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The Royal County Down Golf Club - Championship Links

will_i_dream

will_i_dream

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Joined
Jun 8, 2011
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Location
Dundee, Scotland
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CONGU 8.4
I have a provisional booking to play the Championship Links at the beginning of March. I have a friend who lives in the area and we will hopefully get the opportunity to play another course the following day, he is still to decide on where he wants to play.

I'll do my best to document the adventure and include some pictures of the courses.

Thanks
 
I for one will be following with great interest. RCD is high on my list of courses I want to play someday.

Have fun!!
 
Playing there in June, why don't you try Portmanock, it's not very far away.
 
I'll be following along as I'll be in Belfast and Dublin in July. I'm working on getting a tee time here and Royal Portrush.
 
I made the drive up from Dublin in September while I was over there. It sprinkled the entire way. When I got to the course it started to rain and was very windy. By the time I got through the 7th hole it was unplayable. :( I have to get back to play again because from what I saw it was fantastic. What was funny was that I was the only one that asked about a rain check. They gave me my entire greens fee back.
 
Just a quick update the week before I travel and play;

No golf last weekend due to a bout of food poisoning. So I'll try and get out on Sat for a few holes warm up, should get out on Sunday morning for my regular winter league 18 holes. I've been playing well, I think I'm in the top 10 for the league, the eclectic and I'm in the final of the cup competition.

I've not checked the weather yet for next week, I'll wait until closer to the time and update you all.
I'll also let you know how this weekends golf went in preparation for Thursdays round. As we are off the mats and back on the grass, it'll be interesting to see how my swing and club/turf interaction is.
As soon as I find out what other course (if any) has been lined up i'll check that out and provide links.

Thanks
 
I believe the second course has been confirmed as County Armagh Golf Club, so we should be playing that on the Friday
http://www.golfarmagh.co.uk/
Obviously if I have got this wrong I'll correct that as soon as I know.

Course looks nice, although potentially quite a few elevation changes, but we'll find out when we get there :D
 
If you've never been to NI before, you're gonna love it. From the great golf to the even better pub lock ins. Just make sure you take a quality set of waterproofs with you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Canes said:
I'll be following along as I'll be in Belfast and Dublin in July. I'm working on getting a tee time here and Royal Portrush.
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Same here but substitute SW Ireland / Killarney for Belfast. Which Dublin courses are you playing?

Back to the OP ... I've subscribed to the thread and look forward to following along!
 
will_i_dream said:
I have a provisional booking to play the Championship Links at the beginning of March. I have a friend who lives in the area and we will hopefully get the opportunity to play another course the following day, he is still to decide on where he wants to play.

I'll do my best to document the adventure and include some pictures of the courses.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Sounds like it will be awesome.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
 
will_i_dream said:
I have a provisional booking to play the Championship Links at the beginning of March. I have a friend who lives in the area and we will hopefully get the opportunity to play another course the following day, he is still to decide on where he wants to play.

I'll do my best to document the adventure and include some pictures of the courses.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Would you mind also discussing some of the travel and other logistics stuff? What airline / airport? Are you doing anything special about shipping your clubs? Where are you staying? How are you getting to the courses? Are you using caddies and if so, how are they (I understand many clubs use members as caddies for guests - how'd that feel/work)? What about the food? Favorite pub?
 
tequila4kapp said:
Same here but substitute SW Ireland / Killarney for Belfast. Which Dublin courses are you playing?

Back to the OP ... I've subscribed to the thread and look forward to following along!
Click to expand...
Driving up to this course from Dublin as the ship stays overnight.
 
tequila4kapp said:
Would you mind also discussing some of the travel and other logistics stuff? What airline / airport? Are you doing anything special about shipping your clubs? Where are you staying? How are you getting to the courses? Are you using caddies and if so, how are they (I understand many clubs use members as caddies for guests - how'd that feel/work)? What about the food? Favorite pub?
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Geez buy him dinner first, Frank! :laughing:

In all seriousness, I'd love to hear about this stuff too. I really want to play this track someday, among others in Ireland / Northern Ireland!
 
I have a friend who lives near Newry, so the golf trip is an excuse to catch up with him and play some golf. He's kindly offered me a room so seemed rude not take him up on that offer.
I'll be travelling on the Wednesday, I'm driving with my clubs from the east coast of Scotland across and down to Cairnryan. From there it's a two hour ferry journey across to Larne in NI. Then down to Newry to my friends house. I believe we are going out to watch his son play football (soccer) when I get there, so no rest for the wicked.
Golf on Thurs & Fri, out Friday night for a meal then travelling home on the Saturday.

No plans to use any caddies, I'll get a course guide as a souvenir and rely on that when required.
 
You will love it. The 3rd hole is my favorite of all time. There are several other greats on that course.
If you get a chance, ask to speak with Michael King. He's the course Superintendent. He was on my bag the day I played. The pride he has in the links and the stories he told me about working there as a child and his promotion through the ranks were a real highlight of my day there.
 
Despite being 15 mins late for check in, they kindly let me board. Currently sitting on the Ferry crossing to N Ireland. Clear skies, sunshine but very windy.

