One of only four Irish golf clubs with a "Royal" prefix, Royal Belfast Golf Club was founded in November 1881 and holds the distinction of being the oldest golf club in Ireland.
Whilst the course is surrounded by illustrious links courses including Royal County Down, Royal Portrush and Portstewart, there is little doubt that Royal Belfast is one of the finest parkland golf courses in Ireland.
Renowned architect, Harry Colt, was engaged to design the new course in 1925 and such was his success, that Royal Belfast has remained largely unchanged to this day.
Today, Royal Belfast provides a stern golfing challenge and offers one of the most beautiful settings of any Irish golf course, with its unrivalled views of Belfast Lough and the Antrim plateau beyond. At the heart of its varied challenge is the constant requirement for accuracy rather than length, while the numerous bunkers and subtly sloped greens ensure posting a low score is indeed a difficult feat.
The many major events hosted at Royal Belfast over the years include the Irish Professional Championship, won by Christy O'Connor Sr., and more recently, the Ulster Professional Championship, won by Darren Clarke.
Among the more memorable holes on the front nine are the short par three 4th, which measures only 142 yards but requires an accurate shot to a green literally surrounded by bunkers; the par four 8th, with out of bounds all along the left hand side; and the 408 yard par four 9th, rated the most difficult on the course and playing directly alongside Belfast Lough. The homeward journey will not disappoint either. From the beautiful short par four 10th playing alongside the water's edge, to the long par five 18th, each hole is a real pleasure to play.