Play some of the World’s best links courses all in one holiday to Northern Ireland and England. Spend 3 Nights in Northern Ireland playing Royal County Down, Royal Portrush and Portstewart then hop across the water to Liverpool and play Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham and St Annes. This will be a truly memorable experience and one we’re sure you’ll enjoy.
Belfast played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, establishing its place as a global industrial centre until the latter half of the 20th century.
Today, Belfast remains a centre for industry, as well as the arts, higher education and business, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland. Belfast city centre has undergone considerable expansion and regeneration in recent years, with the newly developed Victoria Square area attracting international attention.
Royal County Down is one of the oldest Golf Clubs in Ireland with traditions dating back for more than one hundred years.
Old Tom Morris was paid the modest sum of four guineas to design the course and it opened for play in 1889. Harry Vardon modified it in 1908, the same year King Edward VII bestowed royal patronage on the club.
The 4th and 9th holes are both featured in the book, the 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes. The 4th must be one of the most scenic long par threes in golf: “Innumerable gorse bushes, ten bunkers, three mountain peaks, and one spire equal the most magnificent view in British golf”. The 9th, a long par four, is perhaps one of the world’s most photographed holes.
Royal Portrush Golf Club is home to one of the best and most challenging links golf courses in the world, the Dunluce Links, and the hidden gem, the Valley Links. The only club in Ireland to have hosted The Open Championship, Royal Portrush is a members’ club, which welcomes visitors all year round to face the challenges of its courses and to brave the testing conditions.
Situated on the beautiful North Antrim Causeway Coast, Royal Portrush occupies a triangle of giant sand hills with views of the hills of Donegal in the west, the Isle of Islay and Southern Hebrides in the north, with the Giant's Causeway and the Skerries in the east. The course is overlooked by the ruins of 13th century Dunluce Castle and this gives its name to Royal Portrush's famous Dunluce course. ^
Portstewart offers 54 holes of golf; The Strand, The Riverside and The Old Course and is set on Ulster’s famous Causeway Coast.
Portstewart Golf Club was founded way back in 1894, but the origins of golf being played here date back even further to 1889. The Strand course is a bit of a hybrid, a mix of the old and the new. Major development took place in the late 1980s when the layout was updated and seven new holes were constructed in the virgin sand dune range called “Thistly Hollow”. The new Strand course, designed by Des Giffin, opened for play in 1992.
A golfing trip to Northern Ireland would not be complete without a round on the Strand course. The members here are very warm and welcoming and if you add this course to a round at both Royal Portrush and Royal County Down, you will have played three of the world’s finest links courses.
The Merchant Hotel Belfast is an intimate, sumptuous, 5 star hotel, situated in the historical Cathedral Quarter of Belfast's city centre.
This magnificent Grade 1 listed property has been sensitively restored to its original splendor and is now regarded as one of the top hotels in Northern Ireland. The architectural grandeur of the hotel's exterior and the opulence of the interior, demand an excellence of service and warmth of welcome that immediately sets our guests at their ease, with an ambience that embodies luxury and comfort around the clock.
The Building, which was purpose built as the Head Quarters of The Ulster Bank, was completed in 1860. Its stunning, classically styled interiors reflect the remarkable heritage of the building. Sculptures around the huge dome inside symbolise Science, Poetry, Sculpture and Music. It is below this dome that diners enjoy the exceptional Great Room Restaurant for daytime and evening à la Carte dining, and traditional afternoon teas.
Accommodation at the luxury Merchant Hotel Belfast comprises of 26 rooms, including 5 suites.
After 3 nights sampling these fantastic Irish Links courses you will travel to Liverpool for a further 4 nights and the 3 Royals on England’s Golf Coast.
The Royal Liverpool course at Hoylake started life as the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, set on the shores of the Dee and with the Welsh hills in the distance. As a reminder of its previous life, the original saddling bell is displayed among the memorabilia in the clubhouse. The golf course was built in 1869 and, with the exception of Westward ho! in Devon, is the oldest seaside course in England.
The club is a place of firsts: the first Amateur in 1885; the first international match between England and Scotland in 1902; the first international between Great Britain and the United States in 1921, now known as the Walker Cup. Although the Club has hosted many Open Championships and many a famous golfing hero has walked the fairways over the years, it is probably best known for its contribution to the amateur game and a place where amateurs feel at home. ^
Whilst at first appearance the course may look flat, it is a very challenging championship course, 6,900 yards from the member's tees. However, as with all links courses, the wind makes its presence felt. The summer breeze can be your ally and the icy gale a ruthless adversary. All the holes require your utmost attention. The enormous clubhouse offers a respite from the elements and a place to soak up the history and traditions of the game.
