Golfing holidays and golf breaks in England.
Castletown Golf Club
Fort Island, Derbyhaven, Isle of Man, IM9 1UA
Voted No. 87 in the Golf Monthly/HSBC
Top 120 UK Course Rankings - November 2006
With water on all sides and two magnificent bays carving great swathes along each flank, Castletown is a dramatic and wonderfully natural site for a golf course situated on the Isle of Man.
The course itself matches the setting, easily qualifying in the top echelons of links courses in the British Isles. The greens are small and often protected more by the traditional links humps and hollows than by excessive bunkering. There are only three short holes, all of them excellent, and despite the fact that the opening hole qualifies as a par four by just one yard, it is uphill and birdies are most definitely not guaranteed.
Castletown has its own Road Hole. Unlike its namesake at St Andrews, where the road is very much a playing hazard, at Castletown's fifth, the road marks the out of bounds line between the fairway and the beautiful sandy cove around which the hole is set. At more than 400 yards, the hole needs little more protection than the constant threat of the beach, the gorse on the left and the natural shaping of the fairway. One lone bunker threatens the tee shot and one more spreads itself across the entrance to the green, but well short of the putting surface.
The other hole which is always worth a serious post-mortem over a few drinks is the 17th - all 432 yards of it along the top of the cliff. Over the last few million years, the rain, wind and sea have bitten a chunk out of the fairway that nature intended for this hole. Now, from the back tee, the carry is not far short of 200 yards over the frothing water. There is little room for the less adventurous so no-one is forced to thrash balls into the ocean, but the challenge is hard to resist.
Instead of the usual clubhouse, Castletown is able to offer golfers far more comprehensive services in the beautifully situated Castletown Golf Links Hotel. A full range of country club facilities are on offer including indoor swimming pool and sauna. There is also a club bar with a large snooker room adjoining. All other hotel amenities are available with various bars, restaurant and lounges.
No. of holes: 18
Length: 6707 yards
Par: 72
Course Type: Links
To take your golf break a stage further, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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