Hidden GemGreat Value

Kilkeel Golf Club

Kilkeel, Co. Down · Designed by Eddie Hackett (1993)

Kilkeel Golf Club was founded in 1924 — prompted, the club's own history notes, by local townspeople who looked enviously at Warrenpoint and Greenore, both of which had 18-hole courses since the 1890s. The original nine holes occupied sandy ground on the Earl of Kilmorey's estate at Cranfield. Eddie Hackett expanded it to 18 holes in 1993, and the course he designed sits entirely within the walls of that historic Kilmorey Estate — enclosed by mature woodland and spectacular masses of rhododendron that make spring rounds particularly memorable. Eleven of the 18 holes are tree-lined; the Mourne Mountains fill the skyline behind the open holes.

In 1999 the club co-hosted the British Amateur Championship alongside Royal County Down — a serious mark for a course of this scale, and an event whose qualifier still runs here. Reviewers consistently praise the greens and the variety in the design. Kilkeel is described as one of the best inland courses in Ulster.

The town itself is the "capital of the Mournes" and home to Northern Ireland's largest fishing fleet — deep-sea angling and boat trips operate from the harbour. The Silent Valley Mountain Park, where a reservoir in the granite catchment supplies most of County Down and Belfast, is a short drive into the mountains. The County Down Golf Classic packages Kilkeel with Ardglass and Royal County Down as a three-course circuit — the most affordable way to sample the best of the Down coast.

Highlights

Co-hosted 1999 British Amateur
Kilmorey Estate & rhododendron woodland
Mournes backdrop

Good to know

→The County Down Golf Classic (Kilkeel + Ardglass + Royal County Down) is the most affordable way to do the best of Down in three rounds — packages available from Visit Mourne Mountains.
→Silent Valley Mountain Park is 20 minutes into the mountains: the Mourne Wall, walking routes, and the reservoir that supplies most of Down and Belfast. Non-golfers will be happy here.
→Kilkeel harbour has Northern Ireland's largest fishing fleet — get fresh fish from the quayside or at one of the local restaurants in the town.
→Play in late April or May for the rhododendron: the estate woodland is spectacular when the shrubs are in bloom.

Visitor Information

Getting There

1h 15min drive

1h 30min drive

Common questions

What is Kilkeel Golf Club like?

Kilkeel is a links course on the Mourne coast between Newcastle and Warrenpoint, with the Mourne Mountains providing one of the most dramatic inland backdrops in Irish golf. It sits between the mountains and the sea — a combination that makes for unusual visual experience throughout the round. Good value golf in an exceptional setting.

Is Kilkeel worth playing on the way to Royal County Down?

Yes — Kilkeel is about twenty minutes south of Newcastle and makes a practical warm-up or cool-down round for golfers whose itinerary includes Royal County Down. It is considerably cheaper and available on short notice through GolfNow, while the Mourne Mountains setting gives it a character that is entirely its own.

What is there to do near Kilkeel?

The Silent Valley Reservoir in the Mournes is fifteen minutes inland and worth the drive — a Victorian reservoir with mountain walks from the visitor centre. The Spelga Dam gives panoramic views across the Mournes. Warrenpoint and Rostrevor on Carlingford Lough are twenty minutes south and have good restaurants. Greenore Golf Club on the Cooley Peninsula is thirty minutes further around the lough.

How do I book Kilkeel Golf Club?

Kilkeel books through GolfNow. Tee times are generally available at shorter notice than the famous Down coast venues.