Sitting in the shadow of arguably the greatest golf course in the world, the Annesley Links—or “wee course”—at Royal County Down is a perfect complement to the stern test of the Championship course. The two links are intertwined within the same majestic dunesland, providing tremendous views of the Irish Sea and towering Mourne Mountains. Although short in scorecard yardage, the wee course provides a unique test of accuracy and precision. Annesley asks players different questions than its neighboring big brother, making for a round you must not miss when visiting Royal County Down.

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Take Note…

Annesley Estate. The land housing all 36 holes at Royal County Down was originally called the Warren. George Baillie of the Royal Belfast Golf Club (1891), on a mission to develop the game throughout the province, visited Newcastle in search of land for golf. He discovered the Warren north of town, which proved to be an excellent natural piece of land for golf. Permission was then sought and granted from the land owners, the Annesley Estate, to build the course here. In return, Lord Annesley would become the first president of the County Down Golf Club.

R.C.D.L.G.C. The Royal County Down Ladies Golf Club formed in 1894. The clubhouse sits adjacent to the first tee and 18th green of the Annesley Links, originally known as the Ladies Course. Annesley Links measures 4,500 yards and was designed at the time to suit the women’s game.

Mackenzie & Ebert. The duo redesigned the course in 2015. In the process, they added the three most dramatic holes on the course, all of which play around the largest dune on the property. They replaced holes on the flatter western side of the property with a driving range and added those three spectacular golf holes overlooking the sea. Note that the 17th green of today’s routing was originally a par 3 playing from another direction, making certain pins very tricky from the left side of the fairway.