DESTINATION GOLF 2022
Malone
Royal County Down ( Annesley )
The Annesley rarely receives the credit it deserves . Perhaps that is due to its modest par of 66 … but this sensational 66 will make a fool of you if you think it is easy . It uses much of the same terrain as its championship sibling ( they intertwine ), just with shorter holes . Indeed , some green settings are even tighter and , while the bunkering is less prevalent , the gorse gets far more friendly . The longest par four is 349 yards so this is about laser-like accuracy … and the good grace to accept that such tight fairways punish even the best shots . Here you will learn much about what makes these hallowed fairways and greens so special … and with three new holes , Annesley fully deserves its Gold status .
Malone
Malone Golf Club and Belvoir Park form Belfast ’ s big parkland pair . Malone is a beauty with muscularity coming from its space and length , the density and colour of the trees , and the remarkable 27-acre lake around which the back nine are framed . This is a smart golf course ( smart clubhouse , too ) in strategy and nature . Big trees cling to you all day creating a wonderfully embracing atmosphere as the undulating terrain promises lots of variety . The signature stretch starts at the 13th , when you ’ ll have your first encounter with the lake , but the biggest thrills come on 15 and 18 . A series of upgrades were completed in 2021 .
Ardglass
With two sides embraced by ocean and with canons behind the 1st tee , Ardglass sets temperatures soaring from the word go . The thrilling opening holes cling to the cliff tops : shots into the turretlike 1st green and chasm-crossing par three 2nd set the tone . It feels utterly wild to be up here . Ardglass combines cliff-top , links and seaside holes to create a heady golfing mix and a round heavily influenced by wind . The three links holes by the sea arrive with a crashing of cymbals , such is their impact . The 18th leads you back to the clubhouse , built on the ruins of a 13th century castle .
North West
Links subtlety and ingenuity might be the only words you need to sum up this gem on the Inishowen peninsula . Nearby Ballyliffin may receive most of the attention , but North West has something different and special in its make-up … and that dates back to a bygone age of golf course design , as 2016 saw the club celebrating 125 years . The terrain here is low and bumpy … idiosyncratic and unpredictable … and perfect for what links golf is all about . Use your brain and you can play well here , but given the occasional invisible hollow and semi-blind approach , not to mention the speed and natural undulations to greens , you need to play sharp golf from start to finish . Lastly , North West may look flat from the road but you ’ ll quickly discover that every hole is brimming with character .
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