Royal Belfast Golf Club
 18 Hole Parkland   


Course Facts:
Address
 Station Road
Craigavad
Co. Down BT18 0BP		 Secretary/Manager: Mrs. Susanna Morrison
Captain: C. P. Copeland
Lady Captain: T. Crothers
Telephone: 028-90-428165 President: K. W. Wheeler & Ruth Hunter
Public No: 028-90-422368 Vice-Captain: M. J. Gibson
Fax: 028-90-421404 Hon. Secretary: David S. Boyd
E-mail: royalbelfastgc@btconnect.com Club Pro: A. Ferguson 048-90-428586
Website: www.royalbelfast.com Hon. Treasurer: P. S. Moore
Founded: 1881 Designed by: Harry S. Colt
Open for membership. Societies are welcome and group rates are available.
Membership: 741 Course opening hours: Daylight hours
Green Fees Midweek: £46 Clubhouse opening hours: 8.30am to 1.00pm 8.30am to 7.00pm Sun
Green Fees Weekends & B.H.: £56 Mobile phones: Not on course or in clubhouse
Green Fees With a Member: £16/£18.50 Dress Code: Neat casual, no denim
Green Fees For Opens: £17.50 Catering: Full catering facilities
Practice Area: Yes Days to Avoid: Wed & Sat before 4.30pm
Club Hire: Yes Green Fees and Societies Welcome: Other days
Buggy Hire: Yes Pre-booking for open tournaments: 14 Days in advance
Soft spikes: No    
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Course Description:

There may be some dispute as to where golf was first played in Ireland but there can be no question as to which was the first Golf Club on this island. The Royal Belfast was founded on the 9th November 1881 on 80-acres of land at Kinnegar, Hollywood. It quickly assumed the " Royal" prefix when the Prince of Wales visited Ireland in 1886 and was invited to become patron of the club. The current patron is the Duke of Edinburgh.

The club moved to a site at Carnalea, at Bangor before making its final move to Craigavad House and Demesne in 1925. Once the stately home of the Rt. Hon. J. C. White once the Lord Mayor of Belfast.

Here Harry Colt grasped the full potential of the Victorian site, using the serene setting of mature trees and colourful foliage. The course falls gently towards the scenic southern shore of Belfast Lough and the locals will tell you "the greens fall towards the sea".

Measuring 6,306 yards Par-70 with a standard scratch of 71 off the blue tees, the course requires accuracy rather than length and has been described as "Devious rather than difficult". The first is one of the best starting holes in the country, measuring 415 yards Index 7 with a slight dogleg left. Followed by 408 yard Index 3 is the most attractive hole on the course. The 18th is a testing 510 yards Par-5 where only the very good golfer can aspire to make birdie.

The Victorian Clubhouse caters for the golfers every need and other facilities at the club include squash and tennis. The visitor is extended a warm welcome at The Royal Belfast Golf Club. Voted the No. 76-ranked golf course in Ireland, by “Golf Digest Ireland” in 2008.
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Open & Major fixtures 2008:

Event

Start

Finish

Type

Duration

No fixtures until 2009.		        




Club History

Instituted 1881, affiliated 1891. The Royal Belfast has the honour of being the oldest existing golf club in Ireland. It is also the first club to receive permission to use the prefix Royal, the President of the club in 1885 Captain Harrison, received it from the Prince of Wales when he became patron of the club on a visit to Belfast that year. It was also the first club to have a ladies club. It together with eight other clubs. It was a co-founder of the GUI on 13th November 1891, the oldest golfing union in the world. The ladies club was a major force in the foundation of the ILGU in 1894 and Miss Clara Mulligan was the first Secretary of the ILGU.

The first meeting of the club took place in November 1881, in the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, with Mayor Edward Porter-Cowen in the chair. A site at Kinnegar, Holywood, was selected; however, this was also a military training area and a rifle range. In 1892, the club moved to Carnalea, it was a nine-hole course with 200 resident members and 100-non resident. The club enjoyed its golf at Carnalea for thirty-three years. In 1925, it was decided to purchase 140 acres estate and house at Craigavon, owned by the Rt. Hon. J.C. White, a former Lord Mayor of Belfast, at a cost of £11,500. H. J. Colt, the internationally renowned course architect, was retained to design the course, which opened for play in May 1927. The Royal Belfast has had many famous members, but none more so than Mr. G. L. Baillie who was one of the pioneers of golf in Ireland in its early development
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Location

7-miles from Belfast Centre on the road to Bangor. Approximately 1/2 mile past the Ulster Folk Museum turn left at the traffic lights into Station Road. Turn right having passed under the bridge onto the driveway, which passes through the course, so take care.


