The year 1953 was one of the biggest ever in golf: most point to Ben Hogan's collosal triumphs this year, but it also marked the year County Down became Royal County Down.
Its architectural lineage is glorified: Old Tom Morris; Harry Vardon; H.S. Colt; and unknown to many, one of the famous Dunn brothers - Seymour - dispensed much advice in the early days.
One fortuitous event in the affairs of County Down was in 1889 when Morris visited to play upon the nine-hole layout. As was often the way in those days, a playing visit invariably turned into a design opportunity when he casually remarked that the linksland was ideally suited for an eighteen-hole upgrade. For the princely sum of four pound, he was engaged.
One of the indelible memories that visitors take away from Newcsatle is the profusion of gorse - 'golden' gorse if you happen to around the right at the right time. It is symbolic of the links and photographers never fail to shoot the long par-3, 4th hole out over a veritable sea of gorse, broken ground and bunkers. Caddies wisely advise: Club up! And yet, this gorse was never an original feature of the terrain. Colt set about planting it everywhere, folllowing his vist in 1926 with Walker Cupper, Willie Murray, and so for 34 years or so, it was absent. Colt did so much for County Down, but in summary, he (a) reduced blindness to a marked degree, and this is significant becuase even today it is known as one of the most recognisable links for this feature. Interesting though, most with a low tolerance for blind golf, do seem to turn a blind eye to the fact when playing this storied links. His treatment of the old 8th and 9th holes - both totally blind par-3s to conclude the outward nine, became legion. The 8th tee stood where the current 9th tee is, and the green lay just over and below the hill - barely a 100 yard flick. The 9th tee was positioned somwhere near the middle of the the current 9th fairway and was played over a sandhill, which I assume is not around today, to the present green. He made these holes redundant and built the glorious 9th hole, by converting two blind holes into one.
(b) Although Colt reduced the 4th hole from a 500 yard par-5 to a long par-3, he added much length to the existing layout which in hindsight was fortuitous with the advent of steel shafts just around the corner. (c) The members were inclined to want to knight HS Colt for another change: previously any ball that was a whisker over the back of the 18th green nearly always rolled OOB. He empathetically remodelled the green and its surrounds to prevent the occurance unless the player exhibited rank poor judgement. An historical aside will help understand Colts move, and why Old Tom may have thought little about it. With Old Tom spending 10 or so years at Prestwick, seeing first hand how the OOB was a bare yard over the last green, he may have thought this added last shot tension was appropriate for 18th holes? Old Tom's upgrade to eighteen holes was the result of two days in Newcastle in the late 1880s.
(d) Colt built the world-famous 4th hole and the much photographed current 9th.
(e) Installed cross-bunkers for the 8th (then the 7th) fairway.
County Down has changed more than most links: one incredible thought is how the original home green (1892 ish) lay where the Sleive Donard Hotel does today. One must be careful with the word 'original'. Becuase the links has undergone 6, maybe 7 layout changes.
(f) Removed many of the 'gathering' greens that early club powerhouse, George Coombe, despised. He was highly influential and was an Irish equivelant of Clifford Roberts, George Crump, and co. He basically got his way!
(g) The 12th hole was lengthened by some 50 yards and the 15th by nearly 60 yards.
In 1924 after years of troublesome weeds, the club experimented with sheep and ran 250 ... under the condition that they were to be removed on competition days.
After fighting coastal erosion from inception, each time with a bandaid type remedy, in 1963 the club bit the bullet and installed 3000 sleepers along the shoreline over 1200 yards for fortification purposes. Until then, it was commonplace for sand and shingle to be carted away, one cart after another.
Today, none of this earlier struggle with nature is evident. We roll up and enjoy golf in a regal of atmosphere, albeit, with the suspicion that it's a little too 'stuffy' to ever feel completely relaxed.