golf northern ireland 2009 LOUGH ERNE GOLF RESORT, COUNTY FERMANAGH COUNTY ERNE GOLF RESORT, LOUGH play For more information contact: Belfast Welcome Centre Tourist Information for Belfast & Northern Ireland, some of the world’s best courses 47 Donegall Place, Belfast BT1 5AD Tel: +44 (0) 28 9024 6609 Email: [email protected] Tourist Information Centre 16 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0) 1 679 1977 CallSave: 1850 230 230 (ROI Only) Email: [email protected] This brochure can be made available on request in Braille, audio, large print, computer disk and pdf formats. Every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this brochure. NITB cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors but these will be rectified in future publications when brought to our attention. Comments and feedback should be addressed to [email protected] ISBN 978-1-86193-993 Tourism Ireland Code: PG09ENG210NITB © Northern Ireland Tourist Board, 59 North Street, Belfast, BT1 1NB Tel: +44 (0) 28 9023 1221 Textphone: +44 (0) 28 9044 1522 Fax: +44 (0) 28 9024 0960 email: [email protected] Page 1 discovernorthernireland.com/golf discovernorthernireland.com/golf northern ireland explore more experience ahost of cloughmore is just a stone’s throw world classevents albeit a giant one &entertainment! tell me more ... discovernorthernireland.com/events keep up to date throughout the year Cloughmore Stone, Rostrevor, Co. Down. discovernorthernireland.com 1983P Golf Visuals A4 PORTRAIT v2.indd 1 24/2/09 17:02:48 welcome Could this be the best golf you’ll ever experience? From the dedicated golfer to the first timer Northern Ireland offers new places, new stories and new experiences to last a lifetime. Imagine adding world renowned courses such as Royal Portrush or Royal County Down to your repertoire or more unusual still, Ardglass, Killymoon, Massereene and Tandragee. Such evocative names are your first clue that golf in Northern Ireland is something out of the ordinary - a real find for the avid golfer seeking the exceptional. As diverse as it gets… Here you will find over 90 very diverse courses - every one a unique gem. Whether you’re seeking championship challenges, dramatically scenic settings, a slice of history, links or parkland, or simply idyllic tranquillity, Northern Ireland has it all. What’s more, Northern Ireland is so compact and easy to get around; you’ll be amazed just how much you can squeeze into one visit! Northern Ireland’s soft climate, warmed by tropical gulf streams, makes it ideal for golf all year round. Dramatic landscapes, quality accommodation and the hearty warm welcome which awaits you, mean your next golfing holiday could really be the best you’ll ever experience. content Introduction 23 Foyle International / Gracehill / Hilton 39 Faughan Valley / Fintona / Fortwilliam 02 Where to play Templepatrick 40 Greenacres / Greenisland / Helen’s 04 Rich heritage 24 Kilkeel / Killymoon / Kirkistown Bay 05 Our reputation is growing 25 Knock / Lisburn / Massereene 41 Holywood / Kilrea / Larne 42 Loughgall / Lurgan / Mahee Island 26 Moyola Park / Rockmount / Radisson 06 Links courses 43 Mayobridge / Mount Ober / 07 Parkland Courses Roe Park Newtownstewart 08 Hidden Gems 27 Scrabo / Shandon Park 44 Omagh / Ormeau / Portadown 09 Useful Information 28 Off the course 45 Spa / Strabane / Tandragee 46 Temple / Whitehead / & ‘Additional World Class Golf The Best of the Rest Golf Clubs’ 10 Royal County Down 30 Aberdelghy / Allen Park / Ardminnan 11 Royal Portrush 31 Ashfield /Aughnacloy / Ballyclare Practical Information 48 Golf Events 2009 12 Ardglass / Belvoir 32 Ballymena / Banbridge / Bentra 49 Open Weeks 2009 13 Castle Hume / Castlerock Municipal 50 Tour Operators 14 Clandeboye / Galgorm 33 Bright Castle / Brown Trout / 52 Golf Offers 2009 15 Lough Erne Golf Resort Burnfield House 53 Advice and Information 16 Malone / Portstewart 34 Bushfoot / Cairndhu / Carnalea 54 Travel Information 17 Royal Belfast/ Warrenpoint 35 Carrickfergus / Castlereagh Hills / City 55 Getting Around Northern Ireland 18 The 19th Hole (Irish Welcome) of Belfast 56 Information on the go 36 Cliftonville / Clogher Valley / Hidden Gems Cloverhill 20 Ballycastle / Balmoral / Bangor 37 Colin Valley / County Armagh / 21 City of Derry / Cushendall / Craigavon FRONT COVER IMAGE: AERIAL ROYAL COUNTY DOWN, COUNTY DOWN COUNTY DOWN, COUNTY IMAGE: AERIAL ROYAL COVER FRONT Donaghadee 38 Downpatrick / Down Royal / 22 Dunmurry / Edenmore / Enniskillen Dungannon golf northern ireland 09 Cartography by ESR Cartography Ltd. Woodley, RG5 3EL. where to play 1 courses World Class Golf 01 Royal County Down F5 43 Ballymena E3 02 Royal