The 10 best holes in Great Britain and Ireland
3rd, Royal County Down
Par 4, 477 yards
My favourite course in the world could naturally have had several entries and this may be a surprise because most praise is usually reserved for the likes of the 4th, 8th and 9th.
I’ve always thought the 2nd and 3rd were both wrongly overshadowed and that this par 4 in particular is brilliant.
It begins on an elevated tee on the edge of the beach and asks you avoid two drive bunkers that narrow further a slim fairway then find a green guarded by more sand and a knuckle front left.
The green is quick with deceptive movement, and the hole sums up the brilliance of RCD; aesthetically outstanding given its setting on the edge of Dundrum Bay, and an unremitting challenge every inch of its length.
