* First published 2011 and updated December, 2024

Mention the word Ardglass and it conjures up thoughts of an exotic item of glassware or a gleaming gemstone.

Yes, that is true in golfing terms and with the word Ardglass originating from the Gaelic ‘Ard Ghlais‘ meaning ‘green height‘.

Ardglass is located less than an hour’s drive south of Belfast and just north of the world renowned Royal County Down course, and with this quaint seaside town boasting eight archaeological sites.

In fact, Ardglass can lay claim to more medieval tower houses than any other town in Ireland, a total of four, reflecting its importance as Northern Ireland’s busiest port in the 15th century coupled with the fertile land that had made it an attractive place to settle for early Irish tribes.

It was also, as you will discover, a super attractive location for a golf course and with the Ardglass Golf Club also epitomising everything that is good about playing golf in Ireland.

It’s a true picture postcard golf course with an opening handful of testing holes located high above the Irish Sea shoreline providing stunning views out over the Irish Sea, including the Isle of Man to the east and to the south and the famed Mourne Mountains.

The Ardglass course then opens to reveal a selection of wide, lush-green fairways along before returning to the shoreline for the stunning 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes and then ending the round with a trio of par-4s including the last that provides a great panoramic downhill shot to the clubhouse, castle and township.

 

Fishing continues to be an important part of Ardglass as reflected in the club’s logo.  It depicts a castle and three fish forming a circle and it’s a reflection of the town’s link to the past with fishing having been a part of the area for more than two thousand years.

Nowadays it’s tourism very much at the forefront to this wonderful part of Northern Ireland.

And helping lead the way when it comes to the ancient club-and-ball game is a classic golfing gem like Ardglass.

 

 

Ardglass Golf Club was formed on the 28th June, 1896 by a group of men who met in the stables, which at that time were located at the rear of the present clubhouse.

The beginning was quite humble, seven holes laid out on some 20 acres of ground consisting largely of the Lower Downs which were rented from Audrey De Vere Beaucleck, the landlord of the Ardglass Estate. Progress was rapid and within two years, the club was renting both the Upper and Lower Downs which led to the completion of nine holes.

Though in those days the club boasted just seven holes and it wasn’t till 1901 when members could enjoy nine holes.  The course was extended to 18 holes in the 1970s and then in 1998 additional land was purchased that overlooked Coney Island that now sees the present 18-hole Ardglass layout.

Arriving at Ardglass Golf Club you’d be mistaken for believing the clubhouse looks more akin to a medieval castle than a golf clubhouse, and that’s because it is, as it used to be Ardglass Castle that was built in the 13^th century.  In fact, it is the oldest building in the world to boast being a golf clubhouse – 620 years old!

 

Archaelogical evidence suggests the building was built in the 14th century as a fortified warehouse, where imported goods such as silks, wines and other goods were stored.

As well, there is the unique sight as golf courses go and that is a number of 15^th century canons lined up side-by-side facing down the first fairway, and as if you were about to step out onto a military parade ground.

No not true as you about to step onto the opening tee of one of the finest Irish golf courses you’ll ever enjoy and there to greet you will be Paul Vaughan, Ardglass Director of Golf and Head Professional and his wonderful team.

 

 

 

Talking of warm welcomes as that was the scenario when the British Seniors Open was first staged at Royal County Down in 2000 and when Australia’s Ian Baker-Finch paid a visit to Ardglass, and ‘Finchy’s’ comments left such an impression the club still talks about the occasion.

“Ian and his TV fellow commentators couldn’t play Royal County Down, so they came here to play, and they were dumbstruck,” said an Ardglass club official.

“It’s not the standard of golf as Royal County Down but you’re not going to lose 20 golf balls.  They just loved it.”

You’ll also enjoy the Ardglass experience and an also an adventure where your camera phone will become your 15^th club.

Be sure after your round to visit the world’s oldest clubhouse to sample the legendary Irish ‘craic’ over a pint of Guinness or two, and also keep a lookout for a Rory McIlroy golf bag that was on show during my visit one of my visits to the club.

The Ardglass Golf Course ….

The golf course plays to a par-70 for both men and women, measuring 5,793-yards off the men’s tees and 5,305-yards from the ladies tees.

For the men there is five par-3s, the longest being the 203-yard 7th hole named ‘The Cottage’ while the shortest is the 122-yard 5th hole named ‘Black Rock’.

There is 10 par-4s, the longest is the 8th hole that plays to 432-yards and is named ‘Red Brass’ while the shortest of the four’s is the third hole playing at 279-yards and named ‘Compass Hill’ while that leaves just three par-5s with the longest named St. John’s and that’s the 11th hole while the 480-yard 15th in the shortest and named ‘The Pillar’.

Next on the 1st tee …

The first hole is named ‘Lambs Lough’ and a real ‘got your attention’ challenge at just 296-yards off the mens tee, but it requires an accurate canon shot if you’re to carry the jagged rocks on the Irish Sea shoreline before hitting you’re second uphill to a partly hidden but long, narrow green.

The image below is taken from behind the first green but in looking back down the opening fairway you can see the ‘knee-knocking’ sight that greets golfers arriving on the first tee.

 

Ardglass – Looking back down the first hole to clubhouse. 

The opening hole at Ardglass and looking even more daunting in the fog that was present on our visit.

If you had your heart in your mouth at the first, then the second’s going to take your breath away.

‘Howd’s Hole’ is the first of the par-3s with the tee perched atop a cliff and from there it’s a 161-yard shot over a deep gorge to a green guarded by a pot bunker to the front left and several mounds.

