Royal County Down - Annesley Links

[jeffwarne]

I remember multiple good, fun holes, and a few great ones on the #2 links at RCD (after a bit of a slow start-but even these holes have their purpose on a links built to compliment a punishing sister course)

I look forward to playing the new holes

[Ally Mcintosh]

I remember multiple good, fun holes, and a few great ones on the #2 links at RCD (after a bit of a slow start-but even these holes have their purpose on a links built to compliment a punishing sister course)

I look forward to playing the new holes

Which holes are they swapping out then... Without knowing the course at all, I guessed 9 to 11 by looking at the o/head... Or are they combining a hole or two earlier / later on?

Given the conversation we had on Portrush, it's worth pointing out that everyone has a personal - and somewhat subjective - line when it comes to changes on classic courses.

For instance, I'd have little problem with this course being changed, perhaps because there is less inherent history and it is not held in the same regard as other classic-era designs. Maybe also because I have never played it and have no connection with it.

With Portrush, I'm trying to keep an open mind until I've seen the proposals myself (next month).

With one other - unnamed lest I start to rant uncontrollably - proposal to a classic Irish course currently on the table, it is a good few steps beyond that line in my opinion.

All three of the above cases come from the same architectural firm.

[Bill_McBride]

The Valley course at Portrush seems to be a lot more a solid course in full than the Annesley.  We traipsed over the latter for three days during the Walker Cup and it was quite unimpressive.  The Valley is great fun. 

[Tom Kelly]

Which holes are they swapping out then... Without knowing the course at all, I guessed 9 to 11 by looking at the o/head... Or are they combining a hole or two earlier / later on?

Holes 3, 4 & 16 will be lost to make room for a new practice area. hole 2 and 17 will be re-modeled/routed. The 2nd will play from the existing tee and fairway but across to the current 4th green and the 17th playing from near the 5th tees to the current 17th green.

The new holes will be 9, 10 & 11 in the new routing.

New Holes number      Old Hole number
1                               1
2                               2 (remodeled)
3                               5
4                               6
5                               7
6                               8
7                               9
8                               10
9                               NEW
10                             NEW
11                             NEW  
12                             11
13                             12
14                             13
15                             14
16                             15
17                             17 (Remodeled)
18                             18

[Ally Mcintosh]

Which holes are they swapping out then... Without knowing the course at all, I guessed 9 to 11 by looking at the o/head... Or are they combining a hole or two earlier / later on?

Holes 3, 4 & 16 will be lost to make room for a new practice area. hole 2 and 17 will be re-modeled/routed. The 2nd will play from the existing tee and fairway but across to the current 4th green and the 17th playing from near the 5th tees to the current 17th green.

The new holes will be 9, 10 & 11 in the new routing.

New Holes number      Old Hole number
1                               1
2                               2 (remodeled)
3                               5
4                               6
5                               7
6                               8
7                               9
8                               10
9                               NEW
10                             NEW
11                             NEW  
12                             11
13                             12
14                             13
15                             14
16                             15
17                             17 (Remodeled)
18                             18

Thanks Tom... Approx scorecard change in yardage / par?

[Tom Kelly]

Ally,

The new course will increase in par from 66 to 67 and will be about 50 yards longer from the men tees, approx 4600 yards in total.

[Brian_Ewen]

The view from the forward tee of the new 9th hole on the Annesley Links at Royal County Down.



The huge dune dividing the 9th & 10th holes

[Tom Kelly]

The view from the forward tee of the new 9th hole on the Annesley Links at Royal County Down.



The huge dune dividing the 9th & 10th holes

Looks like a pretty special spot!

[Ben Stephens]

Link to Planning drawings

http://epicdocs.planningni.gov.uk/ShowCaseFile.aspx?appNumber=R/2013/0206/F

Click on drawings which will show the changes. Even 16th hole on the main course is slightly being remodelled.

[Martin Toal]

In the old days, this was the Ladies course, before it was named after a former Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary of the 1980/90s who rather liked a game of golf.

No-one in NI has ever considered it to be a serious second course like The Valley at RP.

The first president of the club was the 5th Earl of Annesley. The Earl granted the club Royal Patronage in 1908. His grandson Gerald Annesley was club captain in 1976. I'd be quite confident in saying the club's connection to the Earl is the reason why the second course is know as the Annesley course, although I'm not sure when they renamed it; possibly in the 1980s.

Frank Pennink submitted a report to the committed that proposed upgrading the "No. 2 course" in the 1970s. It's not clear if the club ever implemented his proposals as the club was not flush with cash in those days.

The very first OTM course was located on much of the land now occupied by the Annesley links.

I think it looks fabulous (Emil Weber's photo tour):

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,53841.0.html

Donal

Hugh Annesley, the aforementioned RUC chap, rather liked a game and the course was often closed entirely (for security reasons) when he played, and the second course was so named during his tenure, so perhaps it was a dual reason.

Most golfers in NI always knew it as The Chicken Run.