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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 23 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Fionn Davenport

Royal County Down is no ordinary links. It’s arguably the world’s best golf course you can play without being a member.

It’s the kind of course that people play in their most ecstatic dreams, with an abundance of blind shots, long carries and nestling greens laid out like a velvet carpet.

It’s a golfing stage with few equals, a riot of gorse and heather skirting the Irish Sea and backdropped by the Mountains of Mourne – the inspiration for one of Ireland’s most famous folk ballads.

RCD’s beauty, however, comes with a bite: this is not a place to miss too many fairways, nor is it advised to venture out without some local knowledge – many a first-timer has lost their way in the penal rough or looking for a line that is invisible to all but the lucky, or the more experienced.

One thing is guaranteed; whether it’s your first or fortieth time, RCD is a place you’ll want to come back to, again and again.

Price from: £270
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 4 hours

Getting there & doing it

You need to book tee times through the Secretary’s Office. The Slieve Donard Hotel is next door and is a great overnight and dining option. The course is only 45 minutes from Belfast – perfect to pair with a city break. See our Belfast guide for recommendations of where to stay.

When to do it

The course is open all year round, seven days a week, but the best time to play is between May and September, when the weather is at its best. Visitors are welcome all day Thursday mornings, Sunday afternoons and all-day Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Belfast

Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (UK)

Exterior view of the local parliament during the daytime

Northern Ireland’s capital makes for a surprisingly arty city break, with convivial and cosy pubs, elegant architecture and cutting-edge cuisine.

Round-ups that include this experience

34 World’s best golf courses

Spectacular landscapes, impeccable fairways and greens, brilliantly-designed holes and plenty of golfing folklore – we asked golf expert and journalist Fionn Davenport to recommend his top 30 golf courses from around the world.