Forecast for tomorrow is currently looking very good. Full steam ahead.
 
will_i_dream said:
Despite being 15 mins late for check in, they kindly let me board. Currently sitting on the Ferry crossing to N Ireland. Clear skies, sunshine but very windy.

Forecast for tomorrow is currently looking very good. Full steam ahead.
Click to expand...

Can't wait to see the pics man! Hopefully the forecast holds up for you!
 
Look forward to hearing about your trip Iain, I played at Portmarnock years ago when I was over there and it was fun figuring out how to keep the ball in play at times when the wind got up

Will probably have to catch up on the thread when we get back from Spain as we head off early Sunday morning

Play well
 
Hi All,

Sorry for the delay, you'll have to wait a little bit longer for pictures, hopefully get them up before the end of the week.

Trip worked out better than planned, apart from being 15 mins late for the ferry on the way out (they still let me board). Travelled on the Wednesday and arrived at my friends at the back of 5pm, we went out for his son's football training and then some fish and chips after.

Up early in the morning on the Thurs, the sun was shining and there was very little wind. We took the warren of roads across country and down to Newcastle (I have a new car and the Tom Tom maps were perfect and indespensible for me). Newcastle is a lovely coastal town sitting in front of the Mourne Mountains, supposedly its the go to location during the summer months for the beach and night life. We arrived at the course and I parked the car, we walked in to the pro shop and reception. The starter was there to greet us, checked my booking (said we would get out 10 mins early), pointed us towards the pro shop for payment and advised that there was complimentary coffee available in the visitors lounge upstairs. The clubhouse seemed to be split into a visitors wing and members wing, I can only imagine what the members area is like because the visitors area was top notch. History adorned every wall.
When ready the starter pointed us towards the practise green, chipping area and practise nets. I was surprised at the size of the putting green, it was abut 40yds long and about 15yds wide, with quite a slope on it from side to side, maybe a little gradient from the front end to the back. It was a little on the sandy side, good indication of what to expect on the greens. They had a single set of green tee's on the day which were a mix of red, yellow and whites.
After a period of putting, chipping and hitting the nets I made my way back to the first tee, the starter greeted me and advised we could tee off now if ready, a full 20 mins before our tee off time. I found my friend and we stepped on the tee.

1/ straight par 5, left side of fairway blocked a little by sand dunes, fairway slopes from RH side down to the left (par for me to start)
2/ slight dog leg right, blind tee shot, fairway split before the green by dunes and a single central bunker
3/ straight tee shot to landing area past bunkers, then mid iron to green
4/ long par 3, raised green slightly obscured from our tee
5/ slight dog leg right from our tee on the day, mid iron to the green
6/ another blind tee shot, aim at the white stone and hope for the best
7/ short par 3 with huge drop off to left side and bunker
8/ raised tee, slight dog leg right, uphill from fairway to the green
9/ another blind tee shot over a marker, huge drop down to second part of fairway, which then slightly rises to the green, two good strikes to get on the green, which i didn't do
10/ raised tee right in front of the visitors lounge, green quite a big target after the protecting bunkers
11/ blind tee shot over a big dune, aimed left of the path
12/ raised tee, straight hole with fairway dropping away down to green (i duffed tee shot to rough about 20 yds, popped up a 3w into more rough down the left, nailed a 5w to about 10ft and missed the putt for par)
13/ straight tee shot to dog leg corner, blind second shot to green with mid iron
14/ raised tee, long par 3 downhill to green
15/ uphill tee sot to wide fairway, slight dog leg right, fairway to the green
16/ shortish par 4, chance to birdie (which i did not take)
17/ straight par 4 with a dip in the middle and a small pond, uphill second to the green
18/ tee shot to very narrow fairway, hit a 3w just short of some bunkers, then i hit a 7 iron into the wind to about 4ft past the hole, popped in the birdie putt downhill

A great course, good facilities and a great day out in the sunshine, I played the middle part of the round without a jumper, t-shirt weather. Took advantage of the locker rooms and had a lovely shower to freshen up before the drive home.

Friday we played the County Armagh golf course, very nice course, good variation of holes but the damp conditions and elevation changes killed me. I need to get to the gym.
https://www.golfarmagh.co.uk/
 
Good stuff man!! A few questions if you don't mind. Did you get a caddie? I assume you walked the course? Also, they had practice nets instead of a range?
 
Playing this bad boy in June, then driving up to Portrush in the late afternoon for a 10am morning round. Cannnnn't wait.
 
Canes said:
Good stuff man!! A few questions if you don't mind. Did you get a caddie? I assume you walked the course? Also, they had practice nets instead of a range?
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No, I didn't get a caddie, I have never felt the need for a caddie so far.
Yes we walked, both had trolleys. The links visitors page explains why buggies are not used.
Practise nets are down beach side of the first tee. I believe there is a range area off to the left as you drive through the front gates.
 
tr561 said:
Playing this bad boy in June, then driving up to Portrush in the late afternoon for a 10am morning round. Cannnnn't wait.
Click to expand...

I hope you get the best of weather to really enjoy the experience
 
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