Castletown

Spanning the majority of the historic Langness Peninsula on the Isle of Man, Castletown Golf Links is bounded on all sides by the Irish Sea and represents links golf at its very best. 

Old Tom Morris, Dr Alister MacKenzie and Philip MacKenzie Ross have all had a hand in the design of the course at Castletown throughout the club’s history. 

If you are a fan of links golf in its purest form, where you can smell the sea with every shot and feel a sharp wind with every step, a visit to Castletown should be considered a necessity. 

Visit Castletown's website here.

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Many clubs are able to hang their hat on the fact that their course was designed by one of the greats of golf course architecture – Castletown can say it has three of them in its history. 

Originally formed in 1892, the great Old Tom Morris was drafted in to design the original layout at Castletown, on the Langness Peninsula. 

Prior to the First World War, Dr Alister MacKenzie came to Castletown to make alterations, with Philip MacKenzie Ross also having a hand in the layout later in the 20th Century.

Thanks to its location, situated on the Langness Peninsula, and bounded by the Irish Sea on three sides, the layout features cliff top fairways, grassy dunes which are peppered with yawning bunkers, improbable outcrops and beach lined greens. No two lies are the same here, and the turf boasts that wonderful sandy texture which makes ball striking an absolute delight. The Langness Peninsula, on which the course is set, is also a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI). It contains evidence of human population spanning back over 8000 years from the Mesolithic period onwards. The coast also brings its own special brand of wildlife, bird life and plant life, and a backdrop of the golden gorse flower and the purple heather adds to the colourful island experience.

The golf course itself can stretch to 6,800 yards from the back tees, but it gets underway with a gentle, drivable par 4. ‘First’ is only 255 yards from the tips, but with bunkers on either side of the green, do you risk it with your opening tee shot of the day? The 2nd is one of the few holes that does not feature the Irish Sea, so make the most of it! The 3rd is the first of the trio of par 5s, and the longest hole on the course at 570 yards. Playing as a dog-leg left, there is no real danger off the tee, but sand and gorse bushes come into play on the approach.

A trio of par 4s take you through the middle of the front nine, with the 4th featuring an almost-right angle dog-leg to the left. Gorse lines the left side of the fairway, so aim out to the right, though this will leave a longer shot into a green protected by more gorse and a trio of bunkers. How much of the Irish Sea do you want to take on? That is the question on the 5th tee, as this 425-yard par 4 winds its way around the coastline, with the water on its right. Gorse down the left makes it a very tricky prospect. 6 is gentler, with a wider fairway to attack from the tee. It is still more than 400 yards in length, but with a good links bounce off the fairway, you won’t have too much club in for your second.

7 is the next par, and another that pushes the 570-yard mark form the tips. Like the 3rd, it is also a dog-leg left, with the bunker on the inside corner needing to be avoided. OOB looms to the right thanks to the road and the property boundary. The 8th is the first short hole on the course. It is 165 yards, and the miss is to the left of this green, with thicker rough sitting to the right. The Irish Sea comes into play, more in your mind than reality, on the 9th. The ideal line is down the left side of the fairway, to give yourself the best angle into this putting surface. The back nine also starts with a medium-length par 4 featuring a slight dog-leg right. There is a trio of bunkers by the green, but they represent the only real danger on this hole.

11 is one of the toughest holes at Castletown, simply thanks to its length of more than 440 yards. However, there are no bunkers in play off the tee, with plenty of space to the left of this fairway into light rough. Four traps guard the green, one that is narrower at the front than it is at the back. The last of the par 5s comes at the 12th. Back inland from the Irish Sea, sand is the problem here, with no fewer than eight bunkers in play down this 530-yard par 5. 13 is the shortest hole on the course at just 135 yards. A large bunker sits in front of the round putting surface, making club selection crucial – especially if the wind is blowing across the Peninsula.

The par 4s at 14 and 15 take you to the southernmost point of the course. Both are just shy of the 400-yard mark, with the 14th having more of a turn to the right in it, while 15 is relatively straightaway. The 16th is the last of the par 3s, and the longest of those at 190 yards. It has a narrow, peanut-shaped green, and a singular bunker sitting to the right of it. Come away with a par and you’ll be happy ahead of the final two difficult holes.

From the back tees, you get to play across the Irish Sea for the second time in your round at the 17th. This time, the tee shot is over the cliff edge, and aimed towards a narrow fairway. Large mounds in the fairway make it virtually impossible for you to get a flat lie, so take that into account ahead of your approach. The final hole at Castletown Golf Links is another cracking par 4. The fairway feels like it sits atop the cliffs, so anything to the right will look like it is finding its way into the water. The approach is played over another gap in the cliffs to the green, so distance control is vital on your final approach shot of the day.

Where is Castletown Golf Links located?

Castletown Golf Links is situated at the southern tip of the Isle of Man, on the Langness Peninsula. It occupies two-thirds of the Langness Peninsula, with the majority of the course being surrounded by water on three sides. The course is just south of Derbyhaven, with the town of Castletown itself around two miles to the west of the golf club. The island’s capital city, Douglas, is around 12 miles to the north.

There are two ways of getting to the Isle of Man, either by air or by sea. Ronaldsway Airport, the main airport on the Isle of Man, is just three miles from Castletown, as it is located in the south of the isle. There are flights to Ronaldsway from the majority of UK and Irish cities, including Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London. Liverpool, Dublin and Belfast are also three of the best ways to get to the Isle of Man via ferry, along with Heysham in Cumbria. The ferry takes around three hours from each of those ports, arriving in Douglas, around a 15-mile journey to the golf club.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s venues nearby?

Castletown Golf Links is the only venue on the Isle of Man that is worthy of a spot on the NCG Top 100s list. However, if you’re making the trip to the Isle, then there are seven other golf courses you can play, including Port St Mary, King Edward Bay, Douglas and Rowany.

What golf facilities does Castletown Golf Links offer?

Despite the lack of space on the Langness Peninsula, the club still has a driving range, but you do have to drive from the clubhouse to get to it, as it sits at the southern end of the course, by the 15th and 16th holes. There is also a wedge game area, along with a putting green by the clubhouse. Castletown also has an indoor facility, which you can hire out to put the work in before you take to the course.

What are the green fees at Castletown Golf Links?

The price of a green fee at Castletown Golf Links changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Castletown, visit their website here.