Royal County Down No. 9 - Ireland

Hole Description

There are difficult golf courses. Then there is Royal County Down.

If ever a golfer needed their 'A' game – length, accuracy, bump-and-run, good sand play and patience – it is on this unbelievable course situated some 30 miles south of Belfast.

The 9th hole surely is among the toughest holes ever devised by Tom Morris, Sr. (Old Tom). Every shot must be the best you can strike. Heather and gorse are found in natural abundance on the hills of sand which frame this imposing hole. The approach shot is tantamount to threading a needle, with easily found trouble in the form of hillocks both left and right. "Tussocky" faced bunkers play havoc with balls short of the green.

Still, it is as beautiful a place as a golfer can envision. The Mountains of Mourne and Dundrum Bay both serve to interrupt the golfer's concentration. It is a wonderful mixture of challenging golf and scenery to match.