An 18-hole parkland course on the 210-acre Dark Hedges Estate near Stranocum — yes, that Dark Hedges, a few minutes’ walk away. About 15 miles/25 minutes from Portrush, 50 miles from Belfast.
History
The estate’s ownership traces back to a royal charter under King James VI/I in the early 1600s. Gracehill House itself was built in 1775. The Gaines family bought the farm in 1971, gave up farming in 1991, and converted it into a golf course, engaging American designer Frank Ainsworth (also behind Roe Park, opened two years earlier in 1993) to lay out an American-style parkland course around the estate’s streams and ponds. It opened in 1995 — 6,525 yards, par 72, widely regarded as one of the toughest parkland courses in Ireland, with five lakes and two rivers in play.
The course
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crow’s Nest | 336 | 4 |
| 2 | Calhame | 356 | 4 |
| 3 | The Knowe | 378 | 4 |
| 4 | Frank’s | 492 | 5 |
| 5 | Iderown | 440 | 4 |
| 6 | Serenity | 365 | 4 |
| 7 | McCool’s Quarry | 182 | 4 |
| 8 | Keyhole | 386 | 4 |
| 9 | Willows | 486 | 5 |
| 10 | Dougherty Burns | 455 | 4 |
| 11 | Fuchsia Island | 163 | 3 |
| 12 | Sycamore | 467 | 5 |
| 13 | Knockmore | 410 | 4 |
| 14 | Wing ‘N’ A Prayer | 200 | 3 |
| 15 | Amen | 500 | 5 |
| 16 | Oasis | 145 | 3 |
| 17 | Silver Birch | 359 | 4 |
| 18 | Yew Turn | 405 | 4 |
Green fees
Weekday (Mon–Fri): £40 standard, £25 for early-bird/twilight rounds on Mondays and Tuesdays, £20 accompanied by a member. Weekend (Sat–Sun): £45 standard, £25 accompanied by a member. Check the club’s current rates for student/junior pricing.
Contact
141 Ballinlea Road, Stranocum, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, BT53 8PX · 028 2075 1209 · gracehillgolfclub.co.uk
