September 2025 – Played Ardglass Golf Club on a couple’s golf trip to North Ireland. Well, it was actually a third wheel trip as my wife busted her knee up right before the trip and since I was in for a penny, I went in for a pound (my guaranteed golf was non-refundable) and I went out solo. My buddy Mike found Ardglass as his wife has started golfing and he wanted to play at a more female-friendly course than Royal Portrush and Royal County Down which we would play on this trip. They also featured buggies here so thought my bride could ride along.
Well the ground was too wet for buggies so we walked and so glad we played here as Ardglass was truly one of the more spectacular golf courses I’ve ever played from a scenery perspective. This course rivaled Pebble and Cape Kidnappers for ocean views along ragged coastline. It’s too short from the back tees to ever host a tournament and is sloped so that a scratch golfer would probably eat it up, but for a bogey golfer it is plenty challenging with heady winds always a factor. It is a great course for women though – in fact, the day we played it they had a women’s tournament. But this is not a “lady’s” course – while I shot a really nice 87, it can be challenging from the white tees (6,300 yards) or from the greens even (which we played and to 5,900 yards). OK yes I played the 5,900-yard tees but shut up, I’m older and this made the round so much more enjoyable and the 87 still was right in my index range.
Our itinerary included a full route around Ireland and we ended up in Belfast for the golfing portion of our trip. As we were playing here and Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, we stayed in Belfast which is perfect as it is midway between both areas. However, if you rent a big van like we did, the roads (and parking) are narrow and you better not booze as you’re literally inhaling at points to hope you fit two across doing 60 mph on the Irish roads. So we’ll talk two things here: Belfast and the course.
Belfast: We stayed at the Europa right in downtown Belfast. We pulled in and valeted and once the guys saw the size of our van, they decided to park us right up in front of the hotel which was awesome. The Europa was great and we had rooms with a double plus a single so good for room sharing if you’re doing a guy’s trip. The breakfast SUCKS (as with all UK breakfasts as outlined in my St. Andrew’s Castle course review).
The pub scene is obviously awesome with our faves being Robinson’s (across from the Europa) which featured a live music bar in the back called Fibber Magees. The Crown was next door and was good and we stopped at a few more that I can’t remember. Good pub scene but we enjoyed the pubs much more in Limerick, Galway and Dublin.
Dinner was great. We ate three nights there and Stix and Stones was a steakhouse where you could prepare your own steak on a heated rock they brought to the table, Millar’s was a seafood restaurant that was modern and right at the Waterfront Hall and on the River Lagan and best of all The Muddler’s Club. They had a fixed six course dinner and great wine pairing. A Michelin Star restaurant in the Cathedral district.
Touristy wise you could do one of the many Black Taxi tours – we didn’t. We just kind of walked around after golf but again if you’re doing Portrush and RCD, this is the perfect spot to set up base with really good food options and a nice pub scene.
Ardglass: While Ardglass does get some best in country love, this is really a great and beautiful course that is way underrated. The clubhouse is neat and is the oldest structure serving as a clubhouse in the world. People are friendly and while there are some intimidating carries and narrow landing areas, the course is manageable for the bogey golfer – especially the distance challenged old guy.
According to Google, the clubhouse at Ardglass was built as a fortified warehouse around 1405 and was later updated to a family home around 1788. The Ardglass Golf Club acquired the castle in 1896 and has since made continuous improvements to the building. In the photo above, the pro shop is to the left and the 19th hole is upstairs. The 19th hole gives off an old private club vibe and very European. We got screwies including one we could take on the course. The course was very drinker friendly including at the cottage on seven which was awesome – photos below.
From the parking lot. You see the wind was decent but we had a dry day after some heavy rains the day before. As noted, they did not allow buggies and were out of electric trolleys so had to push our bags around.
You see from the layout above (which you can probably see my reflection taking the pic), the front nine is either right on the Irish sea or on the cove. There is not one hole that you do not have dramatic ocean or water views. As noted, we played the green tees which measure 5,900 yards (the whites are 6,300). It’s a par 71 with a 68.6/114 rating/slope. Shot an 87 and didn’t lose a ball so took advantage of the mild slope. The winds drove a +1 PCC so it was windy enough to drive up everyone’s score by one over their index (PCC = playing conditions impact on the scores posted that day on the course).
- Lamb’s Lough (296 yard – par four): This photo is from the whites (332 yards) but decided to play greens to save up for our much harder rounds later in the week at Portrush/County Down. Pretty straight but balls will roll toward the water. On my breakfast ball, I hit a good drive that was going for the right center of the fairway but rolled all the way to the left rough. My buddy yanked his drive but still had ample room before hitting the water. There was no bend from the green tees.
My approach was a nine into the wind. You see there is a narrow entry into the green protected by a pot bunker. I hit a little fade which was just off the green and in nasty rough. My initial chip moved about three inches and after getting on in four I sunk the bogey putt.
And here is one from the green looking back along the coast.
2. Howd’s Hole: a super intimidating 160+ yard par three into the wind. Hit my three wood to clear the chasm and left it just shy of the third tee box to the left. Luckily I had the two-some in front of us to spot the ball and hit the chip of chips with the Lovett to get within five feet. They were impressed and teed off before they could see that I would miss the par putt.
