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Helen's Bay Golf Club

Helen's Bay, Co. Down

Helen's Bay Golf Club was founded in 1896, and its founding patron was one of the most remarkable figures of the Victorian era: Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava — Governor-General of Canada, Viceroy of India (where he annexed Burma), and Ambassador to France. He gave the club 60 acres of his Clandeboye Estate to play on, and the mature trees that define the course today were planted by him. He died in 1902, six years after helping found the club.

The railway station at Helen's Bay was built in 1863 when the Belfast to Bangor line was laid through Dufferin's estate. He had it built in Scottish Baronial style — crow-stepped gables, arrow slits, coats of arms, turrets — with a private entrance and waiting room for himself, a staircase down to two laneways (one to Clandeboye House, one to the beach), and a standing instruction that all trains must stop at Helen's Bay regardless of whether any passengers were waiting. His nephew Harold Nicolson called it "one of the most fantastic stations in the United Kingdom." It still stands and is still in use.

The course plays nine holes with 18 tee positions for variety, par 68 over 5,643 yards, through woodland on a gentle hill above Belfast Lough. On clear days the Antrim Plateau, the Irish Sea, the Galloway coast of Scotland, and Ailsa Craig are visible. Crawfordsburn Country Park is immediately adjacent — 3.5 kilometres of coastal path, two beaches, and a waterfall.

Highlights

Founded by Viceroy of India
Victorian baronial railway station next door
Crawfordsburn Country Park adjacent

Good to know

→Walk to Helen's Bay station after golf — the Scottish Baronial building (1863) with its private turret entrance for the Marquess is extraordinary. It's on the Belfast-Bangor line and still in use.
→Crawfordsburn Country Park (free entry) is immediately next to the course: two beaches, woodland walks, a waterfall, and Grey Point Fort on the coastal path.
→The Old Inn at Crawfordsburn, less than a mile from the club, has been operating since 1614 — one of Northern Ireland's oldest inns and a reliable post-round dinner option.
→Clandeboye Estate (the Dufferin family's Georgian house) is 5 minutes inland and runs a farm shop and café worth visiting.

Visitor Information

Getting There

20min drive

40min drive

Common questions

What is Helen's Bay Golf Club?

Helen's Bay is a coastal links on the southern shore of Belfast Lough — the closest coastal links golf to Belfast city centre, about twenty minutes from the city. It occupies attractive ground above the lough with views back towards the city and across to Co. Antrim. A relaxed club with a warm welcome for visitors.

Why play Helen's Bay when Royal County Down is nearby?

Helen's Bay solves a specific problem: golfers who want coastal links golf within twenty minutes of Belfast city without the planning required for Royal County Down. It is substantially cheaper, requires no advance booking through GolfNow, and suits days when weather or schedule makes a longer drive impractical.

Is the area around Helen's Bay worth exploring?

Helen's Bay village is small and pleasant — the beach below the course is excellent. The nearby Crawfordsburn Country Park has good walks along the coast. Bangor is five minutes east. The Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra is ten minutes towards Belfast and is one of the best open-air museums in Ireland.

How do I book Helen's Bay Golf Club?

You can grab a tee time online through GolfNow — availability is generally good at short notice, even at weekends.