course, especially when the wind gets up. 2023 Mourne Golf Club.36 Golf Links Road, Newcastle, Co Down,BT33 0ANE: info@mournegolfclub.co.uk | T: +44 (0) 28 437 23889Terms of use | Privacy. Hole 14 (SI 12) 212 yards Par 3 has plenty of sand at the front and bushes that will take a long shot. Blue 7186 yds can involve carries of 250 yards The approach shot is deceiving. Elsewhere, it would be a standout short/medium length hole. The dramatic 1st tee at Ardglass as enjoyed by the members of Westwood Country Club. In the back, there is a map of the course in 1907, which bears little resemblance to Morriss course. Now over a century and a quarter old, this fabled links in Newcastle on the County Down coast is not only one of the best links courses in the UK but also one of the best on the planet, ranking 1st in Golf Monthly's list of the top 100 golf courses in the UK&I. Some people refer to County Down as a Harry Colt course. Fifteenth hole, 465/455 yards; The author disagrees with Sir Peter Allen this one time: this two shotter is harder than the great thirteenth at Pine Valley. The Royal County Down Golf Club was founded in 1889 thanks, in part, to the arrival of the railway to the seaside town of Newcastle. Interestingly enough, golfers frequently display worse judgment on harder courses than on the easier ones. 10 Leona Maguire is relishing the prospect of a second outing in the Aramco Team Series in London, Following in his fathers footsteps, reader Michael Howlett set himself the enviable task of playing every course in the Golf Monthly Top 100, The Golf Monthly Next 100 for 2023/24 showcases the courses ranked 101st-200th in the UK and Ireland, By Elliott Heath Dogleg holes in windy sites force the golfer to account for the wind from two different directions on the same hole, a good thing. A published writer on sport, Steve has been writing online for over a decade on various subjects, including travel articles and blogs. There are numerous standout holes, but the first par 3 at the 4th sums up everything on offer with a 200-yard carry over gorse and heather and rippling green undulations and run-off areas, all finished off with a multitude of bunkers. Royal County Down Ladies golf club members play their golf on the famous links at Newcastle, County Down. The result is one of the most memorable par-4s in golf. A perfect venue to celebrate any occasion. After your round, why not enjoy a drink in the Murlough Room, which has views of the 18th green, the 10th tee and the Mountains of Mourne. Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2. Would Royal County Down be better or worse if it were built today on the same piece of land by any of the games living golf course architects? Concessions are available to members of the ILGU which administers Irish golf. Mourne was established in the 1940s for residents of Newcastle, whom Royal County Down members generally consider to be less clubbable than residents of Belfast. With a weekend in Dublin, youll be able to listen to trad music, explore historical sites, dine on tasty food, and meet friendly people. Third hole, 475/455 yards; This hole stands side by side with the third at The Country Club in Brookline and the 3rd at National Golf Links of America as the authors favorite 3rd in the world. Believe us when we say that this is a bargain. In the decades that followed, Royal County Down was shaped by a number of prominent golfers turned architects, including Harry Vardon, J.H. How about the oldest clubhouse in the world (built on and around the ruins of a 13th century castle) and cannons behind the 1st tee, perched on the waters edge? - House for sale. Or if time is short and the sweet tooth happens to strike, we suggest a stop at Nugelato in Newcastle for a scoop or two of gelato. Eleventh hole, 440/430 yards; Modern golf course architecture has evolved into a much more strategic form than it was at the turn of the 20th century. After the big hitting that is required on the second through the fifth holes, the golfer needs o be quick to realize that the tiny sixth green holds its own perils. Consider Mourne and the dedicated Founders Suite for weddings, events and family occasions. bunkers guarding the inside of the dogleg suggest not. Hole 2 (SI 9) 444 yards Par 4 is the first of several 400 plus yard Par 4s on the championship layout. Far too often, a missed shot results in a double bogey or worse as the golfer gets greedy with his recovery shot. Founded in 1894 the club has been an integral part of golf in Newcastle and across the island of Ireland for well over 100 years. Hillyard House Hotel - Book now at Booking.com It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Annesley Links. We look forward to welcoming you at Mourne Golf Club. The design firm of Mackenzie & Ebert recently completed a few updates around the course, including the removal of a much maligned pond on the 17th hole. Published 30 June 23, World No. Yes, caddies are available at Royal County Down and we wouldnt dream of attempting the course without one. However, what for instance would be gained if the blind tee balls on the aforementioned holes were altered? Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. A decade after Royal County Down opened, Garden G. Smith penned his wonderful (but hard to find) book, The World of Golf. The phone number of Royal County Down Golf Club is: +44 (0)28 4372 3314. Visit our corporate site. At Royal County Down Golf Club there are 36 holes in total. Second hole, 445/385 yards; A course renowned today for its blind shots, there once were many more blind shots, including the approach shot to this green. Or is he best to lay-up near the base of the dune on the right. So much, in fact, that this question required a guide of its own: Northern Ireland Golf Trips Beyond the Royals. It's just the most unbelievable layout, so natural. Profile; Tour; Tees; About; More. A long drive down the right of the fairway leaves the shortest approach but the shot is blind. The 14th hole rests easy upon the land, a great compliment. A good drive sees the golfer reach the crest of the hill at the 15th and from there, the golfer faces a long iron approach over broken ground to a green that. Gallery (24) Royal County Down Golf Club is at Newcastle, a little holiday town nestling at the feet of the majestic Mountains of Mourne. And that makes Colts routing over this dramatic landscape all of the more impressive as the hole works wonderfully well. The next hole was a semi-blind 200 yarder. Note the fearsome must go up and over the dune. Once around the bend at the dogleg right fifth, the sight of the green opens up to the golfer. Once again, Harry Colts talent in building green complexes is much in evidence at the 18th as it appears as an extension of the fairway. Its you against primarily natural terrain. For fear of the unknown, the golfer is tempted to play toward what he can see. The golfer is free to use the short grass above the green to work the ball onto the putting surface. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Published 11 April 23, Golf Monthly's new ranking of the UK and Ireland's Top 100 courses, A modern masterpiece, Dumbarnie Links boasts a wonderful, elevated setting above the Firth of Forth and a great mix of holes to both challenge and tempt you, By Jeremy Ellwood Hole 11 (SI 8) 442 yards Par 4 has a blind drive and plenty of sand for those landing short of the green. Championship Championship (M - 75.0/142) Medal (M - 74.0/131) Stableford (M - 73.0/126) The dunes, the seascapes, the town in the distance are all magical -- not a thing out of place. Golf Spain The rates are subject to an annual update. The first of those holes had a tee near todays 1st green and the golfer with hickory clubs, mind you had to scale the dune and play a long shot to a blind green. Rarely does RCD appear outside anyones top 10 golf courses, and certainly never when you look specifically at links golf. Featured hole - Holes 4 and 9. Belfast is approximately 45 minutes to the north, while Dublin is just under two hours to the south. County Down Golf: County Down golf courses, ratings and reviews 2 bds. Thankfully, you dont need to travel far to find it, as barely a 9-iron from the first tee lies the magnificent Slieve Donard hotel. Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2. McGaw and Henderson answer by informing the reader that Combe was an excellent golfer with one of the first plus handicaps in the country. Under certain wind conditions, the tiger golfer can drive into the pond. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. This Royal County Down Golf Club review needs to mention some rules that visitors must observe. Belfast offers the closest airport to Royal County Down, but Dublin is the favored arrival city for most travelers given the wider array of direct flights from the United States. Tucked at the base of the dunes, evidence suggests that this may have been one of Old Tom Morriss greens. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne, the links stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay, zigzagging . What exactly is gained by better visuals as defined by modern golf anything of genuine substance? The changing rooms have individual lockers for visitors. Since then, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Donald Steel, and most recently, Martin Ebert, have all stamped their mark on this truly magical place. Theres an abundance of outstanding golf in Northern Ireland to be enjoyed alongside Royal County Down. Hole 1 (Stroke Index 13) 539 yards Par 5 is a gentle start that rewards accuracy off the tee, something demanded regularly as the round progresses. When Combe began his work on the course in 1900, it measured approximately 5,150 yards. In the extremely well researched centenary book Royal County Down Golf Club: The First Century by Harry McCaw and Brum Henderson (highly recommended and available at the office of The Royal County Down Golf Club), a map in the inside front jacket shows what must be Old Tom Morris's routing. Bath Yellow 6641 yards can involve carries of 175 yards The Old Course at St. Andrews This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Golfing at the Royal County Down Golf Club is not cheap but it is rewarding. I dont quite put it into that lofty bracket but it is unquestionably superb and rightly celebrated. It has 350 members, who can play . Panelist 1: County Down is still the big brother here. The new green slopes from front left to back right, a feature much admired by the author for a hole of this length as it means that the golfer who plays the hole with little thought or care may well find himself in the dead zone: a fifty or sixty yard pitch with little chance of spin to a green that runs away. Championship Tee. Among my other playing companions at Royal County Down that week was Johnny Browne, a member and three-time club champion, most recently in 2009. The view from the elevated back markers at the fourth: a 200 plus yeard one shotter over a sea of gorse to a green. The 12th and the new 16th are both such holes. While we always endorse the idea of playing it more than once, unless your fitness regimen is similar to Gary Players, its a task best fulfilled over separate days. A sea of gorse, 10 bunkers, and a breathtaking view all greet the golfer on the tee as they prepare to take on one of the truly great par-3s in Ireland.