126 - Portstewart Golf Club (Riverside)

Location: Portstewart, Northern Ireland

Rating: 7.5

I love Portstewart as a golf club, it has the prestige of one of the top courses in Northern Ireland but comes across as a course for the people. Everyone is super friendly, super helpful and on a day where myself and my friend were due to play Galgorm which was closed due to rain we turned our attention to the coast of Portstewart was our first option.

The PGA pro was very kind to find us a time on the Riverside course and as we’d played the Strand a year before (which you absolutely must play once in your lifetime) we figured the Riverside wasn’t a bad alternative.

It is, like second courses can be, a bit shorter at a par 68 but by no means any easier as there are plenty of streams, thick rough and even a marsh to hit over on a blind tee shot on the par 4 9th. Despite being stroke index 18, that blind tee shot can play havoc with your score on that hole. When the wind gets up it can be very challenging as like any links.

It still has some of the charm of the main course and at £35 quid a round I think is a pretty good option and definitely worth bolting on to your round if playing the Strand.