Ardglass Golf Club

30 minutes north of Newcastle and County Down, and just southeast of Belfast, Northern Ireland, the course was founded in 1896 with nine holes, and in 1970 the second nine was added. The course's clubhouse might be the only one I've ever seen that was a former castle, Ardglass Castle and sits atop a cliff overlooking the sea. It's a combination of links style holes, but mostly open meadows routed over high ground and along the sea's cliffs. It's a rather short layout at 6,260 yards, par 70, but when the wind blows, the yardage is meaningless. The feature hole, the second, is a 170 yard one shotter with the tee at cliff's edge and the water well below, hitting to a minuscule green well off in the distance at the top of a ridge. There's a half dozen great holes here along the cliffs, the rest of the course is rather mundane, but for the price, it's one of the most inexpensive links style courses in Northern Ireland. Greens and fairways were in good condition, the staff is very friendly, food service OK, give it a go for it's stunning location.