Royal County Down
It had to be something special to mark the first half century of course postings and I don't think it gets much more sepcial than RCD. There have been recent discussions on who may or may not have contributed to the architecture since Old Tom Morris made his mark on the site for four golden guineas in 1889. It's a course (and a club, for that matter) that has not sought the limelight but it has, nevertheless, attracted the occasional Amateur Championship and Seniors' Open and a number of ladies' championships. These days the course measures 7037 yards with a par of 72. The par 5s are short of their kind, so the length comes mainly from some pretty stout par 4s and a couple of 200+-yard par 3s. Many of you know the place well, so forgive me if I describe the course as running roughly north-south, four fairways wide, mostly through the bottoms of the dunes parallel to Dundrum Bay. There are, however, some blind shots, including a blind approach to the 2nd. The course plays firm and fast all year round and the whiskered-bunkers are mostly there to gather errant approach shots, for here you are frequently asked to play a low, running shot to the green, perhaps landing it 40 yards before the putting surface.
I don't have photos of the whole course. My mother came from a little village a few miles away, so I played here many, many times in the 60s as a lad. I have played it more rarely as an adult, even then not recently, so these were taken a few years ago when I had to go over to Iralend for a family funeral. I had a little spare time before catching the Holyhead ferry from Dun Laoghaire so I diverted through Newcastle and walked over the front nine of what was a totally deserted course. It was February and there was a cruel, bitter wind but there was just enough light to make its way through my dirty lens onto the grainy 400ASA film. So be thankful the photos aren't bigger!
A view looking back down the 2nd to the 1st green and 1st tee in the distance which is more or less under the towers you can see in the distance. 1st is 506 yards par 5, 2nd is 421 yards par 4 with a blind drive and approach shot!
1st fairway - no fairway is wide here.
1st green and 2nd fairway beyond.
1st green, You can get some idea of the blindness of the 2nd drive, too.
Typical RCD bunker, this one alongside the 1st. I'm surprised they don't have names, for they have enough individual character to warrant it.
3rd, 474 yards par 4. Isn't this one of the great approach shots?.....
3rd.....it is if you manage not to tangle with one of these.
4th, 212 yards par 3. One of the most photographed holes in Britain. You can tell how cold it was by the smattering of snow towards the summit of Slieve Donard. You can more or less make out where the green is and the nature of the task - all carry across wicked gorse - is also apparent. What you cannot see are the 7 bunkers in front of the putting surface and another 2 on the right.
4th. They know how to grow rough here!
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