Second Courses

The terrain for golf at Ballyliffin – located at the remote tip of the Inishowen Peninsula where mountains, dunes and sea merge together – is the stuff of dreams. Expansive linksland stretches for an eternity on what is a lunar landscape ideal for exceptional golf.

Located on the edge of the picturesque Sheephaven Bay in County Donegal the Rosapenna Resort is a fascinating golf facility tucked away in a corner on the North-West coast of Ireland.

Sunningdale is a great golf club with two fantastic heathland golf courses.

If anyone dare claim there is a better 36 holes of links golf at one golf club in England than at Saunton I'm pretty sure I could make an unquestionable case for this wonderful piece of linksland.

There’s no doubting that the Castle course doesn’t fit easily into the collection of courses that are administered by the St. Andrews Links Trust.

I recently took advantage of the 3-round ticket that the Carnoustie Golf Links offers. For the sum of £200 this entitled me to one round on each of the three courses (Championship, Burnside & Buddon) that are looked after by the management committee of this iconic Open venue.

It’s possible, and most likely probable, that the Queen’s at Gleneagles is the best golf course under 6,000 yards. Not just in Scotland but anywhere.

No less than three courses, ranked by number reflecting their age, constitute Gullane Golf Club.

The Valley course in its own right is a very fine links and one that makes a fine bedfellow for the Dunluce.

The Jubilee course carries on in much the same vein as the New. It is slightly longer at 6,742 yards but has a par of 72 so in reality plays about the same length.

The New course, albeit built back in 1895 by Old Tom Morris, is a championship links in its own right; par is 71 and the maximum yardage is 6,625.

The Yellow nine at Portmarnock Golf Club was created by Fred Hawtree in 1971 and plays mostly inside the Red and Blue nines which comprise the ‘Old’ championship course.

The Old Tom Morris course, with origins going back to 1893, is a mixed bag with two disjointed nines where you must walk through the car park at the halfway stage (pet hate alert). It is very much is a case of where modern and tradition meet.

I can’t imagine many reviews for Royal County Down – one of the world’s great golf courses – beginning with mention of the Annesley Links…. but that is exactly where I’m going to start.

A full day of golf (and lunch) at The Berkshire is one of life’s little luxuries and definitely worth saving up for.

Since my last visit in 2017 when the second course here was called the Kintyre much has changed.

Walton Heath, a club with a rich history and distinguished membership, is an oasis of pure heathland golf situated a mere 20 miles outside the city of London.

Wentworth is an exclusive private club in the heart of the Surrey heathbelt where a members invitation is required to play any of the 54 holes comprising the East, West and Edinburgh courses.

Woburn can boast no less than three golf courses that all regularly feature in the various top 100 rankings.

Woburn can boast no less than three golf courses that all regularly feature in the various top 100 rankings.

No review

Enville is an extremely intriguing 36 hole golf complex located in deepest Staffordshire countryside that is slowly but surely building a reputation as one of the country’s most respected venues.

I’ve been keen to play both courses at the Fairmont Resort on the outskirts of St. Andrews for some time and finally made that a reality in October 2020 just a matter of days after the Torrance course had played host to a European Tour event.

Located just outside leafy Ottershaw in Surrey the Foxhills resort is a high class venue with three golf courses. The Club has staged a number of prestigious tournaments since it opened in 1975, including the European Tour’s Tournament Players Championship and the Qualifying School.

Wentworth is an exclusive private club in the heart of the Surrey heathbelt where a members invitation is required to play any of the 54 holes comprising the East, West and Edinburgh courses.

The Dirleton is a consistent course and billed as a traditional Scottish Links.

Castlerock also has a superb relief 9-hole layout called the Bann Links, designed by Frank Pennick in 1986.

The St. Olaf, a par-32 nine-hole relief course, is well worthy of mention when discussing Cruden Bay.

East Sussex National is a big hotel, spa and golf complex near Uckfield in, er... well as you might be able to guess.... East Sussex.

No less than three courses, ranked by number reflecting their age, constitute Gullane Golf Club.

The Hillhouse loop, formerly part of the main course but now a standalone nine hole layout, is an absolute treat.

The members of Moray Golf Club, founded in 1889, must rightly be very proud of their two fine links courses laid out on some fabulous tight and sandy golfing terrain to the south of the Moray Firth.

