• On the Course

Living up to the hype

A view of the par 4, 13th hole 'Skerries' at Royal Portrush © Getty Images

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Northern Irish golf is on the crest of a wave. Graeme McDowell, 2010 US Open champion. Rory McIlroy, 2011 US Open champion. Darren Clarke, 2011 Open champion. So what is all the fuss about? ESPN donned the wet-weather gear, trust me when I say it was needed, and made the short trip across the Irish Sea to see for itself.

In a little over 40 minutes, notwithstanding the lengthy delay at Heathrow on account of 'fog', I was safely in the heart of Belfast. A 45-minute drive south is Royal County Down Golf Club. We'd heard great things, but were a shade wary when our taxi driver said it was blowing a hoolie. Stepping out of the cab, the scene from Wizard of Oz where Dorothy was blown away immediately came to mind. ESPN has not made it as far as Oz, but it would struggle to match the majesty of County Down.

Founded in 1889 as a nine-hole layout, the course commissioned Old Tom Morris soon after to extend the track to 18 holes. Within seven months the course was open for play - highlighting the fact that like most great links courses, there was no major need for excavation. Minor tweaks were made, with Harry Colt reshaping the fourth and ninth holes in 1925 and in 1997 Donald Steel reinforced the 17th and 18th holes - while in 2004 a new 16th hole was created - played towards a backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne.

A fixture in Golf World's Top 100 Courses, County Down has welcomed some stellar names with the Walker Cup, Curtis Cup and British Open Amateur Championship. The Championship Links has also played host to the Senior Open Championship - with legends of the game Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player taking part.

With the wind howling, rain lashing down and one of our party saying quite cheerily 'this course will crush you' we stepped onto the first tee in hope and trepidation. With the Mountains of Mourne, what you could see of them, on one side and Dundrum Bay on the other, it truly is a spectacular sight. And it's no easy opener, a 500-yard plus par five. The one positive of the howling wind is that it was with us on with the first and it was a warming occasion to see your ball fly 350 yards down the fairway. The green was reachable in two but as we found throughout the round, it was virtually impossible to hold your ball on the greens whether played into or with the wind.

The first three holes are played with the wind, with Dundrum Bay on your right, before you turn back towards the clubhouse and the wind fires into your face. Now ESPN's left hander is not able to match Bubba Watson off the tee, but I'd like to think I'm not the shortest hitter in the world. But I was made to feel like the runt of the litter when pulling out driver on the 215-yard par three and not getting within 20 yards of the short stuff.

There were times when the course was almost unplayable on account of the wind, but it did not detract from the enjoyment as you had to disregard the scorecard and play each hole on its merits.

County Down is not a traditional links in that it is not nine holes out and nine holes back. You edge inland as you go through your round, but the elevated tees afford views of the bay and you are constantly challenged. It would be nice to play the course when the conditions were not so penal, but rain or shine you get the impression of greatness - none more so than on the 18th - as fine a finishing hole as I have played. A 548-yard par five that requires a pinpoint drive and precise second to enable you to find the green in three shots. The prevailing wind is into your face and even the biggest of hitters will struggle to reach the green in two.

I played pretty well and still signed for a 96, 13 shots above my handicap, and loved every moment apart from losing my ball on the 11th after what seemed a perfect tee shot over the brow of the hill.

A view of the third hole at Royal County Down © PA Photos

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We were based in Belfast for the majority of our stay and you can throw away any preconceptions as it is a thoroughly welcoming city. You're spoilt for choice in terms of hostelries of varying styles, while the foodies are not short of options. Step into Coco in Linenhall Street and you will be forgiven for thinking you've walked into an art gallery, but don't be fooled as the food is of the highest quality - the locally sourced mussels are a must. Mention Belfast and the word 'Troubles' is never far from people's lips. There has been a sustained period of calm and substantial regeneration is taking place. We were taken on a tour of the peace walls that separate the Falls Road and Shankhill Road. It is an eerie and moving place, but is now a tourist attraction with taxi drivers happy to take visitors to see some of the famous murals that adorn the wall.

