Activities in County Down

Four of the six places listed here are golf clubs, a fair measure of what this coastline is known for. Royal County Down’s Championship Links runs through the dunes at Newcastle beneath the Mourne Mountains and has topped Golf Digest’s world rankings, though visitor access is limited and green fees reach £450; the shorter Annesley Links is the quicker, cheaper round on the same coast. Ardglass, half an hour away, plays along the cliffs with the Irish Sea in play on eight holes, and its clubhouse is a fortified warehouse dating to around 1405.

Ardglass stands on Ringfad, a headland whose rocks have wrecked ships for two centuries, and a shore path carries on from there to Killough, so a round can be paired with a walk. Further south at Kilkeel, the Mourne Seafood Cookery School works out of the Nautilus Centre on the harbour, running hands-on classes and tasting demonstrations in a kitchen that looks out over the trawlers.

The other two sit at the northern end of the county, on Belfast Lough. Culloden Estate & Spa occupies an 1876 bishop’s residence in 12 acres on the Holywood Hills, and Royal Belfast, founded in 1881 and the oldest club on the island, plays along the south shore at Craigavad. Both are within easy reach of Belfast; the Mourne and Lecale entries need a drive.