The Bann course at Castlerock GC, N Ireland, a photo tour

[Thomas Dai]

Castlerock GC, not far west along the coast from Portstewart and Portrush in Northern Ireland, not only has the 18-hole Mussenden links course but also has……The Bann.

The Bann has been favourably mentioned a few times on GCA but not I believe reviewed in any detail. However, it's a real hidden gem of a 9-hole links course situated next to where the River Bann meets the sea. From many points on The Bann you can see the huge, although unused golf wise, dunes at the far western end of Portstewart GC.

Castlerock GC was almost 'Mary Celeste' like when I was there so I wasn't able to ascertain much of it's history although I was told that The Bann course was apparently built about 15 years ago.

Although the 1st tee and 9th green are located a little way from the Clubhouse the walk to the 1st tee is a walk very much worth making.

From the tee the par-4 1st is a pretty straightforward flattish looking hole with CGC’s very nice practice ground located along the left side. The opening tee shot is one that immediately makes you feel comfortable especially as the hole measures only 300 yds long. About 40 yds short of the green however, there is an innocent looking hump on the left side of the fairway semi-obscuring most of the green. The green itself, which like all bar one on the course, has no bunkers at all, and is much more heavily contoured than it appears. One of those sometimes annoying, yet also splendid holes, where you think birdie on the tee and walk off frustrated with a bogey on the card.

Below - the 1st fairway looking back towards the 1st tee with the town of Castlerock in the background. In the left side of the photo is the rear of the 7th green


Below - the 1st green photographed from the left side


The 2nd hole is a par-4 that measures 370 yds and is a slight dog-leg to the left playing up onto a ridge.

There is a large sand dune directly ahead at which point the hole shapes to the left and gains further height to a small, narrow raised green. All along the left side is traditional links course jungle on the other side of which lies the 5th fairway, which is designated OB from the tee. Short and left the green slopes severely downward and will require an interesting up-n-down.

Below - the 2nd hole from the tee. The 5th hole, the fairway of which is designated OB, is to the left. The 7th fairway is to the right.


Below - the 2nd hole looking back towards the tee from not far short of the green (the OB from the 2nd tee 5th fairway can be seen to the right in the photo)


Below - the 2nd green photographed from the rear - the 5th fairway and the point where the River Bann exits into the sea can be seen to the right of the photo


Below - the left rear side of the 2nd green photographed from the 3rd tee


The par-3 3rd hole is only 90 yds long, but what a 90 yds! There are three crackingly good par-3's on the course of which the 3rd is the first you come too.

A long, narrow, hour-glass shaped green, a enormous drop to right, a lesser, but not insignificant, drop to the left and rough everywhere just off the edge of the green. Wicked yet delightful at the same time.

Here are several photographs that probably describe the hole better than words ever can.

Below - the 3rd green photographed from the tee


Below - what you find front left of the 3rd green - the only bunker on the course, and what an evil little rascal it is!


Below - 2 photos of the the 3rd green photographed from front right and from the mound at the rear of the 2nd green - the rough covered slope to the right is rather deep. The River Bann is in the background.



Below - the 3rd green photographed from lower down the right hand valley


Below - the 3rd green photographed from the upslope to the rear of the 4th green - you can just make out the flag in the centre of the photo


Below - the 3rd green photographed from the left side (ie from the 5th fairway)


Below - two photographs of the 3rd green taken from the back of the green. In the background in the left in the photo set into the dune is the 4th tee



MORE TO FOLLOW

[Mark_F]

Thanks, Thomas.  Looks quite neat and interesting so far, and your evocative yet brief descriptions give a real sense of place and the course. 

Look forward to the rest.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I have long wanted to see these as as I'd been told it was really fun 9 holes.  The Par 3 looks truly wicked.  We played the main 18 on a Wednesday Open for 10 Quid and keeping up with the pace of play was challenging! We then rushed nck to Portstewart and missed these.


I love this area and spent a month in Portstewart every summer as a child.  I learned to sail up river at Coleraine and can happily recall a successful  evening Plaice fishing in a boat that must have sat in the middle of your pictures. Incidentally the point where distinctive rock piers meet the sea is known locally as the Barmouth.

More please.

[Thomas Dai]

As you will no doubt have gathered I consider the 3rd to be a simply terrific wee par-3, hence the number of photos taken and posted.

Here is the 4th hole, a 150 yd par-3, which plays downhill over nothing but rough to a small green sloping back to front. Apart from the green itself and the fringe the only short-mown area is the path you walk along from the tee to the green. The upslope at the front of the green is quite significant.

Again, the photographs probably describe the hole better than words ever can.

Below - on the left is the 3rd hole, at the bottom of the photo is the 4th tee whilst the green to the right is the 4th green. The photograph is taken from the mound behind the 2nd green and above the 4th tee.