Heading north of Belfast for a shade over an hour will bring you to Royal Portrush - arguably the most talked about venue in British golf over the past six months. Darren Clarke sharpened his skills ahead of his Open win on the Dunluce Links, while Rory McIlroy famously set a course record 61 as a 16-year-old.

Portrush is the only course in Ireland to have hosted the Open and there is growing clamour for it to return. R&A chief executive Peter Dawson was at Portrush on the day of our visit; read into that what you will.

The naysayers suggest the area cannot cope on account of the lack of amenities, but Belfast is a little over an hour away and there are plenty of small towns dotted around capable of serving players and spectators - while the Valley Course, the second of the tracks at Portrush and by no means an inferior relative - can house the giant hospitality areas that accompany the Open.

The bottom line boils down to whether the course is good enough to host an Open. The answer is an unequivocal yes. Formed in 1888 as the County Club, before being extended to a full 18 holes the following year, it was not until 1929 that Harry Colt laid out the plans for what is now the Dunluce Links. Portrush hosted the Open in 1951, while in the mid-1980s major structural work was needed to prevent the fifth and sixth greens from falling into the Atlantic Ocean due to heavy erosion.

That the fifth and sixth almost fell into the Ocean highlights how the course hugs the coastline. In the same manner as County Down, you open up at Portrush with a downwind par four that is a test off the tee due to the out of bounds that runs along the right.

Portrush is a classic links challenge, with lots of blind shots to tough greens. But it is perfectly playable, unless you're faced with a gale and driving rain, and the run from the third to the 14th is breathtaking - with views over the Atlantic. The fourth is a glorious long par four, with a second shot played to a green that is guarded by high dunes, while the fifth is a blind tee shot - with the run down to the ocean.

The 14th was the most memorable of my visit. The scorecard strikes fear, with the hole titled 'Calamity', and it is an appropriate name of this fearsome par three. With the wind driving in your face, you have to take driver just to clear a gorge between tee and green. Left is the shot, but not too far as you will find yourself deep in the rough and with no shot to a green that runs towards a deep ravine.

It's fair to say that the 18th is not the finest closing hole in golf, but that is one of few gripes about a course that certainly lives up to the hype that has surrounded it of late.

Castle Rock is well worth a visit © Castle Rock Golf Club

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If you fancy a bit of luxury during your visit, the place to stay is the Bushmills Inn. A mere 10 minutes' drive from Portrush, the four-star Bushmills Inn - in the village of the same name and the home of the world's oldest whiskey distillery - really is a fine hotel. The 19th century coaching inn is full of character, walk along its halls and almost at every turn is a roaring log fire. The 32 bedrooms are individually designed, spacious and welcoming. The bar serves fabulous Guinness, while a visit is not complete without a warming glass of Bushmills, and the restaurant is worth a visit alone.

Our trip concluded with 18 holes at Castle Rock. It's such a relief that we took in a venue that while not not having the majesty of County Down or Portrush, plays equally as well. If you take away the second, which is clearly a hole shoehorned in to take you out into the main links area, it is a stunning track. The fourth, known as 'Leg O' Mutton' is a brilliant par three - with a train line running the length of the hole on the right, while a burn meanders along to the left. The 15th is a brute of a par five. With the wind blowing in your face, three big hits are required to get anywhere near the putting surface, while the 18th is a beautiful closing hole - a dog leg to the right you have to fire an accurate second to a green that sits high on a ridge in front of the clubhouse.

The Mussenden Links offers a fantastic golfing experience, but if you prefer a more relaxed game then take in the Bann - a brilliant par three course. Castle Rock lives in the shadow of neighbouring Portstewart and Portrush, but it holds its own and is a worthy addition to your Links rota.

Castle Rock:
Cost: From £65
Getting there: 65 Circular Road
Castlerock
Northern Ireland
BT51 4TJ
www.castlerockgc.co.uk

Royal County Down:
Cost: Championship Links from £150, Annesley Links from £25
Getting there: 36 Golf Links Rd
Newcastle
Co. Down
BT33 0AN
Northern Ireland
www.royalcountydown.org

Royal Portrush:
Cost: From Dunluce Links £135.00, Valley Links £37.50
Getting there: Dunluce Road
Portrush
County Antrim
BT56 8JQ
Northern Ireland
www.royalportrushgolfclub.com

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