I have been asked often during the course of so many decades reporting on men’s pro golf: ‘Who is the toughest golfer you’ve ever had to work with?”.

The answer to that question is unquestionably Darren Clarke.

You see, as a freelancer I was writing for a number Irish-based outlets including the Irish Independent, the Irish Star, the Irish Examiner and Irish Golfer Magazine, so if Clarke was playing well I needed to speak with him.

Though Clarke was not always obliging, including at Portuguese tournament when he entered the temporary recorders tent to hand in his scorecard.  Minutes later he proceeded to peel back the rear portion of the tent, enough of a gap to squeeze his decent frame through the gap he’d made and exit avoiding a handful of the media, including myself, who were waiting outside the entrance of the tent for him.

There’s also the great story I have from a BMW International Open when straight after one of his rounds in Munich, I asked Clarke if I could get a few words on his day’s play.  Well, he responded to that request by giving me two words, the first word starting with ‘F’ and the other ‘O’ (smiling). Though fair play to him as he added: “Okay, c’mon I want to grab some lunch, what do you want? ”

I got a few words but Darren Clarke was he was never a player who you’d sit down to enjoy a long fireside chat.

Like all of us, we mellow when we get older and Clarke was no different, so much so, we became kind of working friends.  I once mentioned to him that we had been playing Bushfoot Golf Club and located just four miles from Royal Portrush.  Clarke is a member of the club and one of many honours bestowed on him following Clarke’s 2011 Open Championship success. He also had his own parking place which was a lovely club gesture (see image).

 

Now with ‘Dazza’ a little more comfortable with my presence, and this a benefit of having ‘annoyed’ him for so many years, I caught-up with him at a tournament and simple mentioned I had the pleasure of playing Bushfoot and how much I enjoyed the nine holes.  Darren came back to me straight away (smiling): “I hope you didn’t park in my parking spot!” To which I replied: “Actually … um … well the car park was pretty full but to be honest, no”.

Just adding one more tale involving Clarke and it was the years I worked for the R & A during Open Championship week.  It entailed in the four competition rounds walking the course with the media and assisting them with access inside the ropes, where to stand and so on.

At the 2011 Open Championship I went out on the last day with the final two-ball featuring Clarke and playing partner Dustin Johnson at Royal St. George’s.  We got to one hole and after both had putted out, Johnson handed me his putter saying: “Can you give this to my caddy?” as the American headed off to a player porta loo and his caddy was well ahead making his way to the next tee.

I later learned that the sight of me carrying Johnson’s putter to the next tee raised an on-air question from the commentary team at SKY Sports Golf along the lines: “Hey, that’s Bernie McGuire.  What’s he doing with Johnson’s putter?”.

I’ve naturally dined-out also on this tale for many a year.

The Bushfoot club is located on the outskirts of the village of Portballintrae, as mentioned above just a few miles from Royal Portrush, and in driving to the golf course you will pass the turn-off to the famed UNESCO site of the Gaint’s Causeway, a stunning ‘must visit’ area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.

The Bushfoot club was founded in 1890, making it one of the oldest nine-holers in Ireland.  It derives its name from the River Bush and as you can see in the image above the river is very much in play.  The fact the golf course is at the point where the river meets the sea, or it’s ‘foot’, is how Bushfoot was named.

The famed Bushmills Distillery also has the Bush River to thank for its name.

The golf course is some 25-yards shy of 3,000 yards playing to a par-35 and with one par-5, six par-4s and a pair of par-3s. The longest is ‘Causeway’ and the par-5 sixth at a decent 468-yards while both par-3s, the second named ‘Runkerry’ and the seventh named ‘Tram Lines‘, and for obvious reasons that will become apparent, each play to 171-yards.

Bushfoot maybe nine holes but is also is conscious of offering 18-holes of competiton with four different tees over what would be your inward nine at the 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th holes and thus providing a longer par-5 of 504-yards at the 15th (489-yards from the sixth) and also a less testing 135-yard shot at the par-3 11th (191-yards off the second) but also a now testing 191-yard challenge at the par-3 16th (A further 20-yards on the seventh).

The opening hole is named Barney’s Folly – par-4, 403-yards, stroke index No. 4.  As you can see from the image hereunder a straight hole and with all the trouble – the Bush River – down the leftside and the ninth hole along with the remainder of Northern Ireland to the right.

I guess, judging by the name, Barney must have made some splash!

The par-3 second hole is Runkerry – a par-3 of 171-yards, stroke index No. 12 and named after Runkerry Strand, the spectacular beachfront here at Portballintrae (See the beachfront image at the commencement to this article).

