On every golf trip there’s a place that pleasantly surprises you. For me, on this trip to Northern Ireland, it was Castlerock. Out of all the courses on our itinerary, I had heard the least about (and had the lowest expectations for) Castlerock. Upon getting out of the car and seeing the dunes the course lays over, I immediately knew it would be a good day.

Castlerock sits directly across the Bann River from the majestic dunes land that houses Portstewart’s iconic front nine. But these dunes are slightly smaller, which allows Castlerock’s course to play over the dunes. Portstewart’s holes mostly play in the valleys. The most thrilling stretch of holes at Castlerock is the 7th through the 10th. I would argue that this stretch of holes rivals any stretch we played, from Royal County Down’s front nine to Portstewart’s front nine to any stretch you want to pick from Royal Portrush. It’s that good. These holes only have one bunker, utilizing the stunning dunes and ridges to make for unforgettable golf.

The variety within this stretch of holes is tremendous. The stout par-4 7th plays up into the dunes. The 8th (pictured above) snakes through them, and if you take on the dunes to the right off the tee you will get a clear shot into the green. If you decide to pass on the riskier right side, you will contend with less penal dunes down the left, but face more of a blind second shot. The 9th is a tremendous long par 3 that plays down into the bottom of a dune structure. It rewards a tee shot that fights the prevailing wind and finds the left side of the green, which corrals balls toward the middle. The 10th closes this stretch, playing over the dune ridge and then tumbling down over wavy links contours to a wonderful green that pitches away from play.

Any visitors to the Causeway Coast should add Castlerock to the playlist. A unique place, it possesses some of the most varied holes of any course on this Northern Ireland adventure.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter as part of a special series of Eggsplorations dispatches, sponsored by Tourism Ireland. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.