Castlerock Golf Club is home to one of the finest classic links courses in the country, which is reflected in the fact that it has hosted a number of prominent tournaments.
Castlerock Golf Club dates back to 1901 when it was first founded as a nine hole course and over the years it was extended to an 18-hole layout in 1909 which was officially opened on July 15th. Castlerock Golf Club is now home to 27 holes of golf. The 18-hole championship course known as the Mussenden course and the 9-hole course called the Bann course. It was his mission to design a course that could challenge many of the great courses and he has certainly achieved this, a testament to this is the fact that it remains much as it did when he originally designed it. The Mussenden Course is the main and flagship course here. It is an 18 hole par 73, 6,805 from the blue tees.
The Bann is known as one of the hidden gems of Northern Ireland, is a fun 9 hole routing that plays as a par 34 and offers the perfect amount of challenge on a shorter links design that still gives you all of the features you’ll want to see on this side of the pond with slightly less challenge.
Its location is at the mouth of the River Bann, where it meets the wild Atlantic Ocean classifies it as a true links course, it has a classic layout with many traditional style links features. Located just outside the town of Coleraine in Co. Derry, Northern Ireland Castlerock Golf Club keeps good company with the likes of Portstewart Golf Club only a 20-minute drive away while the host of The Open Championship, Royal Portrush, only a further 10-minute drive making Castlerock a prime location. Castlerock more than holds its own in such highly regarded and celebrated company.
What makes this course is successful is how it sits seamlessly on the natural landscape. The Mussenden Course offers a solid and varied test of links golf, challenging but fair. It has all the thrills and characteristics of a great links golf by the sea.
The course is
- blessed with a naturally beautiful and tranquil setting,
- the views that surround it are breathtaking and will be hard to find elsewhere.
- The ground is undulating,
- the terrain is rugged and
- this in combination with lots of sand and many natural water features result in an challenging but visually stunning course.
The starting holes may disappoint some but, don’t dispair it quickly improves and and toughens when the dunes come into play along with the most punishing rough you will ever encounter. There are some fantastic holes, both difficult and picturesque, a large number of blind shots, and a number of par 5’s, so lots of walking involved, it is a course that keeps you alert throughout. As with all links courses the weather will have an impact on how you play and with the neighbouring Atlantic, the wind will always be a factor.
It is essential that you stay straight if you want to score well.
The course is immaculately maintained, the greens are nicely contoured, consistent, fast, smooth and true, the fairways are firm and tight, the rough is penal, with deep riveted bunkering guarding many of the greens.