Royal County Down Golf Club

Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, Newry, Mourne and Down. It opened 136 years ago on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. Approximately 30 miles south of Belfast, it has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Annesley Links.^[1]

Royal County Down Golf Club

Royal County Down in 2004
Location in Northern Ireland Show map of County Down Location in the United Kingdom Show map of Northern Ireland Royal County Down Golf Club (island of Ireland) Show map of island of Ireland Royal County Down Golf Club (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Club information
Coordinates	54.218°N 5.884°W / 54.218; -5.884
Location	Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
Established	1889, 136 years ago
Total holes	36
Events hosted	Senior British Open The Amateur Championship British Ladies Amateur Curtis Cup Walker Cup Irish Open
Website	royalcountydown.org
Championship Links
Designed by	Old Tom Morris; George Combe; Harry Vardon; Harry Colt
Par	71
Length	7,186 yards (6,571 m)
Course rating	75.0
Slope rating	142
Annesley Links
Par	66
Length	4,617 yards (4,222 m)

Significant tournaments

Royal County Down has made outstanding contributions to Irish golf, hosting many important tournaments, starting soon after it opened, and continuing to the present day. Notably, the club in 2007 became just the second Irish venue, after Portmarnock, to host the Walker Cup. The Irish Open on the European Tour took place in late May in 2015, returning to Royal County Down after 76 years.^[2] It previously hosted the event three times, all prior to World War II. The British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship were held on the course in June 2019.^[3]

• Senior British Open Championship (3): 2000 (winner: Christy O'Connor Jnr), 2001 (winner: Ian Stanley), 2002 (winner: Noboru Sugai).
• The Amateur Championship (2): 1970 (winner: Michael Bonallack) and 1999 (winner: Graeme Storm).
• British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship (8): 1899 (winner: May Hezlet), 1907 (winner: May Hezlet), 1920 (winner: Cecil Leitch), 1927 (winner: Simone de la Chaume), 1935 (winner: Wanda Morgan), 1950 (winner: Vicomtesse de St Sauveur), 1963 (winner: Brigitte Varangot), 2006 (winner: Belén Mozo).
• Curtis Cup: 1968 United States defeated Great Britain & Ireland, 10.5 to 7.5.
• Walker Cup: 2007 United States defeated Great Britain & Ireland, 12.5 to 11.5.
• Palmer Cup: 2012 Europe defeated United States, 13½ to 10½.
• Irish Open (5): 1928, 1935, 1939, 2015, 2024
• European Ladies' Team Championship: 2021

History

Royal County Down Golf Club secured 2nd place in golfscape's World's Top 100 Golf Course ranking 2020.^[4] Golf Digest ranked it #1 on its World's 100 Greatest Courses list for 2024.^[5]

Aerial view of The Royal County Down Golf Club from Donard Wood in 2019

Scorecard

The Championship Links^[6]

Tee	Rating/Slope	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Blue	75.0 / 142	539	444	475	229	440	396	144	429	483	3579	196	442	525	446	212	468	337	433	548	3607	7186
White	74.0 / 131	523	424	475	215	429	369	135	424	427	3421	188	430	478	423	202	454	318	416	548	3457	6878
Yellow	73.0 / 126	503	387	455	202	419	355	125	414	427	3287	180	430	469	423	202	454	300	402	528	3388	6675
Par	Men's	5	4	4	3	4	4	3	4	4	35	3	4	5	4	3	4	4	4	5	36	71
SI	Men's	13	9	3	15	7	11	17	1	5		18	8	16	2	12	4	14	10	6
Red	77.0 / 148	483	344	423	159	395	338	113	405	429	3089	172	389	455	409	195	410	276	374	480	3160	6249
Par	Ladies	5	4	5	3	4	4	3	5	5	38	3	4	5	5	3	5	4	4	5	38	76
SI	Ladies	13	3	9	15	7	1	17	5	11		16	2	8	12	14	4	18	6	10

See also

• List of golf clubs granted Royal status
• Royal Portrush Golf Club
• Portstewart Golf Club