Among the many great courses along the Northwest coast, Royal Birkdale stands out as a perfect example of links golf. It is currently the number one course in England and has been voted the number one in Britain, most recently in the survey published in 1998 after The Open. The Club was formed in 1889, starting life as a 9 hole course. In 1897 the decision was taken to move to Birkdale Hills where an 18 hole course was constructed. In 1991 a decision was taken to redesign and relay all the greens.
This considerable investment and ongoing improvement has enabled the club to retain its position as one of the finest links courses.
Even in the early days, the Birkdale Club was forward thinking, with the members voting in favour of allowing ladies to use the links from 1889. Indeed, one of the first tournaments held was the 1909 ladies' British Open Matchplay Championship. The growing stature of the club was acknowledged in 1951 when the King gave his permission for the club to be known as The Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
The course has been the stage for many great golf championships including the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup and the Ryder Cup. On eight occasions The Open has been played here. The links measures 6,690 yards and although the distance itself is a test even for the most accomplished golfer, the wind, whistling down the fairways when it comes from the sea, adds to the challenge. Each hole runs through a landscape of high dunes, the fairways are flat and fair and from the tee there is generally a clear view of the task ahead.
Nestling between two busy seaside resorts, the Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Course is one of the most unique courses in the rotation of the British Open. It is a links in every sense of the word, with sandy soil and the wind blowing in from the Irish Sea. Open to the elements, the trees on the course permanently lean sideways, with the wind often proving a formidable competitor in the homeward five holes of the course.
Unusually, the course is set amongst a Victorian housing estate, and occupies a limited piece of land, with red-brick houses in plain view. Located nearby is the St. Annes train station with the railway line running adjacent to the first nine holes of the course.
1926 was a significant year for the club, not only did it host its first Open, but King George V gave his approval by adding the word 'Royal' to the club's title just in time for the championship to start. The legendary American, Bobby Jones, won the 1926 Open, one of the most talented and successful amateur golfers of all time. Trailing a fellow American with only five holes to play, Jones played one of the toughest five-hole finishes in British golf to take his first title. He was to go on to win the Open twice more and also claim the amateur title. ^
Despite their domination of the game, it wasn't until 1996 that another American took the Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in the shape of Tom Lehman, breaking the course record of 65 in the third round. He went on to describe his final round of 73 as "not pretty, but gritty". It was enough to keep him two shots ahead of the rest.
The course is well designed, with holes to test every level of player. It opens with a Par 3, the only major championship course to do so. The first four holes and last five are said to be amongst the trickiest in Britain, but some respite is offered in between where everyone can hope to emulate Seve Ballesteros' five birdies and an eagle in this stretch on his way to winning the 1979 Open, this is a chance to put some lower scores on your card.
Holes 16 to 18 have produced some of the most memorable moments in major championship history; the 16th is the scene of Seve's famous 'car park' shot. Standing behind the 18th green, the grand Victorian clubhouse, with its oak-paneled dining room, offers a haven from the elements. The Clubhouse really is a place to soak up history of previous championships and admire the skill of the past and present golfing heroes.
The Heywood House Hotel occupies The Heywood House, built in 1799, it is the oldest bank building in the city of Liverpool, established by Arthur Heywood, the son of a wealthy merchant. Opened in March 2010, the Hotel has 35 luxuriously decorated rooms as well as well as one of Liverpool’s finest eateries – The Noble House Restaurant and Bar.
Situated directly in the heart of Liverpool, the Heywood House Hotel gives you opportunity to explore everything Liverpool has to offer from shopping and nightlife to the Beatles experience.
Superbly located, adjacent to the Royal Liver Building and overlooking the River Mersey, the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool City Centre provides guests with outstanding standards of comfort and service. All the bedrooms and suites at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool City Centre offer the comfort and facilities expected by today's sophisticated traveller, with many offering the added attraction of dramatic views of the Liver Building, River Mersey and the historic Princes Dock.
The Radisson Blu Hotel is situated on the waterfront in Liverpool and is within easy reach of Liverpool’s main tourist attractions. As well as 194 stylish bedrooms there is the White Bar Lounge and Cocktail Bar and the award winning Filini Restaurant with striking views over the River Mersey. ^
