Royal County Down's New Holes

Views over Royal County Down, the new Annesley links
9th green at the foot of the dune. 

Given the state of the country today, there are not many Irish golf courses investing in new holes.

Carne completed the Kilmore nine last year – for the remarkable cost of just €200,000. Rossmore added two new holes and a reworked routing. Roe Park, outside Limavady, has added three new holes – although ultimately, these will be for practice purposes. Rathfarnham is busy revamping three of its existing 15 holes, while also building three new holes to bring it from a 15 to an 18 hole course. South Meath has added nine new holes, as has Mountbellew, but both of these courses are on a lower tier to the ones mentioned above and the ‘attention to detail’ is not so precise.

That cannot be said of Royal County Down (RCD). 

Ireland's Top Ten Hidden Golf Courses - No. 6

Approach to the 17th at Dundrum House
(photo courtesy of Dundrum House)

We're almost at the halfway point of Ireland's Best Fairways Less Travelled. Ireland has 350 18-hole golf courses, so picking out 10 (the parklands especially) is extremely difficult. I have no doubt that people will now be thinking about their favourites which should make the top five - I have no doubt some will be disappointed. In the meantime, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

You can win four balls to one of these 6th-ranked courses, while the two free fourballs for the 7th-ranked courses can still be won up until 6pm on Monday Dec 23rd (follow the link below). 

Parkland: Dundrum House
Links: Royal County Down (Annesley)

For the 7th-ranked, click here 

For the 8th-ranked, click here
For the 9th-ranked, click here

For the 10th-ranked, click here.