Some of the best players on the DP World Tour, including Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, and Robert MacIntyre, will descend upon Newcastle, Northern Ireland, this week for the Amgen Irish Open, where the spectacular Royal County Down Golf Club awaits.
The course is challenging and unpredictable, as its scenery rivals Pebble Beach. The Mourne Mountains that overlook this golf course make it one of the most picturesque places in the world, leaving everyone who has played it astounded by its beauty.
Voted as the Greatest Course in the World by Golf Digest, Royal County Down last hosted the Irish Open in 2015, when Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark beat Englishman Eddie Pepperell and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th. They finished at 2-under par, as only two others, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Tyrrell Hatton, posted final 72-hole scores in red figures. The course ate these players alive, primarily due to the unpredictable conditions, but the layout of this otherworldly track is of Open Championship caliber.
Yes, it’s that tough.
After the par-5 1st, a terrific scoring opportunity, a blind tee shot makes the player immediately uncomfortable on the par-4 2nd. The dunes that tower over this golf course present numerous situations like this, where the player must rely on their yardage books, an imaginary target, and a glimpse of hope. Throw in a difficult crosswind off the Irish Sea, or a stiff, chilly breeze blowing down the mountains, and these blind shots become more awkward than a teenager in middle school.
The 3rd-hole offers a reprieve from the tee, but a blind approach makes this hole a beast—as does its length at 475 yards. A massive pole stands tall from behind the green, serving as a target and a beacon of hope—a familiar sight at Royal County Down, given the abundance of sightless shots. The green is rather benign, as are most of the putting surfaces at Royal County Down, but they are certainly no slouch, either. Nevertheless, once you finish the par-4 3rd, you turn towards the Mourne Mountains, and the first par-3 on the golf course slaps you in the face. The 4th at Royal County Down is the first hole that faces the Mourne Mountains, and it is one of the greatest par-3s in the world. It’s long, tough, and beautiful, three adjectives that perfectly describe this golf course as a whole.
After playing four of the most remarkable holes you could imagine, 14 more slices of heaven lie ahead. The 5th is a dogleg right, a hole that features another blind tee shot. Don’t go too far right, or you will find the gorse—the prickly bushes native to the British Isles that are everywhere. The 6th is a scoreable par-4, the only one under 400 yards on the front nine, yet it’s another blind shot off the tee. Then, you turn to the short 7th as you make your way back towards the mountains and the clubhouse. You will have a wedge or a short iron on this par-3, the shortest hole on the course. But then the front nine concludes with two incredibly difficult par-4s, the latter of which is one of the most photographed holes in the world.
The 10th is a par-3, a trace under 200 yards that could play much shorter or longer than the distance on the card, depending on the weather. But the 10th does have a funny anecdote associated with it. Whenever dense fog rolls in off the sea or down from the mountain, the golf staff at Royal County Down immediately step outside to see if they can view the flagstick on the 10th green unobstructed. If you can, play on. If not, the course shuts down. Due to its proximity to the clubhouse, the 10th serves as the barometer for play—the deciding factor for when Mother Nature gets too out of control.
It’s also the introduction to Royal County Down’s back nine, which, admittedly, is the weaker of the two sides but would still be one of the best nine-hole stretches in all of Ireland if not for its breathtaking beginning. The 11th is another blind tee shot, making you pray once again, while the par-5 12th is as good of a scoring opportunity as you will have. The 13th is another gem, a slightly downhill dogleg-right surrounded by gorse. Depending on the time of the year, you could see yellow or purple blooms encompassing this challenging par-4, leading you to ask, am I at Ireland’s version of Augusta National? Indeed you are.
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The final five holes at Royal County Down differ somewhat from the first 13, as you are at the farthest points away from the Irish Sea and, therefore, removed from the enormous dunes that give this course character. But each hole is still astonishing. The 14th, a long, downhill par-3, sits in the far corner of the property. Accuracy is paramount, as bunkers short and left guard this putting surface. Then, not unlike the final three holes on the front, you make your way toward the clubhouse over the last four holes on the back.
The 15th is a dogleg right, a gorgeous golf hole in which you can see your target, but you cannot see where your tee shot will end up, thanks to the sloping contours of the fairway. That leaves you with more doubt than you would like to admit, as that same mantra applies to your second shot—but that also applies to almost every shot you face at Royal County Down.
After the 15th, you arrive at the only drivable par-4 on the course, the 16th. It is one of two great scoring opportunities down the stretch, as the par-5 18th can also yield plenty of birdies. But the demanding par-4 17th lies in between.
That, of course, will set up another terrific finish at this week’s Irish Open, giving golf fans a final taste of proper links golf for the 2024 season. If only we could see Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and other PGA Tour stars tackle this course, too… but one can only dream.
How To Watch Amgen Irish Open (All Times ET):
Thursday, Sept. 12
8 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf Channel) (NBC Sports App)
Friday, Sept. 13
3-6 a.m. (Golf Channel) (NBC Sports App)
6:30-8 a.m. (NBC Sports App)
11 a.m.-1 p.m. (NBC Sports App)
Saturday, Sept. 14
7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (NBC Sports App)
Sunday, Sept. 15
7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (NBC Sports App)
- Noon-3 p.m. Golf Channel (Tape-Delayed)
Amgen Irish Open Odds:
Here are the latest odds for players to win the Amgen Irish Open, provided by FanDuel:
Rory McIlroy +500
Shane Lowry +1000
Aaron Rai +1400
Robert MacIntyre +1800
Rasums Højgaard +2200
Seamus Power +2500
Thriston Lawrence +3000
Thomas Detry +3300
Nicolai Højgaard +3500
Bernd Wiesberger +3500
Ryan Fox +3500
Tom Mckibbin +3500
Erik Van Rooyen +4000
Matteo Manassero +4000
Guido Migliozzi +4000
Sebastian Söderberg +4500
Niklas Norgaard +4500
Thorbjørn Olesen +5000
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.