Derry Debriefs, Volume I

With the Open Championship at Royal Portrush fast approaching, there will be a lot of content rolling through your feeds about golf in Northern Ireland, mostly focused on coastal courses from Royal Portrush and east, encompassing great towns like Belfast and Newcastle. And deservedly so. This area of the world is both gorgeous and full of world-class golf. But earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit the Northwest portion of Northern Ireland and dip my toe into Northwest Ireland, as well. We set up shop in Derry and spent four days seeing everything we could in the area. So, in each newsletter this week, I’m going to dedicate some space to my travels in a series called the Derry Debriefs, short segments that chronicle my trip and highlight an undertraveled region. I’ll try to keep my Derry Girls references to a minimum.

Volume I

The city of Derry is about three hours by car from Dublin, either up through Belfast or via smaller roads through the Irish countryside. With sheep and historic buildings as far as the eye can see, the drive almost makes you forget you’re on a golf trip.

My journey wasn’t a solo excursion but part of a large group. In addition to my wife and I, our pack included people from Canada, England, Scotland, France, Sweden, and one other fellow American. My wife isn’t a golfer by trade, but she knows enough to be dangerous. Together we came to experience a new region of the golf world and see what this area had to offer. The first order of business was a quick tour of the Walls of Derry, the landmark that defines the town’s long and complicated history in the modern age. After dinner, we visited a street our bellhop referred to as the “Golden Mile.” It’s a stretch that includes many pubs, each one a local representation of the welcoming culture of the country.

The first golf we experienced on the trip came the next morning on a cloudless day at Portstewart, a course home to some of the largest dunes you’ll find on a golf course anywhere in the world. Similar to the Golden Mile, if this was what all golf was like in Northern Ireland then it would be hard to leave. The hills and shots involved on the front nine at Portstewart are some of the most dramatic I’ve ever seen. After playing down and along the Portstewart Strand (beach) on your opening tee shot, you climb through dunes in a way that evokes a sense of adventure. You’re completely lost, and yet you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

Around the corner from Portstewart is Castlerock, a truer sense of links golf in the region. While the jaw-dropping dunes of Portstewart are authentic and amazing, the thought that all golf in the region would be like that is unrealistic. The Mussenden Course at Castlerock occupies a more humble property and allows for its strategic architecture to shine. The rumpled fairways and use of boundary lines make for plenty of ground game while also subtly letting you know when you’re out of position. But at that point it’s already too late.

We were unable to check out the Bann Course at Castlerock like my colleagues did last year, but suffice it to say that both courses on property are more than worth your time. Still, even with terrific golf just feet away, perhaps my favorite moment from our experience at Castlerock came in the bar. With just a few tables, one barkeep, and a few bowls of peanuts, the bar at Castlerock feels like your grandparent’s dining room in the best way possible. The people are welcoming and it feels homey, exactly the kind of place you’d want to rest up after a day fighting Mother Nature.

Coming Wednesday – Ballyliffin, North West Golf Club, and Backyard BBQ.