Best Front Nine in Ireland

You may have read my post on Tralee, where the back nine is truely out of this world. But where is the best opening nine in Ireland?

In my opinion, a few courses can stake a claim. The Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush has some terrific holes on the way out, not least the fifth, which is one of my all time favourites. A panoramic, sharp dogleg right from an elevated tee. I am yet to see a travelling golfer that hasn't reached for his camera at some point along this celebrated par 4. It's sister course - The Valley - also has some spectacular dune-lined holes (this has GOT to be the best value for money course in the Emerald Isle). Royal County Down has the remarkable views of the Mourne Mountains, in addition to some seriously ferocious holes. And of course there's Old Head, where every single view from every single angle looks like it's been taken from a golfing fairytale. But my pick for the best front nine would be a lesser known links course located on the northern coast at the mouth of the River Bann. Portstewart is somewhat a tale of two halves. Not that the inward half is poor by any stretch of the imagination, but 1 - 9 are seriously outstanding.

The first hole at Machrihanish is often related to as the best opener in links golf, but anyone who has played Portstewart will disagree. The tee shot is from an elevated tee (and I mean elevated) to a tight fairway that doglegs to the right. On the left is thick rough, and on the right is gorse - closely followed by sand and sea. A well hit drive seems to hang in the air for days. One of those rare occasions when you can feel like a professional golfer, holding pose until the ball finally lands. A mid-iron approach to a large green with very teasing subtle breaks is how you will more than likely complete your bogey.

I could literally spend hours running through the picturesque challenge of each hole, but the second is also a little special. Another raised tee allows you to hit into a deep cavernous valley, from which the dunes appear overwhelming. These aren't your little run of the mill dunes that Phil Mickleson could clear with a flop shot. These are dunes that would take ten minutes to climb if you could bear the vertigo at the top. This time a three-tiered green awaits, and don't be short or you could find it coming back to your feet.

The short sixth is Portstewart's version of No.17 at Sawgrass. Although only measuring 130 yards, you must hit the green. There is no water here, but everythings falls away from the fringe to the bottom of huge gulleys on every side. Missing the target here can leave you as much as a full sand-iron for your second. A terrific little hole, and one that can play extremely brutal if the wind gets up.

The other holes are every bit as aesthetically pleasing and challenging, those are just my personal favourites. I was fortunate enough to find myself playing in the Ulster Schools Cup over this course when I was younger and slimmer. I remember going down to a very good Irish amateur by 4&3 in the final, and over the course of that week I fell in love with the place. It's dramatic, testing and beautiful all at the same time. So if you you are embarking on a golf trip to Northern Ireland, don't even consider leaving this amazing course off your itinerary. It's just too good to miss.