After a dramatic final play-off, Rory McIlroy became the first golfer from the island of Ireland to win The Masters, and only the sixth ever in the history of the game to win the Grand Slam of all four men’s Majors (The Masters, US PGA Championship, US Open and The Open Championship).
For a small island on the edge of Europe, Ireland is a powerhouse when it comes to golf, with McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry all recent winners of Major titles. With world-class courses in some of the most spectacular locations on the planet, it’s not surprising that Northern Ireland is where McIlroy first honed his skills.
McIlroy first joined Holywood Golf Club at the age of seven, becoming the club’s youngest ever member. Set high in the Holywood Hills of County Down, the club boasts a picturesque 18-hole parkland course, with stunning views over the Belfast Lough and the Antrim Coast. Just a short drive from Belfast City Centre, the course has an unrivalled location.
The club is just one of a number of world-class golf courses in Northern Ireland, a region which boasts over 90 courses, ranging from gentle links and parkland courses to challenging championship courses, ensuring both seasoned golfers and beginners can find the perfect green.
McIlroy also has a long history with Royal County Down Golf Club, a notoriously challenging course which he credits as the course that taught him how to plan shots and be more methodical in his game as a teenager. Located in one of the world’s most naturally beautiful links settings in the Murlough Nature Reserve, it is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Mourne Mountains, in the seaside town of Newcastle. The picturesque links course stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay offering a dramatic panorama as well as an unforgettable golfing experience.
McIlroy’s historic Masters victory looks set to create even more interest in the return of The Open Championship to Royal Portrush later this year. More than 250,000 people are expected to flock to the Co. Antrim course in July to see the best golfers in the world in action when The Open returns. The reception when Rory McIlroy steps onto the first tee at Royal Portrush in July will undoubtedly be incredible, especially as everyone will be looking to see if he can beat the course record of 61, which he set himself at just 16 years old!
Situated in the Causeway Coast & Glens area of outstanding natural beauty, Royal Portrush s nestled in a triangle of giant sandhills which present magnificent views in all directions — the hills of Donegal in the west, the Isle of Islay and Southern Hebrides in the north, with the iconic Giant’s Causeway and the Skerries in the east. Also loved by acclaimed Irish golfers including Harrington and Lowry, the courses are overlooked by the ruins of the 13th century Dunluce Castle, giving its name to Royal Portrush’s famous Dunluce Links, among the world’s most challenging golf courses.
Throughout Northern Ireland there many are iconic courses including Ireland’s oldest golf club, Royal Belfast, which dates from 1881. The charming links layout overlooks Belfast Lough and was chosen by Harrington, Open champion in 2007 and 2008, as one of his top 30 courses. Over in the beautiful Fermanagh Lakelands the championship Faldo course at Lough Erne Resort, designed by six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo, combines outstanding scenery with holes that will test and delight players of all abilities; whilst Royal Portrush’s neighbouring course – Portstewart Golf Club on the north coast – is home to three fine true links golf courses with the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, golden beaches and rugged coastline.
