Ardglass Golf Club might see more of the sea than any other golf course on any of the NCG Top 100s lists. 

 

The course wraps its way around the coastline of the North Sea, just outside the town of Ardglass in Northern Ireland. 

 

Originally a 9-hole course from the start of the 20th Century, it was only in the early 1970s that the course was extended to become an 18-hole layout. 

 

Today, eight of the holes play along the coast, while you can see the water from each of the 18 greens on the layout. 

 

  

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Ardglass Golf Club is one of the older venues that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list, dating back to its inception in 1896. 

 

Seven holes were laid out back then, with a further two holes a couple of years later to make Ardglass into a 9-hole layout.  

 

It was not until the 1970s when Ardglass was extended to an 18-hole course. In 1998, David Jones added three new holes, replacing some of the older ones, with incredible views across the bay to Coney Island.  

 

Ardglass’s history goes back much further than that. The building that the clubhouse now sits in dates back over 600 years, making it the oldest building in the world that houses a golf clubhouse.  

The views from Ardglass Golf Club are sublime, with golfers able to see out to the Irish Sea from each of the 18 greens, while eight of the holes on the course play alongside or over the rocks and the water. It is not the longest course that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list, coming in at just 6,200 yards, but there is plenty of quirkiness on show on the Par 70 layout at Ardglass. 

 

“The golf course is a bizarre mix of holes. There is rollicking good fun in the older holes around the clubhouse; after a daring climb up the 1st, you play over the edge of the cliffs at the 2nd and the 18th is made memorable by the backdrop of the castle.” – Ran Morrissett in ‘The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses: Great Britain & Ireland 

  

The 1st tee is when it hits you! As you stand between the wall, the clubhouse and the rocks, you soon realise the task in hand. Although the opening hole is only 340 yards long, making sure you get your ball over the rocks and onto the fairway is nerve-wracking. Manage that, take a par and move on. The green on the par 3 2nd is small and requires an accurate shot to find it. Two par 4s follow, with the 4th being one of the trickier holes on the course. Five bunkers dotted across the fairway and a pot bunker in front of the green all must be avoided.  

 

The 5th tee is amongst the rocks, and sees you play slightly inland to a green guarded by bunkers, before you get into the tough section of the course. Both 6 and 8 are par 4s of more than 400 yards in length, the 8th pushing 440 from the tips. Sandwiched in between those are par 3 7th, which is 215 yards from the tips. Although there are no bunkers, anything long of this green is gone and will not be found! The closing hole on the course is the first of three par 5s. Although only 530 yards from the tips, there are eight bunkers in the way to make it more difficult, three of those being in the landing zone for the majority of drives.  

 

Two of the first three holes on the back nine are par 3s. The 10th is another of more than 200 yards, while the 12th is slightly shorter, but plays with the rocks around the right and the back of the green, just to make it more difficult. In between is the 11th, a par 5 which also plays with the rocks and water along the entirety of its right side. 13 and 14 are both medium-length par 4s – the former of which is the hardest hole on the course - with the 15th being the last of the three par 5s at Ardglass. At only 490 yards, this is a birdie opportunity late in the day. 

 

The closing stretch at Ardglass encompasses a trio of par 4s. The first of those is the 16th, a 419-yard par 4 with four greenside bunkers awaiting any mishit approaches. 17 is a tricky little dog-leg left with out of bounds down the left side before you get to 18. The closing hole at Ardglass is somewhat reminiscent of the 18th on the Old Course at St Andrews. You’re hitting back into the village and to the widest fairway on the course, before finding a square-shaped green with your final approach shot. 

Where is Ardglass Golf Club located?  
Ardglass Golf Club is one of the easternmost golf courses on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list, and is located just outside the towns of Rossglass, Killough and Chapeltown in Northern Ireland. The course looks out over the Irish Sea and on a clear day, the Isle of Man can be in view.  

 

Belfast is home to both the nearest airports and train stations. There are two airports in the Northern Irish capital – Belfast City and Belfast International – offering flights to a range of destinations. Both are within a 90-minute drive from Ardglass. For those looking at getting the train to the venue, the nearest station by distance is Lisburn, but that remains almost 30 miles from Ardglass. 

What golf facilities does Ardglass Golf Club offer?  
Due to the nature of the location of Ardglass, with the course wrapping its way around the coastline of Ireland, there is no space for a driving range. There is a putting green for guests to practice on, though.  

What are the green fees at Ardglass Golf Club?  
The price of a green fee at Ardglass Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Ardglass Golf Club, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Ardglass Golf Club website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.