Royal Country Down

Founded in 1889, Royal County Down is the second oldest club in Northern Ireland. Chief designer was none other than old Tom Morris for the princely sum of 4 guineas. Always ranked in the top ten courses in the world a more picturesque setting you could not wish to have As the song by Percy French says,you literally have the Mountains of Mourne sweeping down to the sea with the peaks of Slieve Donard and Slieve Bearnagh, protective guardians of Dundrum Bay and its most treasured gem, the links of Royal County Down. On a clear day the mountains of the Isle of Man can clearly be seen in the distance.

“A hole that will exhilarate and terrify” is how Harry Vardon described the 9th hole.The course is littered with demanding blind shots forcing you to trust your swing and caddy! The 80 foot hill that masks the 9th fairway from the tee has ruined many a good front nine score.The links grabs you by the throat from the start with tight fast running fairways littered with pot bunkers designed to be penal, massive dunes keep you company throughout the front nine and as Tom Watson advises “you have to keep it straight”.

Royal County Down continuously has some of the best conditioned greens anywhere in Ireland and the U.K. It is widely stated by those in the know that the front nine at Royal County Down is the finest nine in the world. There is no finer golfing moment than to be on the 4th tee with the heather in bloom and the company of friends to share the experience.

One of the club’s great boasts is that, so charmed were American visitors by Royal County Down that they went back to the Cincinatti Country Club in Ohio and recreated the classic 13th hole.

Royal County Down is considered by many to be the finest anywhere in the world. It ranks amongst the toughest golf courses on the planet and some say it is second only to Pine Valley in this regard.