Value golf courses in GB&I: Northern Ireland

We've reviewed some excellent value golf courses in an effort to prove that the recession needn't mean you have to cut down on your golf. From Canterbury in the south east to Kirkistown Castle in Northern Ireland, take at look at these 50 value tracks.

Jeremy Ellwood
By
published

Kirkistown Castle

GF: £25 STATS: par 69, sss 70, 6,142 yards T: 028 4277 1004 W: linksgolfkirkistown.com

Founded in 1903, Kirkistown Castle began life as a nine-hole course. It was extended to 18 in 1929 by the long-standing greenkeeper Frank Polley. In 1934, James Braid travelled to Kirkistown Castle and advised on altering the position and shaping of the bunkers. The course is constructed on open ground and, thus, it’s affected greatly by the wind. With tight lies, gorse and elevated greens, this is a good test of links golf. Clandeboye

GF: £32 Dufferin Course; £26 Ava Course STATS: Dufferin – par 71, sss 71, 6,559 yards; Ava – par 70, sss 68, 5,755 yards T: 028 9127 1767 W: cgc-ni.com Offering two quality courses, Clandeboye Golf Club is located just off the A21 between Bangor & Newtownards. The Dufferin is a testing heathland course protected by brackens and gorse. The Ava may be shorter but is still a tricky prospect. Played through woodland, it’s tight and demands skilful and accurate play. With both layouts to explore, this is an ideal venue for a day’s golf.

Royal Portrush Valley GF: £35 STATS: par 70, sss 71, 6,304 yards T: 028 7082 3335 W: royalportrushgolfclub.com Often overlooked because of the quality of the Dunluce course at Portrush, the Valley is an excellent layout in its own right. Designed by Harry Colt, it presents a fine test of links golf played between the sand hills along the Atlantic shore and the higher ground where the Dunluce is set. Watch out for the 6th hole here – at 237 yards it’s a monster of a par 3 made even tougher by the fact it plays slightly uphill.

Jeremy Ellwood
Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf

Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)

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