After nine holes I was wondering if the Eden links would be my favourite of all the courses at St. Andrews and, despite a run of blander holes on the back-nine, it is still more than worth seeing.

The London Golf Club can boast two courses that have both hosted European Tour events.

The Kintyre course at Turnberry has been redesigned and is now called the King Robert The Bruce.

It’s generally a case of slim pickings when it comes to high quality golf away from the sea in Scotland, however, at Blairgowrie the old adage about buses rings true because two come along at once.

No review

The Craighead course at Crail is a very different challenge to the links of Balcomie, but no less memorable.

A recent trip to compete in the annual Gold Medal, a 36 hole open competition, at Frilford Heath Golf Club consisted the playing of their Green and Red courses.

Located in a National Park in the heart of County Kerry The Killarney Golf & Fishing Resort has a postcard perfect setting for good quality parkland golf.

Lahinch benefits from having two 18 hole links courses and whilst the Castle is a much inferior version of the Old course it is still worth playing... if you have the time.

The second links at Troon, the “Portland” created by Fernie in 1895 and formerly known as the Relief course, has its moments of excellence.

The adjacent Jubilee course at Rye was also a real surprise, not only in terms of the quality but also the unusual configuration.

The Channel Course is virtually the same as the main course but in miniature.

No review

Brocket Hall boasts two fine golf courses.

The Celtic Manor Resort has no less than three golf courses.

The Celtic Manor Resort has no less than three golf courses.

The Blue is a mix of American-style design and traditional English parkland. It's an unusual combination which makes the most of the terrain available. It was designed by Simon Gidman and opened in 1994.

The Monifieth Golf Links Trust manage two wonderful golf courses that are the home to a trio of golf clubs.

The Silverburn course, home of Aberdeen Ladies Golf Club, and offers a great deal but sadly doesn’t quite live up to its excellent early billing.

I also sampled the second course; The Struie when visiting Royal Dornoch.

The Lochgreen links is one of three courses emanating from the starters office at the Troon Municipal golf complex which is owned, managed and run by South Ayrshire Council.

Not many people know but there is also a third course at Turnberry and this is the nine hole Arran course.

I recently took advantage of the 3-round ticket that the Carnoustie Golf Links offers. For the sum of £200 this entitled me to one round on each of the three courses (Championship, Burnside & Buddon) that are looked after by the management committee of this iconic Open venue.

Playing at The Machrihanish Golf Club is perhaps not as romantic a prospect as it was several years ago. None-the-less it’s a fabulous golfing experience.

The Riverside layout is located adjacent to the Strand (some of the holes and land used to be form part of the main course).

The Strathtyrum links is the first course at St. Andrews we come to that the serious golfer may give a wide berth to.

The Bracken course provides a contrasting challenge to the Hotchkin. On this more modern layout you will find large undulating greens and water hazards the main obstacles to putting a good score together.

No review

Hawkstone Park Golf Club is a venue that benefits greatly from having two 18 hole parkland golf courses.

The Old Course, often referred to as the ‘Town’ course is not actually located at the main Portstewart Golf Club.

The Fullarton links is one of three courses emanating from the starters office at the Troon Municipal golf complex which is owned, managed and run by South Ayrshire Council.

The Broomfield course is played over similar ground to the holes on the lower part of the Medal course.

The Strabathie course at Murcar is a little nine-hole relief course that has two sets of tees and plays to 5,364 yards if you are to go round twice, par is 70.

The Burrow Links is not a patch on the Old course but caters for a different type of golfer.

The second course at Trevose very rarely crops in conversation but during a family holiday to the Cornish Resort I made sure to play it.

The Bomore layout at County Sligo is a nine-hole relief course located a short drive away from the main clubhouse.

The Scurmore nine at Enniscrone is a nine-hole relief course located adjacent to the main course but on flatter ground away from the dunes.

Not many golfers will know that the Rosapenna Resort also has a nine hole course in addition to the more famous Sandyhills, Old Tom Morris and now St. Patrick’s.

The third course at Trevose, aptly named the "Short Course" is just 1,360 yards.

The Balgove is perhaps best described as a miniature version of the Strathtyrum.