Royal County Down Leads the World as Northern Ireland Claims Three Places in Golf’s Top 100
There is something rather special about living somewhere that the rest of the world travels to experience.
The latest Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses rankings have placed Royal County Down in Newcastle at number one, while Royal Portrush has secured a place in the world’s top five. Portstewart Golf Club also features in the top 100, giving Northern Ireland three of the finest golf courses anywhere on the planet.
For a place with fewer than two million people, it is a remarkable achievement.
Royal County Down has long been spoken about in almost mythical terms by golfers. Nestled beneath the Mourne Mountains, its fairways wind through towering dunes with sweeping views across Dundrum Bay, creating a course that is every bit as memorable for its setting as the golf itself.
Further north, Royal Portrush has become one of the sport’s most recognisable venues. The Dunluce Course has hosted The Open Championship in recent years, bringing thousands of visitors to the Causeway Coast and introducing many to one of Northern Ireland’s most spectacular stretches of coastline.
Portstewart’s Strand Course completes the trio. Famed for its dramatic opening holes, rolling dunes and uninterrupted Atlantic views, it continues to attract golfers from across the world who come to experience one of the country’s great links courses.
Of course, these rankings are about more than golf. They shine a spotlight on Northern Ireland itself.
Visitors may arrive with tee times booked months in advance, but they also discover mountain scenery, coastal drives, independent cafés, historic towns and the warm welcome that has become part of travelling here.
It is easy to overlook places that have always been on our doorstep. Yet when the latest global rankings place three Northern Ireland courses among the world’s 100 greatest, it is another reminder that some of the places we know best are recognised and admired far beyond these shores.
