North West Golf Club Course Review

North West Golf Club Course Review

GF €60-€70; Twilight: €30-€35
Par 70, 6,342 yards
Slope 116
GM Verdict An old, low links with a mischievous heart
Favourite Hole The par-3 3rd plays next to the sea and requires a confident swing to find a small green

North West is one of the oldest courses in Ireland, dating back to 1891. It lies on the Inishowen Peninsula, and many a travelling golfer bypasses it en route to Ballyliffin, home to two Top 100 golf courses. You get a good view of the links as you drive north into Buncrana, squeezed as it is between the road and the sea. Perhaps it looks too flat to grab your attention fully, but it has not idly been dubbed ‘the St Andrews of Ireland’. It is one of the best golf courses in Ireland.

This is perfect, low linksland and a dynamic links education where your skills in the art of bump-and-run will be well tested. It’s not a pre-requisite by any means but the low approach often trumps towering wedge shots on windy days, or when the fast putting surfaces make it difficult to stop the ball. Many of the beautiful greens just flow out of the land… you can putt from 50 yards if you so choose. That’s how smooth it all is.

There are so many bewitching folds and idiosyncratic shapes, natural and unpredictable run-offs around greens, and well-placed bunkers that patience and concentration are essential. This is about discipline because the winds sweeping in off Lough Swilly will dictate which parts of your game are tested most.

The layout of the course has changed over the years as decades of erosion have stolen parts of the course. Today’s layout presents many challenges… but one in particular catches the eye: on 10 of the opening 11 holes a fade risks going OB. From holes 1 to 5 that means putting a ball in Lough Swilly.

Holes 11 and 12, on either side of the clubhouse, are two of the stand-out holes while the 3rd beside the water and the delightful 93-yard 16th - named Fairy - are the pick of the four par 3s.

The par-4 12th is Index 2 and drops down over a gentle ridge for the approach shot. It is the hole with the most movement and the green - so sweetly presented - emphasises the glorious green shapes everywhere. There are only two par 5s, which end each nine at the clubhouse.