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Royal County Down's Championship Links is an 18-hole, par-71 links in Newcastle, County Down. The club was established in 1889, with the original course laid out by Old Tom Morris and subsequently shaped by George Combe, Harry Vardon and Harry Colt. The championship configuration measures 7,186 yards, with a course rating of 75.0 and slope of 142 in published rating data.
The routing crosses natural dune land beside Dundrum Bay beneath the Mountains of Mourne, with heather, gorse and deep bunkering central to its character. The Championship Links is separate from Royal County Down's Annesley Links and the two should not share scorecard data. Royal County Down has hosted major amateur and professional events including the Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, Amateur Championship, Senior Open and Irish Open.
The course is an 18-hole links golf course. It plays to par 71, 7,186 yards, course rating 75 and slope rating 142. Designed by Old Tom Morris, the course originally opened in 1889. It is semi-private, welcoming both members and visitors. On-site facilities include Clubhouse, Dining, Visitor locker rooms, Showers, Caddie service.
The club was formed in 1889 on dune land at Newcastle, with the first course opening on 23 March that year. Old Tom Morris was brought in during the club's formative period to create the foundations of the Championship Links.
The course evolved through the work of several major figures rather than one construction campaign. Morris established the early routing, while George Combe, Harry Vardon and Harry Colt subsequently altered and refined it. The resulting design uses natural dune corridors, blind and partially obscured shots, heather, gorse and deep bunkers.
Successive changes over more than a century transformed the original links into the modern Championship Course while preserving the site's natural dune character.
Royal County Down has repeatedly appeared at or near the top of international golf-course rankings and has hosted major amateur and professional championships.
The Championship Links remains a restricted-access members' course with visitor play available on designated days. It is operated separately from the shorter Annesley Links.
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| Front 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Yards | 539 | 444 | 475 | 229 | 440 | 396 | 144 | 429 | 483 | 3579 |
| Index | 13 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 5 | - |
| Back 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
| Yards | 196 | 442 | 525 | 446 | 212 | 468 | 337 | 433 | 548 | 3607 | 7186 |
| Index | 18 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 6 | - | - |
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