The Greatest Stretch In Golf | Royal County Down

Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland — site of this year’s Irish Open — is usually included when discussing the greatest golf courses in the world. Andy Johnson talks about what makes the opening stretch so spectacular and why the finish often gets (unfairly) maligned.

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20 Comments

  1. Don't agree. I have played RCD and it is very over rated. No idea how it is ranked so high. Portrush is twice the course.

  2. Great work putting this together, looks like an amazing place to play a round. Hope to get out there one day.

  3. Thanks Andy and FEG Team for showcasing this course. Those scenes and those descriptions gave me goosebumps as I watched.

  4. I think it's a great course but not number one in the world or Ireland by a good margin. Royal portrush is easily the better course. That said RCD is a great course too many blind shots for my taste but if does have incredible stretches

  5. Certainly one of the best on Earth and my favorite in Northern Ireland (played Portrush twice and also great but I would take RCD over it).
    Am I the only one who wishes that they flipped the nines? Then the round isn’t anticlimactic. If flipped, it would still be a great 4 hole start then you would good go through the merely good holes and the last nine would be amazing as the best front nine on Earth would become the best back 9 on Earth.

  6. Excellent video that really gets to the soul of what Royal County Down is all about. I am lucky enough to have played it once but you really need to play it a few times as there is so much subtlety to the course and a lot of blind shots unless you hit in the perfect position on every tee shot

  7. Has been my favourite course in the world since I played it in junior golf. The par 3 7th is one of the best short par 3s in the world, in my opinion. Yes, it needs wind to make it tricky, but it’s so memorable for all the right reasons.
    And the par 3 4th is a beast off the back tees. In cross winds you’re delighted to hit the green on either of those holes. Special place!

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