Kirkistown Castle Golf Club

Kirkistown Castle

Golf club

Situated on the Ards Peninsula coastline, Kirkistown Castle is a real old-fashioned gem. It is the nearest links golf course to Belfast and is uniquely the most easterly 18-hole golf course on the island of Ireland.

Here you can play ‘The Open’ style links at very reasonable green fee rates. Kirkistown Castle Golf Club has a huge variety of holes and being at the seaside means that ‘wind’ is nearly always something to be mastered as well as the subtleties of the course.

The legendary golf course architect James Braid designed the layout in 1934 and little has changed since. The signature hole is the par 4 10th , measuring 435 yards. With out of bounds all along the left side, some bunkering on the right and a small elevated green protected by gorse and links rough, this hole lives up to its ranking of 3rd hardest hole. The layout makes perfect use of the two small hills at either end of the course. The 12th hole links the two hills with the tee box on one and an exposed green on top of the other.

This area has the lowest rainfall in Northern Ireland and, with the free draining sandy base, the course remains playable all year round.

Did you know?

Rory McIlroy’s coach, Michael Bannon, grew up and learned to play golf at Kirkistown Castle - it is still his favourite course after 40 years of playing.

At a glance

Type of course: Links Length of course in yards: 6167 Par: 69

Best days for visitors to play:

Mon to Fri and Sat after 2pm

Belfast

Main Map Reference G4, 18

142 Main Road, Cloughey, Newtownards, County Down, BT22 1JA Tel: +44 (0) 28 4277 1233 E-mail: office@kirkistowncastelgolfclub.com