3. Compass Hill (279 yards/par 4): Another intimidating drive but short and just the 16 handicap. You bite off as much of the rough as you can to give yourself a wedge or less in. I hit a shitty drive that flared right into the wind. Then hit a crappy iron into one of the traps you see below. From there though I clipped it out of the sand for a five footer which I again missed for bogey. Conditions were much better than the photos on this hole would suggest.
4. The Warren (349 yards/par four): Tough hole and still into the prevailing wind. Decent drive but the sea was angry that day my friend and even my best three wood shot only got me to the apron and another bogey.
From the approach on four. Pretty open in front. That’s Betsy’s pink ball in the fairway.
5. Black Rock (134 yards/par three): The easiest hole on the course. Still had some wind in our face but hit a horrible seven iron way right. One duffed chip into the sand. One ball left in the sand. And we get a nice double.
6. Donard (390 yards/par four): Longer par four with a nice cross breeze now. Was fading so hit it square into the wind on my drive and it was the dreaded straight ball. Though no trouble and would get a great shot to the fringe. Another bogey.
From the fairway on six.
7. The Cottage (203 yards/par three). Now the cross breeze was blowing right to left and hit a nice hybrid to the fringe by the cottage-side of the green and the visions of beer inspired my first par of the day.
Every golf course should have a cottage like Ardglass. Guiness on tap. Fireplace and here we are behind the bar.
My beer of the week was Rock Shore (owned by Guiness). Pretty good, lighter beer. And onto eight.
8. Red Braes (432 yards – par four): Eight (I think) is the hardest hole on the course. It’s the #2 handicap on the card and is long. Start with the drive you see here. Blind drive you need to take just left of the cottage. All kinds of trouble left. I would hit a great drive that was pushed slightly right but still left me with an open approach. Would bogey. Below is from the fairway just left of where my drive ended up.
9. Isabella Tower (506 yards – par 5): The only par five on the front which pars to a 34. Nine starts taking you to the inland part of the course but here inland means around the cove. What a beautiful walk this course is! Would get my second par of the day here to close up the front with a 42. There’s a huge aiming pole behind the green here but I swear it looks as if you have to play much further right than you do.
10. The Island (290 yards – par 4): Downhill and short. Big hitters can drive the green – the whites are just 10 yards further back. Cross wind and nailed my drive leaving a 54 degree wedge in and a gimme par.
11. St. John’s (465 yards – par 5): While short, the par five 11th is tight. Gorse creeps up on the left and the cove to the right. A great drive and then had a creek bisecting the fairway about 120 from the green. I thought I cleared it but left it literally on the bridge that crosses it to the right. Took advantage of the break with a great shot in and two putt par – third in a row! Below is the bridge I ended up on and then looking from the path behind the green – a steep climb up to the 12th.
12. Cathlin (180 yards – par three). Back into the prevailing wind so a three wood that I put just right. A great chip up and lipped par putt gave me a satisfying bogey. A tough hole into the wind. In fact the #7 handicap.
On the walk to the 13th tee, the 15th tee is in the immediate background.
13. Ringfad (333 yards par four): Probably the biggest yardage difference between the whites (407 yards) and greens is here. Those extra 70+ yards makes the difference though as I didn’t find this as nearly tough as eight. Bogey.
14. Coney (362 yards – par four): As the monument says. So the guy in the cottage house said that the hole is aptly named and lends its name to the Van Morrison song, “Coney Island.” From Google, “The song ‘Coney Island’ from his 1989 album Avalon Sunset, describes a nostalgic and idyllic day trip in County Down, Northern Ireland, not the amusement park in New York City. The song evokes a desire for life’s simple pleasures and the hope for such serene moments to last forever, featuring locations like Downpatrick, Strangford Lough, and the real Coney Island peninsula in County Down.” I guess I was distracted and would double.
Looking down the 14th hole from the tee.
15. The Pillar (480 yards – par 5): What you can’t make out is the pillar that marks the end of the out of bounds left. Big hitters can take it over that mark and give themselves an easy shot at getting here in two. For me I took the line but didn’t make it over. Great hybrid. GIR and another par.
This is the 15th fairway where the big hitters would put their drives.
16. The Orchid (550 yards – par five): What looks like a benign drive is really the set up to one of the more unique holes on the course (or on any course). What you can’t see are the bunkers right. I avoided them and would hit a great second shot but bad things would await me as I crested the hill.
Yup there is wall remnant right so I kept it left but that put me behind another wall and then you had to clear another foundation wall to get to the green. Despite my double, I really liked this hole.
And here is what your approach looks like on 16.
17. Loughans (158 yards – par three): Well loughans means small pond in Irish so I am guessing they are referring to the very small pond in front right and in the swale. I duffed one into the swale but avoided the loughan. Up and three putt double.
18. Cowd’s Castle (312 yards – par four): This was actually taken on the walk to the tee box from the 17th green. The hole was with the wind finally and drove it to within 60 yards for a nice 54 degree to get on and two putt to end with a par and a respectable for me 87.
The obligatory selfie on the 18th tee. Again, this is a great course that won’t beat you up. It’s perfect for couple’s golf. And make sure to bring the camera. This is really one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever played.
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