I was lucky enough to find myself in Newcastle, County Down in summer this year and got to play both courses at RCD. As the Annesley Links (their "2nd" course) is not very well known and I remember some discussion from earlier this year regarding the course and requests for pics, I thought it is time to present you a fine links expierience that certainly gets overlooked!
At ~4500 yards and a par of 66, it is built on a much smaller scale than its big brother, the Champioship course, but with that come narrow fairways and small targets.
The course is built on the same property as the Championship links (actually the courses cross each other in places), which is why it has a similarly rustic beauty to it. Naturally, the bunkers are built in more or less the same style (but smaller) as on the Championship course and are a joy to look at (not so much to play from). The dunes are well used by playing across and alongside them, while some nice bunkers make those holes interesting which lack big undulations. Plus, there are some very good greensites.
The Annesley is mostly composed of short par 4s and short par 3s. In theory, the par 4s are reachable for long hitters, but in most cases it is stupid to go for the greens as they are small, well defended and there is always a safe layup area. The par 3s once again look easy, but when the wind is up it is quite a challenge to hit the greens. While still strategic in many places, it does get a little annoying to hit so many irons off the tee - but that way it makes up for the lack of length.
Overall, it is very well worth paying the 25 pound greenfee for this basic but pure links if you find yourself in the area. It cannot compare in any way to the majestic beauty and challenge of the Championship Links, but at 15% of the price, no one would expect it to.
Apologies in advance for the quality of the photos, ruined my somewhat decent camera before the trip and had to bring an old one..
Discussion and comments would be greatly appreciated!
View off the 1st tee, 282yard par 4. Lots of space on the left but the line along the bunkers is shorter.
closer to the green
view of the green. the RHS bunker is hidden from the tee, the green is slightly elevated and softly falls off at the sides.
view from the right
2nd hole tee shot (311 yds, par 4). Looooooots of space to the right, the green is left alongside the trees.
approach to a nice green
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closer view of the back-to-front and left-to-right sloping green
and the pretty bunker that protects the LHS of the green
looking back towards the famed Mountains of Mourne
Approach to the 426 yard, dogleg left, par 4 3rd
these bunkers protect the left side of this green
looking back
tee shot at the lovely, 399 par 4 4th hole.
After taking a quick glance at the Championship course's 17th hole....
...you are faced with this approach over 3 delicious-looking cross bunkers to a left-to-right sloping green
most left of the three bunkers
the green, which feeds running shots from the left towards itself ( as always, photos don't show the slopes very well)
The lovely, 127 yard par 3 5th is the first of many short, but interesting par 3s. The fronting bunker protects an elevated green with a higher RHS tier and a lower LHS tier.
close up to the green showing the tiers
view from the 6th tee over the 5th green and the Champinship course's 11th
hole 6, 267 yard par 4, playing out towards a relatively flat fairway that is bisected at 215 yards by a deep valley. It then plays uphill again to a severely elevated, upturned saucer of a green. Went for this with a 3 wood in tailwind and hit the flagstick carry!
View from the left
from back right
The seventh is another short par 4 at 278 yards. It is however not as easy as it may look and going for the green can be deadly. Tee shot:
the hole then slightly doglegs left and is bisected by this deep chasm at 200 yards (front right of the picture). the approach is pretty fun to a nicely surrounded green.
rear view. the tee would be a wee bit left of the flag behind the dunes
The walk from 7 to 8 may be long - but it crosses the 13th hole from the Championship course, which makes it very enjoyable!
The 338 yard 8th is one of the best holes on the course. Tee shot:
On the top of the ridge which makes the tee shot blind, this is your view of a wonderfully rolling, linksy and narrow fairway that doglegs slightly to the right
closer up:
looking back over the punchbowl-like, elevated green which is wonderfully nestled in the dunes
the 152 yard par 3 9th which broke my neck. While balls that land short of the green will bounce towards the center, there is actually a severe, 20-30 feet drop on the RHS behind that dune. Don't ever go long and right here.
closer look to another very good greensite
looking back. sadly I couldn't capture the drop-off I mentioned, which would be on the far left side of this photo
on the way to the 10th tee, this is the view over the Championship Links!
The 264 yard 10th was my favourite hole. After another blind drive over a horizontal ridge, this is the view of a great fairway tumbling downhill and right-to-left...
to an
exceptional green complex that is honestly as good as any on the whole property. Add to that the dunes and the Irish Sea framing the hole, this is golf.
close up to the right-to-left, multi-tiered, yet randomly sloping green protected by dunes on the right and a shaved drop off front-left. Better approached from the left side of the fairway if you're not going for the green, which is not as easy as it looks.
Elevated tee shot on the 290-yard 11th. The fairway is split into right and left halves which unite at ~ 120 yards short of the green to create a narrow entrance to a small, elevetad green defended by OOB on the right and deep rough on the left. Best option would be to lay up on the LHS of the fairway to leave yourself a short pitch from a good angle.
closer up (sorry a bit blurry)
closer to the green
aaand a little closer
looking back. you wouldn't want to hit a driver into those last 90 yards of narrowness
The 12th is a 144 yard par 3. Well defended, it also hides 2 front-right and left side bunkers.
close to the green. there is a little bank on the RHS which kicks balls towards the target
The 139-yard 13th plays over a deep chasm to a 2-tiered green (blurry again)
View back over the 13th, with the big course's 13th on the right.
Tee shot at the downhill, 277 yard par 4 14th. Again, the green is reachable through a little entrance, but the safe play is to lay up short of a deep chasm in front of the green ( 230 yards from the tee)
looking back:
The 15th is a straightforward par 4 of 349 yards.
approach to the green
looking back, solid hole
The 160 yard par 3 16th, surrounded by 7 bunkers to a back-to-front sloping green
from the left side. the green is also elevated, fun shots around this green!
The 17th is of similar length as the previous hole to a nice green
view from the LHS bunker (with my ball buried) over a nicely sloping green
from back-right
Tee shot on the 315 yard 18th. Bunkers hidden on the right, one on the left
the approach to a lovely green complex and a nicely placed fronting bunker to mess with your plans!
from short right.
looking back over 18, 1st hole on the left. End of a fun round!!
