Portstewart (Old)
The Old Course, often referred to as the ‘Town’ course is not actually located at the main Portstewart Golf Club. It is a couple of miles away on the other side of the town and is a Jekyll & Hyde affair (4,890 yards, par 65).
The first five and last three holes traverse a tiny strip of genuine linksland and whilst they do not offer great golf they provide a miniature version of the real deal albeit in a rudimentary fashion. They are played close to the shore and have all the intricacies, humps, bumps and hollows that make my eyes light up when I am playing this type of golf. Great fun!
However, after playing the fifth you must cross the main coastal road and your heart literally sinks.
I can only describe the next ten holes as mind-numbingly awful golf. You have left the linksland well and truly behind and now play to circular greens cut into the fairway, with arrow straight meadowland fairways and even the odd chocolate drop mounding.
I know not the history of the course (and shame on me because I have no intent on researching it) but it fucking annoys me so much when additional holes like this are built just so that an “18-hole” layout can be created. The Old Course at Portstewart would be a much better 8-hole layout offering charm, fun and a rollicking good hour on the links.
Read the review of Portstewart (Strand) here.
Read the review of Portstewart (Riverside) here.
