What it's like to visit Rory McIlroy's childhood golf club

During a recent and memorable visit to Northern Ireland, Golfshake Ambassador Andy Picken had the exciting opportunity to visit the childhood golf club of career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy.

After a very restful night staying at the nearby Culloden Estate & Spa, my party visited Holywood Golf Club for an early tee time to sample the delights of Rory McIlroy's childhood course.

They operate a dual scorecard system, offering the front nine as a short version of the course as it culminates at the clubhouse. Option two features the full 18 holes and includes the awesome climb up a steep gradient that allows access to the back nine.

This part of the course is a later addition as more ground was acquired and offers some jaw dropping views across the harbour, Belfast Lough, and the airport.

Holywood has an ecclesiastical connection based on Nuns Walk (location and name of the 6th hole) thought to have been created on land previously used by the church. The Holywood has not been traced but was clearly connected to the venue and its origins. The timing of the creation of the golf course coincided with the massive upturn in the local economy and the productivity of the shipyards.

How Good is Holywood Golf Club?

I perceived the front nine to be the easier of the two nines because of the gradient. The second nine wraps around the mountainside with uneven lies for many shots unless you are accurate enough to always land on the designated areas. 

The first nine holes were created on the flatter land with several parallel holes. These are provided with extra protection by the provision of some internal out of bounds making the positioning of the tee shot crucial to successful play.

The green complexes were all in excellent condition. Many of them are elevated with some very harsh and severe run-off slopes for any shots that were just a little bit off-line.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing the first nine holes, having been regaled by stories about Rory’s prowess as a youngster. He joined the club as an eight-year-old, breaking par for the first time a year later!

All the short holes are excellent in condition and location. I particularly liked the short 6th that plays from an elevated tee box to a tightly protected green with a residential area in the background heightening the feeling of a difficult tee shot.

The pro shop offers respite after the first nine with excellent coffees available. You then have to prepare yourself for the steep climb to the 10th tee.

Course planners and ball markers had sold out such is the level of current interest from visiting American golfers. I met a couple of those guys at this point as they prepared to start the round. One had such an affinity for Rory that he had chosen to play here rather than a much higher graded course nearby as part of his golfing group. I caught up with him after this round, and he was delighted at the experience of choosing Holywood with its McIlroy influences and legacy. 

Rory McIlroy's Legacy at Holywood Golf Club

Rory has a permanent car parking spot allocated to him.  

In the clubhouse he has donated many of his major trophies for display and to inspire future generations. The memorabilia on display is simply amazing, and we were given permission to handle it and examine it closely. 

This is a rare treat and the closest I will ever come to lifting any major golfing trophy.

These are Rory’s personal replica trophies, with an entire room given over to illustrate his prowess in both the majors and Ryder Cup. 

This is a very well curated collection, but it also includes other eminent golfers linked to Holywood Golf Club. These include Rory’s caddie Harry Diamond, who was the Ulster Boys Under 18 champion. I had not appreciated he played golf to a seriously high standard. Tom McKibbin is also another who started his golfing career at this venue.

If you want to walk in their footsteps, you can learn more by visiting the club's official website.