We navigate our way through the roadblocks set in place for the NW200 and arrive at a clubhouse more modern than the car we have hired. Portstewart has 54 holes and we will play Strand, the oldest course, Old Course, is on the other side of town. Rain but no wind, with drops the size of ping-pong balls, so LINKS75 keeps indoors as long as possible with just a disused automatic coffee machine as company. Our best friends – head covers from Iliac – stay behind. Once on the 1st tee links delight rises to unexpected heights. Have we seen a better opening hole? Highest Links75 class. A par 4 with an elevated tee and view over a landscape filled with monstrous sand dunes. Two straight drives later and we are in the labyrinth. An early beaming smile that lasts the whole round. The 2nd creates even greater joy – high, narrow tee shot between two enormous sand dunes with a waiting brook opposite a long, slender green – wonderful.
Second Green, Portstewart
The 3rd – a par 3 – runs from the 2nd green down towards the source of the brook. LINKS75 flexes its muscles and smacks the white gold into the jungle behind the green. A machete is brought forth and the ball liberated from its imprisonment, once again in play! Towards the 4th- a par 5. In 1992 nature was allowed to take the course in yet another journey amongst the dunes – Thistly Hollows. We produce long drives and stable play up to the expectant green, and find insane pin placements. The 5th – par 4 – is 449 yards from an elevated tee, inviting power. The approach is played from a slight counter-slope through a classic dune gateway to a narrow green. We get a positive feeling of deja vu from Tralee. The 6th – a par 3 of LINKS75 class – is a short iron over a ravine towards a flag on the back edge. In the sand dune a shelter has been built as protection against Northern Ireland’s weather, or maybe just a place to sit and contemplate a weak fade.
Hiding from the rain?
In the background we hear the sound of motors revving and bikes speeding round at 200mph, as qualifying for the race has started. On the 7th – a par 5 – following a long drive we watch Davis Love walk off the finely-cut putting surface before we go for an eagle but push the shot too far into a hollow on the right. Pitch and putt – par. On the 9th, “the best 350 yards par 4 in the country”, we try and hit to the left but end up to the right, once again in a massive hollow. We finally emerge from the labyrinth still with a broad, 9-hole link’s smile. On the 10th Davis Love waves us through so LINKS75 answers with aplomb – applause please! The ping-pong balls once again attack and we are again stuck in a hollow in front of the 11th. What links delight – Happy Hollows. The 12th, a par 3 from elevated tee, borrows a sand dune from the first nine – cunning. On the 13th – par 5 – major reconstruction is going on to all the bunkers. LINKS75 tries them out and lands its ball near one of the workers as it does again on the 15th.
14th, Portstewart
The 16th heads up towards the clubhouse but swings down towards the 17th – a par 4 – 428 yards into the wind. A humungous happy- hollow lies in front of the green. We attempt to master the hole but with little success. Only the 18th remains and LINKS75 finishes with a classic par, we shake hands all smiles. Despite cats and dogs falling from the heavens we want to play the first nine again. Real links delight. After discussing Eskilstuna and Gotland in the shop we drive home along the evening’s race circuit.
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