It is rare that you get a golf course every bit as good as its reputation suggests but Royal County Down will exceed all preconceived perceptions. Boasting a magnificent location where in the immortal words of Percy French “the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea”, Royal County Down fully lives up to it’s acclaim as the No.1 golf course in the world by Golf Digest. While the shorter par-66 Annesley Links is no pushover, the par-71 Championship Course steals the limelight here. 

 

Located to the north of the seaside town of Newcastle, Royal County Down is a tough but very fair golf course. Host to the Irish Open in 2015 won by Soren Kjeldsen, the first nine holes are ranked by many as the finest opening nine anywhere. The constantly undulating layout will challenge every part of your game with “tightish” fairways, many grassy-topped pot bunkers and tricky greens – every hole is a classic links test.