davidy233
Tour Rookie
Just back from five days in Northern Ireland with HID - wonderful weather all week.
Arrived Monday, book into our B&B just outside Newcastle and played the wee Annesley Links at Royal County Down - before we teed off we spent half an hour having a coffee and watching people hitting their tee shot at the 10th on the big course - very mixed standard of golfer on display, lovely clubhouse.
The Annesley is very short and there's nothing special about the first four or last three holes, but from the fifth tee to the fifteenth green it's a magical place, every hole interesting and that part of the course snakes it's way through the championship links - I'll go back to play the big course one day - It looks simply stunning.
Annesley Links
RCD general view from Annesley Links
Newcastle is a slightly tacky seaside town, none of the feel of a St Andrews.
Tuesday we were hosted by malek988 at Ardglass, very interesting course, but damaging on the 'ball in the sea' front, my worst score of the week by a fair bit - Malek looked after us really well and explained what 'Pooba Po Po Bagpipes' meant in some of the Irish lads signatures - smashing day and thanks to Malek for being a top guy.
This is the tee shot you face at the second - scary
We moved up North on Tuesday after the Ardglass round and booked into Cul-Erg House B&B at Portstewart, smashing place both town and B&B. We weren't playing Portstewart but we went up for a look at the club, they claim they have the best view from a first tee in Ireland and I wouldn't dispute it.
Portstewart first tee view
Wednesday we played Castlerock, which my wife didn't like as much as Arglass and the Annesley, I one the other hand liked it a lot, very fair links, nothing quirky about it after the silly second hole up the hill, clubhouse was a bit disorganised but the fish and chips we had for lunch was superb.
Castlerock
Sunset in Portstewart that evening was sensational, best I've seen since I was in Key West last January.
Thursday was the only day that the sun didn't shine, but it stayed dry and bright and the Valley (Rathmnore) at Royal Portrush was wonderful, absolutely loved the course - an impression helped by a 4-4-4-3 finish, my best run of golf of the trip. Darren Clarke's golf school were out behind us, 20 teenagers bombing drives and hitting delicate pitches - cool to watch.
Rathmore
We had coffee in the Royal Portrush clubhouse pre-round and it's impressive, Darren Clarke's Open Trophy replica is on display as are his and Fred Daly's open winning medals, post round we had a drink in the Rathmore clubhouse which is by the first tee/eighteenth green of the Valley - They've got Graeme McDowell's US Open replica trophy on display as you walk in the front door.
Got chatting to an old guy who was there with his ten year old grandson - the wee lad had shot 86 round the Valley the day before and was on a lunch break from spending all day chipping, putting and playing the pitch and putt - he was wearing Callaway head to toe - looked like a wee tour pro.
Friday we played Ballycastle in an open - can't say I liked it as a golf course, though from the top it has absolutely wonderful views - mix of parkland, links and cliff top, but I liked the 18th - nice par 5 downhill towards the clubhouse, cost me a quid as my third shot ended up in the 'captain's charity bunker' - which at least saved it from being in the car park. Superb clubhouse and really friendly people - pity I didn't like the course more.
Ballycastle
When I originally spoke to the wife about having a golfing trip I suggested going back to Portugal, I thought she was daft when she said she wanted to go to Northern Ireland, but she was right, some top golf, great weather and friendly people - I liked Ardglass, Castlerock and Annesley Links and I'd be happy to play Rathmore (The Valley at Portrush) every day of my life.
Arrived Monday, book into our B&B just outside Newcastle and played the wee Annesley Links at Royal County Down - before we teed off we spent half an hour having a coffee and watching people hitting their tee shot at the 10th on the big course - very mixed standard of golfer on display, lovely clubhouse.
The Annesley is very short and there's nothing special about the first four or last three holes, but from the fifth tee to the fifteenth green it's a magical place, every hole interesting and that part of the course snakes it's way through the championship links - I'll go back to play the big course one day - It looks simply stunning.
Annesley Links
RCD general view from Annesley Links
Newcastle is a slightly tacky seaside town, none of the feel of a St Andrews.
Tuesday we were hosted by malek988 at Ardglass, very interesting course, but damaging on the 'ball in the sea' front, my worst score of the week by a fair bit - Malek looked after us really well and explained what 'Pooba Po Po Bagpipes' meant in some of the Irish lads signatures - smashing day and thanks to Malek for being a top guy.
This is the tee shot you face at the second - scary
We moved up North on Tuesday after the Ardglass round and booked into Cul-Erg House B&B at Portstewart, smashing place both town and B&B. We weren't playing Portstewart but we went up for a look at the club, they claim they have the best view from a first tee in Ireland and I wouldn't dispute it.
Portstewart first tee view
Wednesday we played Castlerock, which my wife didn't like as much as Arglass and the Annesley, I one the other hand liked it a lot, very fair links, nothing quirky about it after the silly second hole up the hill, clubhouse was a bit disorganised but the fish and chips we had for lunch was superb.
Castlerock
Sunset in Portstewart that evening was sensational, best I've seen since I was in Key West last January.
Thursday was the only day that the sun didn't shine, but it stayed dry and bright and the Valley (Rathmnore) at Royal Portrush was wonderful, absolutely loved the course - an impression helped by a 4-4-4-3 finish, my best run of golf of the trip. Darren Clarke's golf school were out behind us, 20 teenagers bombing drives and hitting delicate pitches - cool to watch.
Rathmore
We had coffee in the Royal Portrush clubhouse pre-round and it's impressive, Darren Clarke's Open Trophy replica is on display as are his and Fred Daly's open winning medals, post round we had a drink in the Rathmore clubhouse which is by the first tee/eighteenth green of the Valley - They've got Graeme McDowell's US Open replica trophy on display as you walk in the front door.
Got chatting to an old guy who was there with his ten year old grandson - the wee lad had shot 86 round the Valley the day before and was on a lunch break from spending all day chipping, putting and playing the pitch and putt - he was wearing Callaway head to toe - looked like a wee tour pro.
Friday we played Ballycastle in an open - can't say I liked it as a golf course, though from the top it has absolutely wonderful views - mix of parkland, links and cliff top, but I liked the 18th - nice par 5 downhill towards the clubhouse, cost me a quid as my third shot ended up in the 'captain's charity bunker' - which at least saved it from being in the car park. Superb clubhouse and really friendly people - pity I didn't like the course more.
Ballycastle
When I originally spoke to the wife about having a golfing trip I suggested going back to Portugal, I thought she was daft when she said she wanted to go to Northern Ireland, but she was right, some top golf, great weather and friendly people - I liked Ardglass, Castlerock and Annesley Links and I'd be happy to play Rathmore (The Valley at Portrush) every day of my life.
