Royal County Down Golf Club

Played both course at RCD in very good conditions (little wind and dry). We were a group of 16 and all enjoyed both courses. Stunning set up of course a truely a good course. Some of our group said the ranking of 3 in the world was too high but all agreed a great course. It was slightly ruined by not being allowed into a bar on the Saturday and not being warned this in advance. If you do not want someone to enjoy your facilities then do not let them play. For this reason I have rated the club house differently for each course as one that does not allow you to use its bar cannot get more than 1 star. Most of our 16 said if they had a one round left then rather than play either of the two courses here, the would play Ardglass as it is more stunning. At RCD you can hear the sea but at Ardglass you play over it! That is ignoring the difference of £165 for RCD and £28 for Ardglass. In summary a fine course but most of us thought it was not the best course in the area, let alone the 3rd best in the world.

A friend of mine is a member at Royal County Down and he has been promising for years to take me out for a round and this summer it finally happened! What a golf course this is...from tee to green everything is in perfect condition and if you stray off line you will certainly be punished by all the rugged features that are essential to any classical links course. Every hole is a beauty and I haven’t been able to pick a favourite! I was lucky enough to arrive on the tee in glorious sunshine and there was barely a breath of wind in the air so I was aiming to take down Rory McIlroy's course record...cough...sarcasm. RCD is a delight to play on a still day and I would imagine it would still be as good when the weather rolls in from the sea. I will have to come back to find out...what a chore! 10/10

Holy Cow!!! What a course - beautiful setting, extremely challenging layout and greens, playable rough in most areas, fairly fast pace of play (4 1/2 hours), great clubhouse. Beware the lightning fast greens. The pro said that they run 11 to 12 on the stimpmeter. One helpful idea to go by, at least on the day we played, was to figure out how hard you want to putt the ball and back off by 1/3 - they were that fast the day we played. Mark from Oklahoma

I was lucky enough to play RCD in August 2006 with a member, so was saved the steep green fee. Everything I had read about the course was confirmed: the wonderful setting; the marvellous greens - the best I've putted on; the stunning outward nine; the challenging blind shots, especially the 11th; the bearded bunkers. Every hole presents a different challenge and you need to concentrate hard to play to near your handicap. The weather was kind, with virtually no wind, but I imagine it's well nigh impossible if it blows. You really should do whatever you can to play it, especially if you can befriend a local!

Fantastic links course with stunning views and a tough test of golf. The course is the hardest i have played to date bar Royal St Georges. Greens excellent and ran true and fast, the overall condition of the course was superb. The wind upped the difficulty and anything above a breeze will affect scoring accordingly. The green fee is steep for one round at £100 and you can see where the funding for the new clubhouse extension came from - namely visitors of which there were many! A course any serious golfer has to play.

After competing in the "Heart of Down" tournament in 2003, we played Royal County Down.....quite simply, this is the best course I have seen in the world, and that includes St Andrews, Peeble Beach etc. The scenery is stunning, the holes are sublime, the whole aura is superb, I doubt if anything I will ever see will surpass RCD

Just 2 years ago I entered comments below regarding my great love for this track. It has however, changed with time. This last week of June 2003 finds the course in very poor condition, with almost exclusively boys for caddies, most under 15 yrs old, and a general lack of service I would not have ever expected to find. I must caution all that the R&A's decision to move the Senior British Open over to Turnberry may be due to their inability to get the course up to standard. Please be careful when booking here now for a while, it will take some time to bring the course back.

This was without a doubt my favorite course in all of Ireland, from layout, to conditioning, to strategy and excellent caddies. The tee shots were the most demanding of the entire trip, and though blind, the caddies and the aiming pylons were most helpful. The bunkers were absolutely incredible and I cannot imagine a more fun finish than 16-18, where risk-reward shots abound. The wonderful Slieve Donard Hotel completed a memorable experience.

My favorite course in GB&I. Makes Portrush look like a pasture and Ballybunion a muni. As charming a club and links like North Berwick, with raw bunkers like Walton Heath. Just have to play. I was amazed.

Royal County Down is a work of art posing as a golf course. First time through was tough on my scoring but I found myself smiling all the time anyway. First 9 holes are incredible, with pictures at #9 a requirement for framing on your wall. The whole town and course/hotel look like a picture postcard. The staff is super, and if you're there during the summer, ask for Oliver as your caddy. I hope I get to go back to RCD again.

I played here in 95, 96 (for 10 days), and 98. This could be the best course in the world (the only hesitation is the last 3 holes.) It is extraordinarily difficult, esp when the wind is up, but even a bad day is still wonderful. NEVER pass up a chance to play here.

I played RCD in May of 2000. As I walked down the 1st fairway I said to my playing partner, "This is my favorite course of all time" I have played all the big names in Scotland, all 5 of the Open Courses on the rota, but Royal County Down is the best (tied with Muirfield in my opinion) The first nine holes are the best nine you will see anywhere in the world. There are two rather average holes on the inward nine (16&17). Of all of the great courses in Ireland and Northern Ireland, RCD beats Ballybunion and Royal Portrush by a mile. Once you play here, you will want to return again and again