Portrush E2 44 Banbridge E4 03 Ardglass G4 45 Bentra F3 04 Belvoir Park F3 46 Bright Castle F4 2 05 Castle Hume C4 47 Brown Trout E2 64 06 Castlerock D2 48 Burnfield House F3 23 07 Clandeboye F3 49 Bushfoot E1 08 Galgorm E2 50 Cairndhu F3 17 09 Lough Erne C4 51 Carnalea F3 10 Malone F4 52 Carrickfergus F3 11 Portstewart D2 53 Castlereagh Hills F4 12 Royal Belfast F3 54 City of Belfast F3 13 Warrenpoint E5 55 Cliftonville F3 56 Clogher Valley C4 Hidden Gems 57 Cloverhill E5 83 14 Ballycastle E2 58 Colin Valley F4 3 15 Balmoral F4 59 County Armagh E4 16 Bangor F3 60 Craigavon E4 78 17 City of Derry C2 61 Downpatrick G4 18 Cushendall F2 62 Down Royal F4 19 Donaghadee G3 63 Dungannon D4 20 Dunmurry F4 64 Faughan Valley D2 21 Edenmore E4 65 Fintona C4 22 Enniskillen C4 66 Fortwilliam F3 79 23 Foyle International C2 67 Greenacres F3 24 Gracehill E2 68 Greenisland F3 25 Hilton Templepatrick F3 69 Helen’s Bay F3 65 26 Kilkeel F5 70 Holywood F3 27 Killymoon D3 71 Kilrea E2 28 Kirkistown Castle G4 72 Larne F3 29 Knock F4 73 Loughgall D4 30 Lisburn F4 74 Lurgan E4 4 31 Massereene F3 75 Mahee Island G4 05 09 32 Moyola Park E3 76 Mayobridge F5 56 33 Rockmount F4 77 Mount Ober F3 22 34 Radisson Roe Park D2 78 Newtownstewart C3 35 Scrabo F3 79 Omagh C4 36 Shandon Park F3 80 Ormeau F4 81 Portadown E4 The Best of the Rest 82 Spa F4 37 Aberdelghy F4 83 Strabane C3 38 Allen Park F3 84 Tandragee E4 5 39 Ardminnan G4 85 Temple F4 40 Ashfield E5 86 Whitehead F3 41 Aughnacloy D4 87 Crossgar F4 42 Ballyclare F3 88 Manor E2 B C D Page 2 Causeway Coastal Route = St. Patrick’s Trail = Tourist Information Centres = Seasonal Tourist Information Centres = Airport = Ferry 49 14 02 11 06 24 18 34 47 64 88 71 08 50 72 43 32 67 42 86 45 31 52 48 68 38 25 57 70 51 12 16 55 36 69 19 66 54 07 27 04 35 15 77 20 10 53 80 37 54 29 75 63 30 58 33 74 62 85 28 21 41 60 39 81 87 73 82 61 84 44 59 46 03 01 76 57 13 C D 40 E F 26 G golf northern ireland 09 Page 3 rich in heritage ROYAL BELFAST, CRAIGAVAD, COUNTY DOWN COUNTY CRAIGAVAD, BELFAST, ROYAL no surprise then that The passion quickly caught on and Ronan Rafferty who credits Warrenpoint continues today. Northern Ireland has Golf Club with his early development. dozens of courses created in the late Northern Ireland’s Northern Ireland’s rich cultural heritage 1800s and early 1900s, many designed means you’ll find 10,000 years of golf history extends by some of the leading and most history as you explore many of our innovative course architects of the day, well over a century, courses. Ruins of medieval castles, stone such as Harry Colt, Tom Norris and Alister farmhouses, ancient walls and bridges when Royal Belfast McKenzie (designer of the Augusta are all part of the terrain here. Many of National Golf Club). These include our became the first golf our finest courses have been carved out grandest, Royal Portrush and Royal in the grounds of country estates and club on this island in County Down, still just as challenging our challenging golf courses continue to and invigorating today. In 1951 Royal 1881 make history. Our most recent, designed Portrush became the first course on by Nick Faldo, is the Lough Erne Golf the island to host the British Open and Resort, Enniskillen. continues to be a venue for some of the national amateur competitions. Our historic courses have nurtured more than a few legends, among them Fred Daly MBE, Darren Clarke who is still a member of Dungannon Golf Club, and Page 4 our reputation is growing... refreshingly friendly and informal, Northern Ireland is increasingly being ‘talked up’ amongst those in the know as a superb destination for both the serious and the more casual golfer “The courses, the atmosphere, the scenery, the people... it’s just a great place to come and play golf!” Rory McIlroy what the experts say: Steve Donahue, Commonwealth Golf David Brice, Golf International Inc. Magazine “The ‘Royal’ moniker is the first “While the entire island contains indication Royal County Down is no unforgettable golf experiences, I ordinary layout and a very special strongly recommend that your next experience is in store for any with trip across the pond takes you to the good fortune to be playing it. This Royal not only lives up to its Northern Ireland. regal designation, it exceeds it. Portstewart is home to what might Outstandingly handsome, it’s ranked be the world’s most underrated among the top ten in the world and course. Many, including myself, feel has been designated as Ireland’s best Portstewart’s Strand Course boasts for each of the past dozen years. Royal the finest opening hole and front 9 in County Down is the undisputed King of Ireland, maybe anywhere.