ROYAL BELFAST
WHERE IS IT? 13km northeast of Belfast.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? With three major winners in two years – Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell – tiny Northern Ireland is currently the undisputed capital of world competitive golf. Royal Belfast, the province’s oldest club, was founded in 1881 and moved to Craigavad House, a Georgian-style linen baron’s mansion, after the First World War – the course, designed by Harry Colt, opened in 1926.
Distant industrial horizons across Belfast Lough give a hint of its proximity to the city centre, but the expansive layout in mature parkland is far removed from the traffic jams that ring Ulster’s capital. What you see is what you get – an honest, open course with several handsome holes along the waterfront. Beware of greens that draw the ball towards the Lough with unexpected and alarming results.
CONTACT Station Road, Holywood; tel +44 (0)28 9042 8165; royalbelfast.com
PRICE £35 until April 30, then £60 weekdays, £70 weekends.
CLUB HIRE Taylor Made R11 £25
CLUB HOURS 7.30am-5pm (8.30am-4pm Nov 1 to Feb 29); Saturdays guests allowed after 4pm in summer only.
MINIMUM HANDICAP 28 for men, 36 for women recommended (certificate not required).
FACILITIES 18 holes, 6,306yds, par 70. Practice area, two putting greens and tennis courts.
AFTER THE GOLF Craigavad House offers casual and formal bars and dining rooms frequented by chatty members.
ROYAL COUNTY DOWN
WHERE IS IT? 48km south of Belfast.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? It’s a close call between Ulster’s two greats, but Royal County Down just gets the nod over Royal Portrush, up north near the Giant’s Causeway. The defining factor is County Down’s dramatic setting, where “the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea”. In 1896, when Irish musician Percy French immortalised the spot in song, the club was already in its seventh year. Old Tom Morris and Harry Colt contributed to the masterpiece, but much of the credit goes to nature’s sand dunes.
Waves of thick, rippling grass, seen whipping in a savage wind through the clubhouse window, prompt a visit to the pro shop to buy more balls. Wise move – the carries off the tees over heather and gorse are formidable and, for many, unachievable. In a fragile ecosystem buggies are forbidden, but a caddie is an indispensable aid to a good score, especially as many of the shots are blind. If there’s a slight sense of anti-climax at the end, it’s because the front nine, characterised by mind-blowing tees raised above crashing waves, are more dramatic than the back.
CONTACT 36 Golf Links Road, Newcastle; tel +44 (0)28 4372 3314; royalcountydown.org
PRICE February £50, March £75, April £100, May to October £165 weekdays, £180 weekends. Caddies (recommended): Senior £35, Standard £25, Junior £15 (plus tip).
CLUB HIRE Taylor Made R11 £30
CLUB HOURS Mon, Tues, Fri, Sun 7.30am-4pm (last tee), Thurs 7.30am-2pm (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 8.30am-11am Nov-March). Members only on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
MINIMUM HANDICAP 24 for men, 36 for women recommended (certificate not required).
FACILITIES Championship Links: 18 holes, 7,186yds, par 71; Annesley Links: 18 holes, 4,548yds, par 66. Putting greens.
AFTER THE GOLF The clubhouse is spacious and well appointed with historic silver trophies, thick carpeting and picture windows.
HOLYWOOD
WHERE IS IT? 10km northeast of Belfast.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? This is the place where Gerry McIlroy worked as a bartender while his son, two-year-old prodigy Rory, played with a golf club. Like Rory himself, the club is relaxed and unpretentious.
The course that opened in 1904 in the hills above the suburban town of Holywood is neither long nor particularly well kept, but McIlroy credits its changes in elevation and wind-swept location above Belfast Lough for his ability to shape shots accurately in all conditions. Since he won the US Open last year, it has seen an invasion of American visitors. “They really enjoy playing here,” the assistant pro insists, but in truth it’s a far cry from Pebble Beach (one of the US tournament’s courses).
CONTACT Nuns Walk, Demesne Road, Holywood; tel +44 (0)28 9042 3135; holywoodgolfclub.co.uk
PRICE £25 weekdays, £29 weekends. Play before 9.30am is £15 on weekdays. Buggy £22.
CLUB HIRE Taylor Made £20
CLUB HOURS 8.30am-7pm on weekdays, 6.30am-6pm on weekends.
MINIMUM HANDICAP 28 for men, 36 for women; certificate required (but not requested).
FACILITIES 18 holes, 6,078yds, par 69. Practice area and putting green.
AFTER THE GOLF The clubhouse was set to get a makeover from last month to bring it up to superstar standards. No doubt room will be found for the club’s two snooker tables and for a lavish bar where golfers can celebrate McIlroy’s future triumphs in style.
BANGOR
WHERE IS IT? 23km northeast of Belfast.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? James Braid fans will enjoy his 1903 layout on the outskirts of seaside town Bangor. “The fourth hole is our Himalaya,” the pro told me, so expect a healthy workout on a traditional course set in rolling parkland. The maestro’s course provides interesting changes of direction on the holes at the top of the mountain before diving down again to the finishing stretch below the clubhouse.
CONTACT Broadway, Bangor; tel +44 (0)28 9127 0922; bangorgolfclubni.co.uk
PRICE £27 weekdays, £35 Sundays.
CLUB HIRE Taylor Made £15
CLUB HOURS 8.30am-7pm weekdays (8.30am-4pm Nov-March), 8am-6pm Sundays. Members only on Saturdays.
MINIMUM HANDICAP Certificate not required for visitors.
FACILITIES 18 holes, 6,410yds, par 71. Driving range, practice area and putting green.
AFTER THE GOLF A large clubhouse with a snooker room and plenty of silverware testifies to the enduring popularity of a Bangor institution.
CLANDEBOYE
WHERE IS IT? 20km east of Belfast.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? In Belfast terms, golf laid out on land owned by the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava in 1933 is relatively upstart. The Dufferin is the older and more demanding of the two courses. Like many of its neighbours in a particularly golf-rich area, it is set in the hills above Belfast with distant views of the Lough. Peace reigns in wooded countryside as enthusiastic members plot their weekly medal rounds, but visitors are made exceptionally welcome. The shorter Ava is an enjoyable option for less experienced golfers.
CONTACT Conlig, Newtownards; tel +44 (0)28 9127 1767; cgc-ni.com
PRICE Weekdays: Dufferin £40, Ava £35; weekends: Dufferin £45, Ava £35. Buggy £25.
CLUB HIRE Various makes, £5 (reserve in advance).
CLUB HOURS 9am-dusk. Members only before 4pm on Saturdays and before 10am on Sundays.
MINIMUM HANDICAP Certificate not required for visitors.
FACILITIES Dufferin: 18 holes, 6,558yds, par 71; Ava: 18 holes 5,755yds, par 70. Practice area and putting green.
AFTER THE GOLF In an appropriately yesteryear aristo spirit, male members hang out in the Eagle Lounge, while ladies have Helen’s Tower. However, the cheery Dufferin lounge is the heart of all-comer action.