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Members Achievements

The Royal Belfast won the All-Ireland Barton Shield on their home course in 1952.

J. F. Madeley played in the Walker Cup at Turnberry in 1963. D. Kyle participated in the Boys Home International matches in 1989.
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Card of the Course (yards)
 
Hole No Blue White Green Par Index Red Par Index
1 415 411 407 4 7 402 5 11
2 408 405 400 4 3 339 4 3
3 370 356 352 4 13 349 4 5
4 142 137 134 3 15 129 3 17
5 553 547 483 5 9 446 5 9
6 351 347 338 4 11 330 4 13
7 183 161 157 3 17 132 3 15
8 409 390 358 4 5 331 4 7
9 408 405 398 4 1 376 4 1
Out 3,239 3,159 3,027 35   2,834 36  
10 308 303 301 4 14 297 4 10
11 174 170 169 3 8 125 3 14
12 431 427 419 4 4 382 4 2
13 369 361 350 4 12 311 4 12
14 186 183 179 3 10 147 3 16
15 411 407 395 4 2 402 5 4
16 483 476 466 5 16 456 5 6
17 195 192 187 3 18 166 3 18
18 510 507 468 5 6 435 5 8
In 3,067 3,026 2,934 35   2,721 36  
Total 6,306 6,185 5,961 70   5,555 72  
  71 70 69     72    
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Men's Course Record: 65 R. A. D. McMillan
Ladies Course Record:


Roll of Honour
Mrs. R. Sherrard 1989 Ladies Captain
J. R. McSpadden 1989 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1989 President
Lady Campbell 1990 Ladies Captain
R. K. M. Pollin 1990 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1990 President
Mrs. M. Donaghy 1991 Ladies Captain
S. M. Taylor 1991 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1991 President
Mrs. J. Hunter 1992 Ladies Captain
R. S. Adamson 1992 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1992 President
Mrs. J. L. Taylor 1993 Ladies Captain
J. V. McDowell 1993 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1993 President
Mrs. A. P. Belford 1994 Ladies Captain
D. S. Boyd 1994 Men's Captain
H. Maxhadden 1994 President
Mrs. S. F. Stafford 1995 Ladies Captain
R. M. Megran 1995 Men's Captain
John MacDermott 1995 President
Mrs. N. L. Dunbar 1996 Ladies Captain
J. H. Finlay 1996 Men's Captain
John MacDermott 1996 President
Mrs. M. A. Ross 1997 Ladies Captain
A. S. Ditty 1997 Men's Captain
John MacDermott 1997 President
Mrs. M. C. Taylor 1998 Ladies Captain
J. R. B. Kane 1998 Men's Captain
John MacDermott 1998 President
Mrs. D. Hall 1999 Ladies Captain
Mrs MacDermott 1999 Ladies President
J. G. Wilson 1999 Men's Captain
John MacDermott 1999 President
Mrs. E. Haldane 2000 Ladies Captain
Mrs MacDermott 2000 Ladies President
R. Connolly 2000 Men's Captain
John McDermott 2000 President
Mrs. D. Adamson 2001 Ladies Captain
Mrs. G. B. Wheeler 2001 Ladies President
A. J. Gibson 2001 Men's Captain
Mr. D. Moreland 2001 President
Mrs. H. Webb 2002 Ladies Captain
Mrs. G. B. Wheeler 2002 Ladies President
W. B. Leckey 2002 Men's Captain
Mr. D. Moreland 2002 President
Mrs. H. P. Stout 2003 Ladies Captain
Mrs. G. B. Wheeler 2003 Ladies President
T. A. Burgess 2003 Men's Captain
Mr. D. Moreland 2003 President
P. H. Ditty 2004 Ladies Captain
Mrs. G. B. Wheeler 2004 Ladies President
J. M. Graham 2004 Men's Captain
Dawson Moreland 2004 President
Phyllis Park 2005 Ladies Captain
Ruth Hunter 2005 Ladies President
Tom B. Rankin 2005 Men's Captain
Dawson Moreland 2005 President
Audrey MacAfee 2006 Ladies Captain
Ruth Hunter 2006 Ladies President
Michael Park 2006 Men's Captain
Dawson Moreland 2006 President
Ester McKee 2007 Ladies Captain
Ruth Hunter 2007 Ladies President
Peter Copeland 2007 Men's Captain
Dawson Moreland 2007 President
R. McDowell 2007 Lowest Men's H'cap





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