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Portstewart
is a difficult, but fair open links course giving magnificent views of
the Donegal Hills, the rolling Atlantic, Strand Beach and the River Bann,
especially from the 1st and 5th tees. The Greens are fast and true. The
opening of seven new holes in the huge sandhills behind the first green
has added a new dimension to playing golf at Portstewart. A couple of
the weaker holes and two semi-parkland holes on the back nine have been
eliminated and the course is now, arguably, vying with Royal County Down
as the finest course in Northern Ireland.
In days when talk of new golf courses costing millions of pounds is the
norm, it is to Portstewart's credit that their own staff have created
the new holes at a cost of a mere £100,000. The opening hole with its
elevated tee and dog-leg right to the green, with the sandy strip of the
Strand on the right, was always a particularly good opening hole and now
it is immediately followed by the seven new holes in all their glory.
They are a sheer joy to play and make nonsense of the green fee. Willie
Park Jnr. had a hand in developing the original holes and would have
been proud of the new layout. This eighteen hole links course is of
championship standard. Portstewart played host to the Irish Amateur
Championship in 1992, held qualifying rounds of ‘Open’ in 1951 and
has hosted other events such as the Irish Professional and Irish Amateur
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