Among the greatest gamers on the DP World Tour, together with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, and Robert MacIntyre, will descend upon Newcastle, Northern Eire, this week for the Amgen Irish Open, the place the spectacular Royal County Down Golf Membership awaits.
The course is difficult and unpredictable, as its surroundings rivals Pebble Seaside. The Mourne Mountains that overlook this golf course make it one of the picturesque locations on this planet, leaving everybody who has performed it astounded by its magnificence.
Voted because the Best Course within the World by Golf Digest, Royal County Down final hosted the Irish Open in 2015, when Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark beat Englishman Eddie Pepperell and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger on the primary playoff gap, the par-5 18th. They completed at 2-under par, as solely two others, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Tyrrell Hatton, posted last 72-hole scores in pink figures. The course ate these gamers alive, primarily as a result of unpredictable circumstances, however the format of this otherworldly monitor is of Open Championship caliber.
Sure, it’s that robust.
After the par-5 1st, a terrific scoring alternative, a blind tee shot makes the participant instantly uncomfortable on the par-4 2nd. The dunes that tower over this golf course current quite a few conditions like this, the place the participant should depend on their yardage books, an imaginary goal, and a glimpse of hope. Throw in a tough crosswind off the Irish Sea, or a stiff, chilly breeze blowing down the mountains, and these blind pictures grow to be extra awkward than a young person in center college.
The Third-hole affords a reprieve from the tee, however a blind method makes this gap a beast—as does its size at 475 yards. An enormous pole stands tall from behind the inexperienced, serving as a goal and a beacon of hope—a well-known sight at Royal County Down, given the abundance of sightless pictures. The inexperienced is relatively benign, as are a lot of the placing surfaces at Royal County Down, however they’re actually no slouch, both. Nonetheless, when you end the par-4 Third, you flip in the direction of the Mourne Mountains, and the primary par-3 on the golf course slaps you within the face. The 4th at Royal County Down is the primary gap that faces the Mourne Mountains, and it is likely one of the biggest par-3s on this planet. It’s lengthy, robust, and delightful, three adjectives that completely describe this golf course as a complete.
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After taking part in 4 of probably the most outstanding holes you might think about, 14 extra slices of heaven lie forward. The fifth is a dogleg proper, a gap that options one other blind tee shot. Don’t go too far proper, or you can find the gorse—the prickly bushes native to the British Isles which are in all places. The sixth is a scoreable par-4, the one one below 400 yards on the entrance 9, but it’s one other blind shot off the tee. Then, you flip to the brief seventh as you make your method again in the direction of the mountains and the clubhouse. You should have a wedge or a brief iron on this par-3, the shortest gap on the course. However then the entrance 9 concludes with two extremely tough par-4s, the latter of which is likely one of the most photographed holes on this planet.
The tenth is a par-3, a hint below 200 yards that would play a lot shorter or longer than the gap on the cardboard, relying on the climate. However the tenth does have a humorous anecdote related to it. At any time when dense fog rolls in off the ocean or down from the mountain, the golf employees at Royal County Down instantly step outdoors to see if they will view the flagstick on the tenth inexperienced unobstructed. In the event you can, play on. If not, the course shuts down. Resulting from its proximity to the clubhouse, the tenth serves because the barometer for play—the deciding issue for when Mom Nature will get too uncontrolled.
It’s additionally the introduction to Royal County Down’s again 9, which, admittedly, is the weaker of the 2 sides however would nonetheless be the most effective nine-hole stretches in all of Eire if not for its breathtaking starting. The eleventh is one other blind tee shot, making you pray as soon as once more, whereas the par-5 twelfth is nearly as good of a scoring alternative as you should have. The thirteenth is one other gem, a barely downhill dogleg-right surrounded by gorse. Relying on the time of the 12 months, you might see yellow or purple blooms encompassing this difficult par-4, main you to ask, am I at Eire’s model of Augusta Nationwide? Certainly you might be.
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The ultimate 5 holes at Royal County Down differ considerably from the primary 13, as you might be on the farthest factors away from the Irish Sea and, due to this fact, faraway from the big dunes that give this course character. However every gap remains to be astonishing. The 14th, a protracted, downhill par-3, sits within the far nook of the property. Accuracy is paramount, as bunkers brief and left guard this placing floor. Then, not in contrast to the ultimate three holes on the entrance, you make your method towards the clubhouse during the last 4 holes on the again.
The fifteenth is a dogleg proper, a beautiful golf gap in which you’ll see your goal, however you can not see the place your tee shot will find yourself, due to the sloping contours of the green. That leaves you with extra doubt than you want to admit, as that very same mantra applies to your second shot—however that additionally applies to nearly each shot you face at Royal County Down.
After the fifteenth, you arrive on the solely drivable par-4 on the course, the sixteenth. It’s considered one of two nice scoring alternatives down the stretch, because the par-5 18th can even yield loads of birdies. However the demanding par-4 seventeenth lies in between.
That, in fact, will arrange one other terrific end at this week’s Irish Open, giving golf followers a last style of correct hyperlinks golf for the 2024 season. If solely we may see Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and different PGA Tour stars sort out this course, too… however one can solely dream.
How To Watch Amgen Irish Open (All Instances ET):
Thursday, Sept. 12
8 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf Channel) (NBC Sports activities App)
Friday, Sept. 13
3-6 a.m. (Golf Channel) (NBC Sports activities App)
6:30-8 a.m. (NBC Sports activities App)
11 a.m.-1 p.m. (NBC Sports activities App)
Saturday, Sept. 14
7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (NBC Sports activities App)
Sunday, Sept. 15
7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (NBC Sports activities App)
- Midday-3 p.m. Golf Channel (Tape-Delayed)
Amgen Irish Open Odds:
Listed here are the most recent odds for gamers to win the Amgen Irish Open, supplied by FanDuel:
Rory McIlroy +500
Shane Lowry +1000
Aaron Rai +1400
Robert MacIntyre +1800
Rasums Højgaard +2200
Seamus Energy +2500
Thriston Lawrence +3000
Thomas Detry +3300
Nicolai Højgaard +3500
Bernd Wiesberger +3500
Ryan Fox +3500
Tom Mckibbin +3500
Erik Van Rooyen +4000
Matteo Manassero +4000
Guido Migliozzi +4000
Sebastian Söderberg +4500
Niklas Norgaard +4500
Thorbjørn Olesen +5000
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Make sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.