Royal County Down

Published: Last updated:

Newcastle, Northern Ireland

DESIGNER: Morris, 1889
YARDAGE: 7,204
PAR: 76

GREEN FEES: Nov-Feb week days £50; March 2011, £75; April £100.
CONTACT: 028 4372 3314, www.royalcounydown.org
CLUB COMMENT: No signficant changes.

With the sea visible if not in play on the opening three holes, and the Mountains of Mourne providing a stunning backdrop whenever you play back towards the clubhouse, golf gets little better than this. The brilliance of County Down is in combining stunning aesthetics with the most exacting of challenges. Swathes of gorse make good driving essential – and the fairways are often invisible from the tee. But that is only the first step in what is a comprehensive examination. The greens are quick with significant undulations and reject all but the truest approaches that are hit into their hearts. The bunkers are deep and penal with wild-looking marram grass around the edges making them appear even more fearsome. An often-stiff sea breeze complete the picture at a course hard to fault (unless you dislike blind tee shots).

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