As you can gather here at the second there is no future in being left.

The third hole is short 304-yard, par-4 named – The Himalayas – and No. 16 index.

The Himalayas had me thinking of the fabulous ‘Himalayas’, the 18-hole putting layout located in that small portion of land to the right of the opening hole on the Old Course and just before you arrive at the New Course clubhouse.

As you can see from the image above it is blind uphill drive, so pick a line more to the right than left while the bigger hitters, given the hole is just 304-yards off the back tee, are going to bring the tram line into play, as it dissects the hole.  It wills be the same for all in  so, at some in crossing over the tracks.

Should your ball land in the marked area of the tram tracks it is ‘free’ relief.  See the image hereunder.

 

The club’s advice in tackling the third is: “Here at Bushfoot the green is hidden, so off the tee, you need to be decisive in picking a line and the green is further to the left than you might think.

“You can see that for a third hole in succession you have the Bush River for company on your left while your tee shot needs to be short of the tramline that bisects the hole. 

“You’ll then be facing an approach from an elevated position to a shallow green with the water’s of the river Bush not far beyond”.

In making our way to Huey, the par-four, fourth hole the tee shot area is from close to the River Bush’s edge but the hole plays more away from the river while the tramline running for much of our way down the rightside of this 352-yard, stroke index 6 hole.

There’s also a memorial seat here on the fourth tee in honour of a special Bushfoot club member.

However, in tackling ‘Bush’ and the par-4 fifth hole it is somewhat the reverse of the fourth where the tee shot here is away from the River Bush but with the green now located on the river’s edge.

Also no bunkers here at the fifth hole, not they are really required as the sight of the River Bush will keep you on your golfing toes.

We’ve reached the only par-5 and time as the club suggests to open the shoulders.  Just a few yards shy of 500-yards and a good chance of a comfortable par.

A key here at the sixth is to hit your tee-shot up the left side of the fairway and allow the left-to-right sloping nature of the hole to take your ball to the right.

You will get to the top of the rise you should notice there’s a tall marker post located at the back of the green.

And in arriving at a point where you can see the green you will have hopefully missed a pair of bunkers down the right side of the fairway. If so, there is also two bunkers left to catch any second shot while you’ll notice there is a fifth and sixth sand trap front left of the putting surface and mid-right.

Tramlines, the par-3 seventh hole and with the tramline all the way down your left side though it should not be a distraction unless a tram passed and jamped-packed with tourists.  No, your only issue is avoid the three bunkers around the front portion of this 171-yard challenge.

Who mentioned tramlines?  I teed-up at Bushfoot in the company of good friends Aileen and Alistair McMeekim with Alistair having a big of fun on the tramlines.

Sadly, Alistair and seen here proudly wearing his Crail Golfing Society pullover has since passed away.  He loved his golf as you might gather.

RIP Alistair.

And I was not going to allow Alistair all the fun here on the Bushfoot tramline.

Bushfoot named the eight hole Cow’s Grave.  Though it could be the greens-keeping sheds grave for any tee shot left.

 

The club’s advice is:  To find the fairway the tee shot needs to start to the right handside of centre as the fairway falls right to left towards another deep fairway bunker. The green slopes away from you to start with and your best not to miss it on the left.

Bushfoot members fondly call this hole their ‘Road Hole’ after the famed 17th Road Hole on the Old Course at St. Andrews where a straight line tee shot cuts the corner of the Old Course Hotel in order to find the fairway.  Here at Bushfoot the championship tee shot has to be hit over the greens-keeping buildings and not a 5-star hotel.

The ninth and/or 18th hole is named Strawbridge.  A slightly up-hill par-4 where the ideal tee shot is aimed just left of centre.

You can see from the image hereunder there’s no future being left as you will end-up in the greens-keeping sheds area while there is fairway bunker on your right.

Look closer at the image of the last hole as you can just make out a dark green patch between the green and the left edge of the clubhouse … that patch is the ‘Captain’s Bunker“.

Now you face the decision to play 18 holes or venture into the clubhouse?

As it was around lunchtime and having liked what we saw after a brief look inside the clubhouse before teeing-up, it was the clubhouse for the three of us.

Some people will argue playing a nine-hole course is only half the fun but I disagree as the experience of playing Bushfoot Golf Club was double the enjoyment than some 18-holers.

Thank you to everyone at Bushfoot for such an enjoyable experience.

Now be sure to keep Darren Clarke’s parking space free.