Castlerock Golf Club (Mussenden)

Favorite Hole

No. 10, par 4, 415 yards

This was a tough decision, and I think I may have even picked No. 9 on our Eggsplorations podcast, but the 10th is a fantastic par 4 that spans some of the best linksland on the course. The tee shot plays across an area of rough ground and fescue down the left, with the fairway and ground moving in from right to left. Aggressive tee shots can utilize this natural topography to propel the ball around the natives and toward the green. From here, the land works away, across a majestic stretch of linksland to a green that also runs away, leaving the player with almost unlimited options for the approach. I recommend the lowest running shot you can muster, though, as I loved watching the ball disappear and reappear as it scampered across the ground.

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Overall Thoughts

What makes Castlerock such an entertaining journey is the way it packs an array of classic links golf tropes into a relatively small property: sand dunes, linksland, a burn, flattish ground running alongside a railroad (the town’s train station sits about a 9-iron away from the clubhouse), and even a hill for good measure. Many of the features are used at multiple points, with players returning to themes that presented earlier in the round, creating a lively ebb and flow to the golf.

The highlight is the stretch of phenomenally rumpled linksland, which cuts across the length of the property. The first hole plays into a portion of this terrain before making a right turn. If players were sent directly into the best ground or, conversely, had to wait for it until the end of the round, I think the course would feel lopsided. Instead, the routing cleverly spaces out the most dramatic areas for the start, middle, and finish.

In between these visits of the linksland, you wind their way through the other sections of the property. You play out along a series of straight holes pushed up against the railroad boundary fence before turning back on the sixth, exploring the best ground on the property for holes 7 through 10 (with the incredible Quarry hole ninth in there as well). The holes then work back and forth, skirting the other main topographical feature: a large, central hill.

The ground that feeds off this hill impacts a number of the holes. You play across it on the second, third, 10th, and 13th. The 14th green is benched into the hill, and the 15th tee shot plays blindly up and onto it. Again, the cleverness of the routing makes for a stunning reveal when you finally scale the hill on the 16th. This shortish par 3 plays on top, with views of the River Bann and distant hills.

The next reveal is somehow even better: after a short walk up to the 17th tee, you’re greeted by one of the great views in golf. Looking out at the North Atlantic and the cliffs of Donegal, you play down into the wonderful ground adjacent to the 10th, cresting a large ripple in the fairway that partially obscures a green set against a large dune. The 18th is not a bad hole, either, but I wouldn’t mind just finishing out on 17 and spending the rest of the afternoon picnicking behind that green.

The main pain point at Castlerock, in my opinion, comes from the work executed most recently. Famously, Harry Colt was commissioned by the club starting in 1929—the same year he was hired just down the road by Royal Portrush (check out some of his sketches here). But in 2017, Castlerock hired Martin Hawtree to rebuild some greens, surrounds, and bunkers. While a portion of the work on and around the greens was said to be less invasive, a few of the greens were completely reconstructed. To my eye, these greens look out of place with the overall set. They strike me as overshaped in most cases, with the kind of the gimmicky runoffs we noted during last year’s Open Championship at Hoylake. This creates an unfortunately disjointed feel to parts of the round, as you bounce between the Hawtree and non-Hawtree greens.

0 Eggs

I waffled on whether to award an Egg, but ultimately I don’t think the course does enough. The highs are never as high as some of Castlerock’s more famous neighbors, but the lows are never too low, either. The stretch from 7 to 10 is one of the better runs of links golf I’ve played, and the routing does a wonderful job exploring the property. But the land and architecture lack consistency at times, especially with the inorganic integration of some of the recent work. On the whole, though, Castlerock has 18 entertaining holes that always keep your attention, even in between the property’s highlights. Most importantly, it’s a joy to play.

Course Tour

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Additional Content

Welcome to Castlerock

A Northern Ireland Trip Eclectic 18

https://thefriedegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/castlerock-reel.mp4