Below - a close-up of the 4th green. The synthetic pathway at the rear of the green leads up behind the dune to the 5th tee.


Below - a view of the 4th green from the front right hand side


Below - the 4th hole as seen from behind the green. The tee is within the area surrounded by bushes in the middle/top left of the photo


The 3rd and the 4th, two cracking back-to-back short par-3's.

MORE TO FOLLOW

[Martin Toal]

Looks terrific, a sporty honest little links. I have always liked the big 18, now the Mussenden, even though it is in the shadow of Royal Portrush and to a lesser extent, Portstewart, both very close nearby. Castlerock develops some great golfers. A college friend of mine who has been a lifetime member there still manages to hold on to a +1 handicap despite doing a full time job (and on-call) as a surgeon.

That area of NI now boasts a very fine set of courses indeed.

[Thomas Dai]

Thank you all for your kind words. Nice to be able to bring back memories of times gone by. This on the surface 'wee' course should certainly be on any GCA enthusiasts playlist - small in size, but big in terms of quality and character.

Here is the 5th, a downhill 490 yd par-5.

The fairway tilts and dog-legs very slightly left to right. Just short of the green, on the left side, is a mound and the front half of the green slopes down from this mound into a narrow valley. It’s pretty easy to go through this green. Again a seemingly easy hole, one where some will think of eagle or birdie on the tee box but then walk off the green with a frustrated expression and a higher score.

Below - the 5th hole as photographed from the tee. The white structure to the left is I believe a beacon for marine traffic entering the mouth of the River Bann.

Does anyone know what the bushes are in front of and to the right of the tee are called, the ones with the orange/red 'flowers'? They're certainly prickly if you're unfortunate/daft enough to come into contact with one!


Below - looking back up the 5th fairway towards the 5th tee


Below - photograph taken from the area of the driving zone looking towards the green which is in the centre of the photograph


Below - the 5th green taken from front left, the downslope at the start of the putting surface is quite appreciable and really 'kicks' a shot onto, and if you're not careful, right through the green.


Below - the 5th green photographed from the rear and looking back up the fairway



MORE TO FOLLOW - I'm damn tired now! It's at times like this you really appreciate how much time other guys, especially the real 'expert' photo tour posters, devote to their threads. Well done to them all. I'm beginning to feel glad that The Bann is only a 9-hole course!

[mike_malone]

I can't really put into words why courses like this look so awesome . My guess is that it has to do with the shades of green.

[Mark_F]

Added to the lengthy list!

Maybe if you cut back on your jet-setting lifestyle Brian, you would actually make a dent in it!

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Is it true that the course routing was originally done by Frank Pennink and subsequently built inhouse by the club themselves?

[jeffwarne]

I love the look of this! Looks a bit like Castlegregory - visually attractive, fun and I would guess: dirt cheap! Thanks Thomas. Added to the lengthy list!

Brian,
You need to get out more in Ireland
a bit like Castlegregory, but better in my opinion-shorter, but tighter and more dramatic
great match play venue- though I did shoot my low 9 in Ireland there
perfect capper as a beer 9 after the first 18

[Thomas Dai]

The 6th is a 340 yds par-4 where you drive blind up over an adverse camber brow and turn half-left. You then play very steeply downhill to a small green set into a dune. Short of the green, on the left side, is a small pond. The green slopes downwards from back to front towards the pond. The fairway is very bumpy and, being an adverse camber dog-leg, it’s easy to drive through the fairway into the right rough. I suggest this hole needs to be played with a great deal of care, caution even. A high score is very easily achievable if ambition exceeds thought and skill.

Below - the 6th fairway is to the far right in this photo (this photo is also posted above in relation to the 2nd hole, 2nd fairway in middle of photo)


Below - the 6th green photographed from in front of the area where a second shot may be played from. The photo is actually zoomed-in a bit.


Below - the 6th fairway is to the right in this photo which is taken from the 7th tee. Note the narrow, bumpy landing area of the 6th fairway and the adverse camber. The 7th fairway is to the left in the photo.


Below - the 6th green as viewed from the back right hand side of the green. The fairway and mounds you may contemplate attempting to drive over from the tee are slightly visible to the left in the photo.


Below - the 6th green viewed from the rear left hand of the green side looking back up the fairway. The steps on the left of the photo lead to the 7th tee.


The 290 yd par-4 7th plays back over the same ridge but dog-legs left-to-right. There is a surprisingly deep valley directly in front the green and two grassy mounds, one on each side at the front the green. The green itself slopes heavily downwards from back to front and from right to left.

Below - the view from the 7th tee. The fairway visible to the right in the photo is that of the 6th hole.


Below - looking back from the landing area on the 7th fairway towards the 7th tee. The fairway to the right in the photo is on the Mussenden course.


