Elite Traveler January-February 2018

INSPIRE TOP GOLF COURSES

Royal County Down NEWCASTLE, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK

Situated beneath the imposing Mountains of Mourne, stretching along the rugged shores of Dundrum Bay next to the Irish Sea, Royal County Down is beautifully dramatic. It’s been ranked as the number one course in the world by Golf Digest (2016) and is Rory McIlroy’s favorite course. Measuring an astounding 7,204 yards from the back tees, the course has some of the most photographed holes in the world, notably the ninth hole, a 486-yard par four that’s played from one side of a vast mound down to a fairway 60ft below and 260 yards from the tee. It’s one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland and dates back to 1889, when Old TomMorris was paid the princely sum of four guineas (around $7) to build it. Par Championship Links 71; Annesley Links 66 Tournaments hosted Senior British Open, Walker Cup, Irish Open, Curtis Cup, The Amateur Championship

Pine Valley Golf Club CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, USA

Pine Valley has been topping world’s best lists since 1985, thanks to the impeccable design allowing for a consistent level of challenge and conditioning at each hole. Johnny Miller summed this up by saying, “There are no weak holes, every single one is a masterpiece.” Membership to Pine Valley is extremely exclusive — there’s thought to be only around 900 members, and the male-only membership is strictly by invitation from the board of directors. Rumor has it that even TomWatson, an eight-time majors champion, was turned away, as he didn’t have a tee time. Despite being a firm favorite course, Pine Valley has hosted very few tournaments. The club has stated that they have no intention to remove trees or alter the layout of the course in order to host a major tournament, but on the last Sunday of each September, The Crump Cup is played here. An invitational golf tournament for amateurs, the cup, named after founder and course architect George Arthur Crump, offers the public a chance to tour the famed course and view tournament play — the only time of year this is possible. Par 70 Tournaments hosted Walker Cup, The Crump Cup Notable members George HW Bush, Bob Hope, Tom Fazio, Sean Connery, Jay Sigel

Photos Aidan Bradley, Stephen Szurlej