Northern Ireland and Beyond

This was the first time to Northern Ireland for this group of 8 golfers, who had enjoyed a great trip to St. Andrews the year before.  In addition to an incredible lineup of courses, we were blessed with sunny skies, low-to-no wind, and mild temperatures for the entire trip. 

After flying into Dublin, we made the short drive north to Newcastle where we checked into the Slieve Donard, a striking Victorian hotel, nestled at the foot of the Mountains of Mourne on six acres of immaculate private grounds.  Our first round was just a few steps away at World Ranked #1 Royal County Down.  We had time in the afternoon to fit in a second round at RCD’s sister course, Annesley, a quirky 4,600 yard par 67 that was like a little dessert after the main course.  Up next was Ardglass, a hidden gem of Northern Ireland, boasting the oldest clubhouse in the world.

Slieve Donard Hotel

Royal County Down

Ardglass

We then headed to the north coast of Northern Ireland and checked into the Bushmills Inn in Antrim for the next leg of our trip. Set against the backdrop of the dramatic Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills is a great location to play 3 of the best courses in Northern Ireland – Portstewart, Castle Rock, and Open Championship venue, Royal Portrush.  We played all of them over the next three days, with Portrush being the group favorite and Portstewart a close second.

Bushmills Inn

Giant’s Causeway

Royal Portrush

Portstewart

Castlerock

Two of the group ended the trip here, while the rest of us ventured back into Ireland to enjoy a few more rounds in the Northwest.  We stayed at Harvey’s Point for the remainder of our trip, a beautiful 5-Star hotel with the Blue Stack Mountains as a backdrop, and a great restaurant and lively night life.  Our next round would be at Ireland’s newest course, Rosapenna St. Patricks, which debuted at #55 on Golf Digest’s 2022 World Rankings.  Then onto County Sligo also known as Rosses Point, with dramatic undulations, raised plateau greens, and a panoramic view of Drumcliffe Bay, sandy beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean.  We finished our trip at the Donegal Murrvah course, a classic no frills Irish links layout in an unspoiled region.  Being our 10^th round in 9 days, we splurged for buggies (golf carts) to give our legs a rest before heading home.

Harvey’s Point (view from room)

Rosapenna St. Patricks

County Sligo

Donegal

Part of our group decided to forego the 3+ hour drive to the Dublin airport for departure, and instead enjoyed the luxury of a 40 minute private helicopter ride with beautiful countryside views en route.

This group will keep their golf travel run going with a return to Scotland in 2024, visiting St. Andrews for a few days with their wives, then onto the Ayrshire Region in Southwest Scotland.  Look for a blog of that trip next year!