Northern Ireland · Links Golf

Royal County Down Golf Course vs Royal Portrush Golf Club

By Scott Mabin, Founder

An hour and a half of coast road separates them, and most golfers heading to Northern Ireland try to play both. Royal County Down sits under the Mourne Mountains at Newcastle, gorse-topped dunes and a run of blind tee shots that feel older than anything else you'll play. Royal Portrush is the more legible of the two, a course you can plot your way around instead of simply surviving. If you've only got a day and the forecast is bad, Portrush gives you a better chance of enjoying it. If it's calm, County Down is the one you'll remember.

If you must choose

Read the full record on each before you decide.

DetailRoyal County Down Golf CourseRoyal Portrush Golf Club
LocationNewcastlePortrush
RegionDownColeraine
Holes1818
Par7172
Course typeLinksLinks

Keep exploring

How we compare courses

These two are a hand-picked pair in the same country. The table shows only facts we hold.

Track your golf on Birdied →