Hidden GemGreat Value

Donaghadee Golf Club

Donaghadee, Co. Down · Designed by Willie Fernie (1899) / Howard Swan (2006)

Donaghadee Golf Club opened on 28 July 1899, its original nine holes designed by Willie Fernie — winner of the 1883 Open Championship at Musselburgh, runner-up four other times. Fernie's concept was three holes along the sea, six inland: the hybrid character that still defines the course. The full 18 opened in 1907. In 1948, Sir Walter Smiles — great-grandfather of Bear Grylls — founded an annual boys' competition at the club that evolved into the Ulster Boys Championship; its inaugural winner, Norman Drew, became the first golfer from either side of the Atlantic to play in the Walker Cup, Ryder Cup, and Canada Cup.

The course plays to par 71 over 6,139 yards at the mouth of Belfast Lough. The 16th tee is the scenic reward: on a clear day the hills of south-west Scotland are visible across the water, and the Copeland Islands accompany much of the round. At £32 it is one of the best-value rounds in Down.

Donaghadee was the principal Irish port for Britain before Belfast's rise. Before the current harbour (designed by John Rennie, who also designed London Bridge) was built in the 1820s, the Donaghadee-to-Portpatrick crossing was the standard route to Scotland. The lighthouse on the pier was the first in Ireland to be lit by electricity. Grace Neill's pub on High Street has been in continuous operation since 1611, claims to be one of the oldest pubs in Ireland, and counts Tsar Peter the Great and John Keats among its alleged visitors — the deeds are genuine, the celebrity anecdotes are taken on faith.

Holes worth knowing

116th (par) — on a clear day the hills of south-west Scotland are visible from this tee across the Irish Sea. The Copeland Islands sit directly in your eyeline.
218th (par-4) — out-of-bounds on both sides and a sea breeze that punishes the wrong club. The course saves its sternest test for last.

Highlights

Willie Fernie 1899 design
Scotland visible from 16th
Grace Neill's pub est. 1611

Good to know

→Grace Neill's on High Street has been serving since 1611 — original stone floors, ship-timber beams, allegedly visited by Tsar Peter the Great. The deeds are genuine; the celebrity anecdotes are taken on faith.
→The pier and lighthouse are a 10-minute walk from the course — the lighthouse was the first in Ireland lit by electricity (1934).
→Pair with Kirkistown Castle for a full Ards Peninsula day: Donaghadee at the northern end, Kirkistown at the south, Portaferry and the Strangford ferry in between.

Visitor Information

Getting There

45min drive

30min drive

Common questions

What is Donaghadee Golf Club like?

Donaghadee is a coastal links on the Ards Peninsula overlooking the Irish Sea, just forty-five minutes from Belfast. It is an accessible, affordable links experience for golfers based in Belfast who want genuine coastal golf without the drive to the north coast or the Down coast. The harbour town of Donaghadee itself has a lighthouse and a good pier walk afterwards.

How does Donaghadee compare to the other Ards Peninsula courses?

Of the Ards courses, Kirkistown Castle is the most notable links and Donaghadee the most accessible. Helen's Bay is slightly closer to Belfast. All three offer genuine links golf at prices considerably below the famous championship venues — useful for golfers who want a full week in Northern Ireland without paying championship rates every day.

Is Donaghadee bookable online?

Yes — Donaghadee books through GolfNow with consistent availability.

What is there to do in Donaghadee besides golf?

Donaghadee has one of the most attractive small harbours in Northern Ireland. Grace Neill's bar in the town claims to be Ireland's oldest pub, dating from 1611. The lighthouse and pier walk is thirty minutes. Bangor, a larger seaside town, is fifteen minutes north. Scrabo Tower overlooks the Strangford Lough entrance and is worth the short hike.