Portrush & Portstewart are adjacent towns and the obvious location for accommodation when playing the Causway Coast courses. Bushmills is 10 minutes east and home to both the distillery and the iconic Bushmills Inn. Newcastle is the accommodation town when playing Royal County Down and is home to the also iconic Slieve Donard Hotel. Belfast can be considered as a base for golf in Northern Ireland or to visit on down days.
Portstewart and Portrush are both seaside resort towns and both offer a range of accommodation, however there are no 5***** properties in the area, although the Bushmills Inn in nearby Bushmills comes close.
Newcastle, Co. Down is also a seaside resort although the accommodation available is more limited than on the north coast.
Belfast is 1¼ hours from Portrush and Portstewart and just over an hour to Ardglass and Newcastle. As such it is not discounted as an accommodation base for golf tours including the famous links.
Derry City is sometimes considered as an alternative to staying at both Ballyliffin/Culdaff and Portstewart/Portrush. Again the convenience of one accommodation is offset by the extra travel to and from the golf courses...
The Causeway Coast is one of the most visited attraction in Ireland. From Portrush to Ballycastle the coastline is dramatic and the highlight is undoubtedly The Giant's Causeway. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is another popular attraction as indeed is the old Bushmills Distillery. The coastal route from Ballycastle to Larne is one of Ireland's most scenic while in Belfast itself the Titanic Centre is a must see attraction.
Belfast city is now a safe, modern and cosmopolitan city with a rich heritage. 'The Troubles' although over are not forgotten and poltical wall murals on either side of the divide are a popular excursion as is the Crumlin Road Gaol Experince. Belfast's botanic gardens are located near Queen's University.
The Mourne Mountains dominate the skyline at Newcastle and a trip up and into their heart to Silent Valley is recommended. Here the Mourne Wall protects the Belfast water supply and can be walked - it is a lonely and peaceful place. East of Newcastle and not far from Ardglass is the town of Downpatrick home to the only permanent museum honouring Ireland's patron saint. St. Patirck was reputed to have originally been held as a slave on the slopes of the Slemish Mountains (near Ballymena north of Belfast) and having returned to convert Ireland to Christianity is reputed to have died and been buried in the graveyard at Downpatrick Cathedral.
Both Newcastle and Belfast are 2 hours from Dublin Airport. Belfast City Airport is an option for those routing through London Heathrow or hubs such as Amstersam or Paris. City of Derry Airport is also a possibilty from Heathrow and very convenient for both Portstewart/Portush and for Ballyliffin.
Belfast International Airport no longer has direct services from North America so North American golfers either land at Dublin Airport or transit through Heathrow to either Belfast City Airport or City of Derry Airport.
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