Travel bucket list idea:
Royal County Down Golf Course
Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Ireland
Last updated: 21 March, 2024
Royal County Down is no ordinary links. It’s arguably the world’s best golf course you can play without being a member.
It’s the kind of course that people play in their most ecstatic dreams, with an abundance of blind shots, long carries and nestling greens laid out like a velvet carpet.
It’s a golfing stage with few equals, a riot of gorse and heather skirting the Irish Sea and backdropped by the Mountains of Mourne – the inspiration for one of Ireland’s most famous folk ballads.
RCD’s beauty, however, comes with a bite: this is not a place to miss too many fairways, nor is it advised to venture out without some local knowledge – many a first-timer has lost their way in the penal rough or looking for a line that is invisible to all but the lucky, or the more experienced.
One thing is guaranteed; whether it’s your first or fortieth time, RCD is a place you’ll want to come back to, again and again.
Logistics
Price from: £270
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 4 hours
Getting there & doing it
You need to book tee times through the Secretary’s Office. The Slieve Donard Hotel is next door and is a great overnight and dining option. The course is only 45 minutes from Belfast – perfect to pair with a city break. See our Belfast guide for recommendations of where to stay.
When to do it
The course is open all year round, seven days a week, but the best time to play is between May and September, when the weather is at its best. Visitors are welcome all day Thursday mornings, Sunday afternoons and all-day Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
