In 2005 a coworker took a trip to Ireland with his father to play golf. The “water cooler” talks we had about that trip were the beginning. I had recently moved to Atlanta and missed the regular golf outings with my father. A golf trip seemed the perfect answer; see the world and play golf!
By the end of 2006 we were ready, the planning had begun. The trip was scheduled for May 2007. I can’t remember why we picked Northern Ireland, but it was a good decision.
On the morning of May 27, 2007 we landed in Belfast, retrieved our rental car, and drove to Newcastle. That first drive was a bit white knuckle. It would be several more days before I was comfortable driving on the left side of the road and shifting with my left hand.
Our first round of the trip was that afternoon at Ardglass. Nestled between aptly named Castle Place road and the Northern Ireland Fishery is a small parking lot and a castle. The castle was built in 1405 and now serves as the clubhouse, the oldest clubhouse in the world!
There was no practice area, so we wandered around the clubhouse for a bit. After re-arranging our luggage and changing clothes, we were ready! The first tee is a few steps from the clubhouse, and presents a rather intimidating 1st shot. The fairway rises slowly to 40 foot rock ledge and is adjacent the Irish Sea.
Unlike it’s more famous neighbor, Royal County Down, Ardglass has no blind shots and mostly absent large dunes. Compared to what we were used to in the US, the course was flat and holes tightly aligned, making for an easy walk.
The weather for this round was not particularly poor, but it being our first links golf experience, it was definitely a challenge. As we stood on the first tee, it began to lightly rain and we immediately struggled with the rain gear dilemma. If you have played in the British Isles you have experienced the changing weather and the charade of “rain gear on, rain gear off”. Through the first 5 holes, I believe I had made the rain gear change 3 times. I finally realized keeping the rain gear on was the best approach, even through periods of no rain.
The 2nd hole, was a dramatic par 3 with carry over cliffs. A spectacular hole that we were lucky enough to play without much wind. By the time we reached the 6th hole, a brisk wind had joined the game. For a pair of fair weather American golfers, the wind was a particularly difficult adjustment. I remember standing on the 7th tee, thinking I might never get to the green, a mere 215 yards away!
The par 5 11th and par 3 12th were my favorite two holes. The 11th sits right at sea level, with the Sea on the right and dunes on the left. The 12th is a long par 3 with an elevated tee box. The combination of elevation change and dramatic views creates a challenging shot.
About two steps off the 18th tee and the weather changed from light rain to downpour. It was not an ideal finish, but it did not detract from what was a spectacular and eye-opening first links experience.
If you are in Northern Ireland, I highly recommend adding Ardglass to your rotation.