 

 

‘Compass Hill’ is the name of the 279-yard par-4 third hole at Ardglass.  Ranked the No. 16th index hole

The fourth hole is named “The Warren” and is a 349-yard par-4 tester and like the three prior holes it continues to lead you around atop of the rocky foreshore. It is the toughest of the opening four holes, ranked No. 6 index.   

 

 

‘Black Rock’ is the name for the par-3 fifth hole.  At just 122-yards it is the shortest hole on the golf course.

Though looking at the weather conditions when the video just hereunder was taken, it certainly doesn’t look anything like the No. 18 or easiest hole on the Ardglass course.

 

 

The 7th hole is aptly named ‘The Cottage’ and for obvious reasons.  It’s a par-3 hole measuring 203-yards off the men’s tee and, at first sight, it provided this writer with a reminder of a golfing-theme cartoon of the golfer standing on the front doorstep of a golf course cottage and with the hole situated in a not too dissimilar position at the rear of the dwelling as the cottage in the video (smiling).

If you click on the video you’ll learn the punchline of what the golfer said to the owner of the cottage.

 

You can see from the image above ‘The Cottage’ and the 7th hole green is just off to the right in playing the eighth hole with the Irish Sea behind you as you head uphill.

Though it’s not the only ‘cottage’ in play at Ardglass as you will discover heading down the 16th.

Ardglass gets a little tougher at the par-4, 8th hole and named ‘Red Braes’.  At  432-yards it’s the No. 2 index hole and also the longest par-4 on the course by some 30 odd yards.

 

 

The ninth is the first of the three par-5s at Ardglass measuring 506-yards and the longest on the course, some 26-yards further in length than the par-5 15th.  It’s a tricky hole running all the way, as it does, above the shoreline on your right and with trees on your left. There are just three bunkers and they guard the green.

The hole is named ‘Isabella’s Tower’ after the daughter of Aubrey de Vere Beauclerc, and who I had mentioned at the outset of this feature article, and who in 1851 built a stone tower on a hill called The Ward.  He built the tower to help his daughter recuperate as she was suffering from tuberculous.

The tower that can been seen from the golf course and stands 27 feet tall and 18 feet wide while in the process of building the tower, workman uncovered a colourful cinerary urn (an ancient burial urn) containing cremated human bones. The remains were later dated from the Bronze Age.

 

The 10th hole is a downhill par-3, playing 180-yard, named ‘The Island’ and providing a stunning view of the small seaside village of Coney Island with the island now joined to the mainland.

 

 

The 11th hole is named ‘St. John’s’, a testing par-5 laid out along the foreshore that plays to 465-yards while it is the No. 3 index on the scorecard.  It’s a must, as you can gather from the image, where there’s no future if your right.

 

 

The club’s website is not wrong when it points out the spectacular view to be had from the elevated 12^th tee, with its backdrop of the Irish Sea and the distant Mourne Mountains. The hole is named ‘Cathin’, a Gaelic word meaning Catherine.  In the top portion of the image you can just see St. John’s Lighthouse sticking out that will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2031.

The par-3 hole plays 180-yards but that’s on a calm day.

 

You will also notice in looking down on the 12th hole the raised portion to the back right of the green which is the 13th hole championship tee and with the other tees along to the left.

The 13th and the uphill 14th holes, named respectively ‘Ringfad’ and ‘Coney’, are laid out side-by-side with the 13th, a dog-leg left par-4 of 333-yards ranked the hardest hole on the golf course. Like many of the holes at Ardglass, the 13th also runs high along the edge of the shoreline well below though the hole does dog-leg left and taking the unforgiving gorse down the right, out of play.

 

 

The last of the par-5s is ‘The Pillar’ and the name for this 480-yard, 15th index challenge.  It is also where the course now takes you back in the direction of the clubhouse.

‘In playing ‘The Pillar’ there is out-of-bounds all the way down the left while there is four bunkers, one after the other, down the right side and in driving distance range and, as you can see from the image hereunder, another bunker right on the dog-leg and all to keep you honest.

 

 

You will recall me mentioning in writing about ‘The Cottage’ that there is another building on the course that comes into play and it is the neighbour to ‘The Cottage’ to be found on the left side of the par-4 16th, named ‘The Orchard’. It is on-course building, and very different to the seventh, where you golf ball could very well end up with this second cottage clearly blocking your next shot.

Take a look at the Google satellite shot below.

 

The penultimate Ardglass hole is named ‘Loughans’ and is a dog-leg left par-4 challenge of 356-yards where you just have to keep it right.  Indeed, you have the whole course to the right whereas anything left could easily find its way over the wall and OOB.

We come to the closing hole – the downhill par- 4 18th and named ‘Cowd’s Castle’.

 

 

Northern Ireland has produced some great golfers the past few decades and none better than the trio of major champions Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy and between the threesome they’ve done so much to put Northern Ireland golf on the world stage.

And why, you may ask?

The reason is  simple – honing their game by playing golfing gems like Royal Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Royal Country Down and Ardglass.

Make it a 2025 New Year’s resolution.

ARDGLASS GOLF CLUB – CONTACT DETAILS

Ardglass Golf Club,

Castle Place, Ardglass, Northern Ireland  UK  BT30 7TP

Tel Clubhouse: +44 (0)28 44 841219

Tel Pro. Shop: +44 (0)28 44 841022

Website:  https://www.ardglassgolfclub.com/

E: info@ardglassgolfclub.com

ALL TRAVEL, HOTEL AND GOLF BOOKINGS:

North & West Coast Links Golf  Ireland

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