Newcastle, County Down
Royal County Down
Where the Mourne Mountains meet the Irish Sea on a course ranked among the world's finest.
Royal County Down's Championship Links was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1890, with later refinements from George Combe, Harry Vardon and Harry Colt. Blind shots over dune-top bunkers fringed with wild gorse, and the Mourne Mountains rising behind the links, make it one of the most dramatic settings in golf.
The course is consistently ranked among the very best in the world — including the number one spot on Golf Digest's World's 100 Greatest Courses list.
Opened 1889 (course laid out 1890). Royal County Down regularly tops global course rankings and is considered one of the purest tests of links golf anywhere in the world.
Course details verified against royalcountydown.org.
Play Royal County Down on Your Next Trip
Royal County Down features in our British Isles & The Open itineraries. Tell us your dates and group size and we'll build a tailored round here alongside the region's other signature courses.