By James Grosjean
Tourism is booming in Northern Ireland, but don’t let that deter you from taking a trip to this magical isle. The crowds you might come across here are tiny when compared to the glut of bodies at other world class destinations. Packed into 5460 square miles, which is roughly 1/10th the size of New York State, you will find the modern city of Belfast, lovely seaside towns and villages, cliffs overlooking the sea, medieval castles, friendly, welcoming people, food to satisfy any palate, and some of the world’s finest golf courses. 
On a recent trip hosted by Northern Ireland Tourism, I experienced all these things, but our emphasis was on golf and we played three wonderful courses: Royal County Down, Ardglass, and Royal Portrush. Royal County Down appears on almost everyone’s list of top 10 courses in the world, but it’s also ranked as one of the most difficult. Even without the steady rain and wind and chilly April temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, my game was no match for RCD. Old Tom Morris received the whopping sum of 4 pounds to extend the original layout to 18 holes, which were completed in 1890. Since then, renovations were made by Harry Colt between 1925 and 1927, and Donald Steel in 1997. It was on this course that I was introduced to purple heather and yellow gorse, lovely vegetation anywhere but on a golf course. The diabolical gorse grows thick and is covered in thorns, so take your penalty and move on. Get a caddy for your round here, because they seem to have x-ray vision!
Ardglass was a welcome reprieve after being battered by RCD and the weather. All 18 holes have a view of the Irish Sea, challenging and fun, as well. The daunting drive on the first hole requires a moderate carry over rocks, sand and a cliff which is quite a visual. The green itself is surrounded by all kinds of wickedness. The next hole requires an intimidating carry over a canyon which makes the starting holes here as visually stunning as any I’ve seen. If you get past the opening holes unscathed, you have a fighting chance for a good score.
Our final round was played at the site of the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. This gem on the North Sea was designed by the great Harry Colt. It’s the only course in Northern Ireland to have hosted the Open; this year and back in 1951. Two new holes were designed by Martin Ebert to replace the original finishing holes and they fit wonderfully well into the existing track which is well over 100 years old. Besides those changes, grandstands were popping up all over the course in preparation for the Open. I could almost hear the cheering galleries as I reached the 18th green and two-putted for par.
In June I returned to Northern Ireland for a previously planned buddy trip. I arrived in Dublin for a few days of sightseeing beforehand and found it to be a fun, walkable city that is extremely friendly towards visitors. I found the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tours to be an excellent way to see most of Dublin’s best museums, churches,and cultural sights. Trips to the Jameson or Teeling Distilleries as well as the Guiness Storehouse are a must. Visit some of the best pubs in the world in the Temple Bar district, just a short walk from downtown, to meet locals and have a pint!
As for the golf, Castlerock and Port Stewart are among the finest links courses in the world. The Roe Park Resort has a lovely parkland course as a respite from all the links. We also made the short trip over the border to the Republic of Ireland to play Ballyliffin. the northernmost course on the the entire island.
If you want to get the most out of your trip to Northern Ireland, consider using one of the many fine tour companies such as www.nigolftours.com. If you can dream it, they will make it happen! Don’t forget the Titanic Belfast, the Bushmills Distillery or a tour of some Game of Thrones filming locations. For more information, check out www.discovernorthernIreland.com
