Malone
Malone Golf Club, alongside Belvoir Park, is Belfast’s big parkland
course… and what a beauty it is. Its muscularity comes 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. And then
there’s the 1840s Tudor Revival clubhouse overlooking the lake (and
15th and 18th greens), the double glass doors of the bar opening
onto a patio and a stunning vista. Step inside and it oozes class.
This is a smart golf course – in strategy and nature. The big trees
lining the long driveway give you a taste of what’s to come and they
shadow the 1st tee and your descent to the fairway below. They
cling to you the whole way around creating a wonderfully embracing
atmosphere as the undulating terrain offers lots of variety, especially
on approach shots. The signature stretch of holes starts as early as
the 13th, when you’ll have your first encounter with the lake, but it is
the 15th and 18th holes that make Malone extra special: a par three
over the lake and a long tumbling par four right beside it.
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