Below - two photos of the the 7th green as seen from the tee-shot landing area and from closer to the green. In the second of these photographs the 1st green can be seen in the distance (left side of photo)



Below - the 7th green as viewed from the left hand side. The town of Portstewart is just visible in the far top-left of the photo.


Below - the 7th green as seen from the rear. The 7th fairway is in the middle of the photo. To the far right is the 8th fairway (just visible right of the church on the horizon)


More to follow.

[Thomas Dai]

The 270 yd par-4 8th again plays as a dog-leg swinging left at around half its length. Drivable? Probably, if you’re brave/foolhardy enough, but the green is not visible from the tee and there are many humps and bumps to kick the ball off the fairway. The left side rough is of traditional links thickness, ie considerably thick, and the narrow green angles right to left. To the left side of the green is a very deep hollow from which an up-n-down is pretty unlikely.

Below - photograph from the 8th fairway looking back towards the tee. In the far distance is the 1st green and to the right is a slither of the 7th green


Below - a zoomed-in view of the 8th green taken from the top of the ridge/right side of the fairway


Below - a place to avoid, short and left of the 8th green


Below - a view from behind the 8th green looking back up the fairway


The 9th, a downhill 140 yd par-3, is an unusual hole as it has an ‘L’ shaped green that funnels tightly through the dunes at the front along a narrow opening with the right rear section totally invisible from the tee as it’s guarded by a rough covered high dune. The green slopes from left to right and when the pin is located in the right rear section of the green it’s not really accessible at all, unless maybe with a very soft landing shot into a strong wind. Once upon a time, with an old balata style ball, a skilled player may have been able to hit a big cut near a right hand pin, alas unlikely with the modern ball I fear.

Below - the very narrow entrance to the 9th green as photographed (zoomed-in) from the 9th tee. Behind the green is the 18th tee of the Mussenden course and behind that are flags on the practice ground


Below - photograph of the 9th green taken from the front left fringe. In the photo the flag is located directly behind the large dune that hides the right portion of the green


By now you are probably in no doubt that I consider The Bann to be a wonderful course. Being short on the card there’s a score to be had, but if you’re over ambitious or if frustration or ego gets the better of the brain then there are high scores to be made on almost all the holes.

If you’re either in the general area of Castlerock/Portstewart/Portrush/Coleraine or have plans to play Castlerock GC's 18-hole Mussenden course I thoroughly recommend you take the time to play The Bann. It shouldn't take you long, it’s quite a quick course to play. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed if you do play it. Indeed I’m not sure I’ve ever played a better 2,500 yd 9-hole course anywhere, anytime. A comparison has been made with Castlegregory but I can't comment on that having not played atCastlegregory. I have however, played both the splendid 9-hole Channel course at Burnham & Berrow and the terrific 9-hole St Olaf course at Cruden Bay and The Bann is at least their equal, and that to me, is high praise.

For more details, including diagram plans of each hole of The Bann (and Mussenden) course, see - http://www.castlerockgc.co.uk/

Regrettably, due to time and weather restrictions, I didn’t get the opportunity to play the 18-hole Mussenden course with it’s famous ‘Leg Of Mutton’ long par-3.
I did though manage to take from the 9th tee of The Bann this photograph looking towards the 1st tee and 18th green of the Mussenden course with Castlerock GC's white painted clubhouse in the background.


Playing The Bann was an absolute treat. If only there were more courses around like it.

All the best.

[Jeff Johnston]

Thomas, I happened to be staying not far from Catlerock this past weekend and partly prompted by your thread here, took the chance to spin round the Bann 9 on Sunday afternoon - I had played it in something of a hurry 7/8 years ago and the memories were a bit hazy. While waves of competition fourballs battered round the Mussenden in 20-25mph winds, I literally had the Bann to myself  ....
 
V glad to have got round it again - what a fun 9 it is (and v far from a pushover either as you say). It is a triumphant use of what is really only a sliver of linksland, and all hangs together very well; for a relatively recently built course it has a considerable feel of golf as it used to be (and all the better for it). The narrowness of the 3rd approach / green made me chuckle (brilliant use of 92 yards), and the 9th green has to be seen to be believed - cant be too many greens where back right is blind from front centre as you walk onto the green...throw in that it doesnt take much more than an hour to get round and you have a great bit of golfing fun here.
 
Thanks for the original thread Thomas. I am with you that there is a lot of mileage in these slightly offbeat links 9's.

[jeffwarne]

Great thread
The Bann course is narrower than Castlegregory, and certainly more varied.
Castlegregory may be a bit more charming due to its remoteness but the Bann course is more fun-the two nearly identical slog par 3's at CG, while individually good holes, let down a pretty good course IMHO.


The Bann course is a great place for a emergency nine with some really interesting cool holes but it can be very tight-but is short enough that a good medal score can be recored if disciplined--but who wants to do that after a couple of pints , and besides some real fun can be had if the pencil is put away as there are several 1/2 par holes.