Review of Portstewart Golf Course

The Strand Course at Portstewart might have the finest opening tee shot of any course in the world. Driving from an immaculate two tiered tee with rolled edges seemingly cut with a straightrazor, you look down on the beautiful Strand beach, the rugged coast, the town and of course the splendid 1st hole, framed by a dune of gigantic proportions. Your opening tee shot requires adrive to cut a little off the dog leg over mounds of sand and marram grass. The approach is straightforward, but you may well be distracted as you walk down to the fairway and delight at thechallenges that await.

The course has changed significantly since it opened in 1907. Willie Park was involved in a significant renewal in the 1920’s, and in the 1980’s the club purchased the dunes of Thistly Hollow, allowing for the creation of 7 new holes (designed, incidentally, by a local school teacher member) and producing the outstanding layout we find today. Every hole is a challenge and you will use all the clubs in your bag.

As you enter the dunes and the new holes at the 2nd tee, you are faced with a short hole which can devastate a medal card, requiring an accurate tee shot to leave a sever uphill approach to a steep two tier green. The mountainous dunes on your left tower over the hole, while knots of ferocious grass await misses on every side. Anything long will leave a treacherous chip or putt back to the pin, and a jittery touch may find you with a 40 yard chip back up to the green.

The 9th is intimidating, requiring a perfect drive onto a ledge of fairway, bordered by another enormous dune which has 35 steps down into the hollow at its base. At just 350 yards, a straightiron from the tee and middle iron to the green would be advisable. The course boasts 3 outstanding finishing holes, ranked Index 6, 2 and 8, and long accurate approach shots are needed to finish your round in style.

The clubhouse opened in 2009 and is a modern, stylish building with stunning views much like the first tee. It’s nautical feel and 16 foot floor to ceiling windows, as well as outstanding food, demandattention. Ensure you have time to savour this classic, which is on the Causeway Coast Amateur rota.

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