Bushfoot is a thoroughly charming and cleverly configured 9 hole course on the Giant’s Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland. Established as long ago as 1890, it is one of Ulster’s oldest clubs, and the chances are that the game was played here long before that, pre-dating when it was formally founded.
The club is found in Portballintrae. A County Antrim village just to the north of Bushmills, home of the world-famous whisky distillery.
Over time, the club has steadily grown, both in terms of gaining terrain and improving its facilities. All the while, it has retained its laid-back vibe. After all, this is a club that is very much in touch with its roots. It is that sense of authenticity that visitors love.
The nature of the design reflects the lay of the land – which is often dramatic. The holes wind through coastal dunes sculpted by the River Bush. It’s for this reason it earns the club its name – Bushfoot, or the foot of the river.
Thanks to the use of different tees on the two nines, the second half feels in many ways like playing a new course rather than the same one again. For example, the angle from the tee on the short 11th is almost at right angles to that on the 2nd. It’s a completely different hole with a distinct set of challenges.
Water comes into play to a greater or lesser extent on four of the nine holes. This includes the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th. The 3rd is especially memorable. The fairway here climbs upwards from the tee before traversing the Giant’s Causeway tramline, just to give you give you a reminder of the special part of the world you are in.
Some of the land is links-like, some is more clifftop and a couple of holes are parkland. It’s a charming combination and a surprise is never far away.
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The stand-out hole, though, is surely the first, or, to be more accurate the 10th. The second time round, we head to the back tee and it makes the tee shot over the cliffs and the river even more dramatic. It is also seriously intimidating when the wind is into your face. This is presumably why we are given chance to warm up on the outward half before facing the challenge.
Off the course, the homely and friendly clubhouse shows Bushfoot for exactly what it is. That is a communitybased club adapting as it goes along to the changing needs of the village.
Throughout it has retained a certain warmth that is particularly genuine.
The 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, himself a local, even has his own reserved parking spot here.
And there are stories of golfers from all around the world who have visited once and joined as country members on the spot.
They may have come to this part of the world to tackle the likes of Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock but Bushfoot has a way of stealing their hearts.
Gazing out of the window towards the ocean afterwards, clutching a mug of tea or a pint of Guinness, it really is not difficult to see why.
Special offer
Quote the code ‘NCG@BGC2025’ at the time of booking to qualify for Bushfoot’s member sign-in green fee rate. Valid until July 2026. Visit the club’s website here.
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