Royal Portrush (Valley)
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. 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.
Narin & Portnoo
Stand on the 9th tee and prepare to experience the beauty of Narin
& Portnoo… Ireland’s splendour… and the Atlantic Ocean. No other
tee box in Ireland comes this close to the sea. It is inches away and
when you play the enchanting, short and downhill par four 8th there
appears to be no room behind the green for the next tee box… but
it is there. The 10th promises something similar. Fresh and inspiring,
raw and beautiful, this is the essence of Irish links golf. The entire
stretch of holes at the farthest end of the course, from the 6th to
the 11th, is astounding, with fairway shapes and thrills so natural, so
unbelievable that it qualifies as the best stretch of holes in Ireland.
And there’s some fierce competition for that title. This remote
outpost of links brilliance ripples with life and intrigue.
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Portsalon
Portsalon still embraces the mantle of hidden gem. Perhaps that is a
result of its north Donegal location but, for those prepared to make
the journey, they will discover a natural links of beauty and quality,
rippling through a captivating setting of mountains, beach and sea.
Not only does the acclaimed Ballymastocker Strand press right up
to the dunes through which Portsalon rumbles, but it comes in to
play on the 2nd hole. You’ll also have to cross a river… twice. There
are many more classic links holes here, streaking alongside the beach
and over strong, swinging dunes. The back nine may slip inland but,
if anything, fairways and holes become more shapely and show off
more of the views. There is one final special flourish to note… the
superb and natural greens, two of which are doubles.
Royal Portrush (Valley)
The Valley has always played second fiddle to its Dunluce
Championship sibling, but this is a par 70 course designed by Harry
Colt, and recently upgraded by Mackenzie & Ebert. Routed over the
lower land between the gargantuan dune that defends it from the
sea and the Dunluce that rises above it on the other border, this is
a terrific, tumbling links. The fairways are beautifully unpredictable,
the greens sit over humps and hollows and you’ll be tested all day
long. It may start out looking straightforward but it only takes a few
holes for you to appreciate the shapes of the land (especially the
end of both nines) and the challenges of the greens. A new finishing
stretch has packed quite the extra punch, bringing the biggest dunes
into play.