I played the BEST golf course on the planet (absolutely incredible)

Oh my goodness. Is this real? This is a dream. This really is a dream. Royal County Down here in Northern Ireland. One of the greatest golf courses in the world. My heart is pumping out my chest. Let's go. It just looks out of this world. Happy days. What do you think Rick? It really is. Now this is a special one. Royal County Down here in Northern Ireland. Often ranked either the first, second or third best golf course in the entire world. This is a dream. This really is a dream. I've got a bucket list of golf courses I must play before I die and this is on it. And right now, I'm getting the honour to play this golf. Just come and look at this. This is the opening hole. I mean it just doesn't look real. We've got very, very, very, very lucky with the weather. It was throwing it down yesterday when we should have played. We moved the tee time to today. Thankfully, the sun is out shining. It just looks incredible. Now, I'm not going to do this golf course disservice. I'm going to put up the back tees, the blue tees and that is 7,206 yards past 71. However, it's got a rating of 75.9. For me, if I get anything in the 70s today, obviously, this is break 75 here at Royal County Down. One of the best golf courses, if not the best golf course in the entire world. Anything in the 70s, I'd be delighted. But now, I'm not on my own today. I'm going to play on my own. I've got the professional services of Brendi. Brendi. Are you going to guide me around this beautiful golf course? Yes. How many times do you reckon you've carried around here? I've lost count. Really? Hundreds? Thousands? Yes. Thousands? Wow. Okay. How many have played off the blues? Not very many. Okay. Not very many. We'll see how we go. I'm excited about this. This is the home of this year's 2024 Irish Open. It's going to be taking place in September. This is also, Rory McIlroy is a member of this golf club. Yes, he is. What do I need to know about this golf course? I was very relaxed and chilled and all of a sudden, I'm stood in this first tee going, Oh my God, I'm having some interesting feelings going on. What do people normally feel like when they come to play Royal County Down? As you can see, Rick, first with two loops of nane holes, front nane is more on the coast side here and then the back nane is a bit more inland. If you keep your ball in the fairway today, you're going to enjoy your golf. Just keep it out of the long grass. I love that advice. I love your optimism. Let's kick things off here at the best, I mean this today, in this conditions, if my golf ball plays well and the driver does alright, this could quite easily become my number one favourite golf course in the world. Absolutely, let's make it happen. Quite easily. Already, it's having that impact on me. So just down the right side of the fairway. Right half of the fairway there, Rick. It's nice and open and porphyred here. This is so, everything about the place is just incredible. It's like so well manicured but also so natural. You know, there's bits of it that just look perfect and other areas where just nature looks like it's just kind of filling that space really. White flag in the distance I guess but keep it right of that. Oh no. Is that out of bounds? Not yet. It might be now. Your only fingers are going to be on the ground. Let's get up there and have a look at the view. Is this actually real life right now? Look at this. You've got the mountains in the background. They're called the Moor Mountains, right? Yep. Moor Mountains, the highest one in Sleaf Donner. And, do you want to know the really good news? Brendy with his eagle eyes, where's it gone now? I should have left the mark on it. Hang on. Brendy with his eagle eyes had found it and now we've lost it again. It was on one of these posts. Got it, got it, got it. Oh, there it is. This one. There we go. Okay. We're in play. Relax Rick. It's something we've all counted down. It's something of one of the golf courses I've always wanted to play in my life. But yeah, we're alright. We're safe. Main thing, Rick, is just get her back into play. Yeah, this is pretty nasty. What's over that hill? I hope we've got more out here. Okay. Take my medicine. Over my head, Rick. Okay. Alright, let's get us back in play. We're late. Alright. We're back. Alright, took my medicine. Third shot into this hole. It's 240 pin, but with it being linked, it'll probably fire forward. I'm going to try and chase something down there with three iron. Come on. Keep drawing. Keep going. Come on. Might just get caught up there. Look at that. There's not many courses you get a sea view and a mountain view and just this property, this piece of land to build a golf course on. Happy days. Let's try and do it some service though, eh? Most of our greens, Rick, slope from back to front. So if you're always short of the flag, you leave yourself an uphill putt. Okay. It's a little right to left, but if you go too far right, it actually will break off. Okay. Fourth shot into this first hole. Be a nice little up and down. Save my par. Not much going on. I mean, it's just, I say not much going on apart from everything going on, which makes this hole so fantastic. Short of the green, run it up, at least an up and down. Oh, Rick, didn't it? Anyway, just have one hole, let the nerve settle. It's all I need. Oh, that wasn't my finest. Just like so. Just feel a little bit. Just need to relax. Need to relax into this round sooner rather than later. Like that line? Pretty good. Yeah. Any more left? Or are you happy with that? No. That looks pretty good. You're talking about two feet and a half there. Yeah. Let's not do anything silly. Roll it close. Go ball. Making tough work of the first hole. Okay, Rick, come on. Don't want to be making double on the first. Okay. Breathe, everyone. Breathe. Breathe, everyone. Calm it down. All right? Everyone just calm down. Everybody stay calm. Stay f****** calm. I have to take a bogey and just get out of that first hole. As incredible as it is, my heart is pumping out of my chest. Wow. Really special. It's actually unbelievable. How is this a golf course? It just looks out of this world. All right, guys, just a quick one. Before we continue with the video, I want to give a huge shout out to my golf group, Travel, who set up this wonderful trip in Northern Ireland and Ireland. They are one of the number one travel groups in Northern Ireland and Ireland. Definitely check them out. Link in the description below. Okay. Second hole, par four, 444 yards. Where are we hitting this, Brenda? Right. See the black and white post, Rick? Yeah. You keep her five to 10 yards left of that. Left of that? Yeah. Is there room left or not? There's room left of that. Yeah. Super drive. Perfect. That's it? Yeah, that's good. Okay. Let's go. Okay. I have to split in the fairway here on number two. That was more like it. 164 yards to the pin. A-tine. Full A-tine in hand. I want to be just left of that pin, apparently. Oh, I pushed it. Much over there? Okay. Safe there. Safe, Les. Ah. Just pushed it. You know what it feels like? I've done, obviously, some of these 10-shot challenges with some of the biggest names in the world of golf. The feeling I have when I play there is like the feeling I'm having today, but the competitor isn't a world-class tour player. It's this. One of the greatest golf courses in the world. I feel like it's intimidating me. This golf course is like, come on, then, Rick. Think you can come around here and shoot 75, do you? Okay. I mean, by the way, golf course, I don't think I can shoot 75 round there, but that's obviously the goal. It's just, it's, I mean, it's speechless. Okay. So, my second shot just found this little runoff area. It wasn't bad for distance, just slightly pushed it. You know it's going to be putter from here every day of the week for me. Up the hill. Let's roll it close. Go. A wee bit further. Yeah. It just needed that little bit more. A little testing par put here on number two. Kind of just over six feet. Right to left up the hill, Brenda? Yep. Perfect. These greens look absolutely stunning. Pure. Needed hitting. Needed hitting on that line. Okay. Bogey, bogey start. Not the finest work, but again, just easing into this round. Third hole, four, seven, five. Just green light with driver. A little bit of wind off your aid, but more or less, green tape bunker left. Not there. Okay. All that fairway to it. All that bloody fairway. It's over really. Okay. Second shot into number three. Bit of a blind shot here, 195 yards to the front, so I'm going to just try and fly this out with a seven iron and absolutely rifle it there. Left. I see that's maybe called bongo. Okay. Third, second shot found the bunker. Third shot from the bunker. It's just sat up on a little old fashioned santee. It's got to be a good bunker shot. Got to get up and down really. Got to make a par. Totally blind from here. I'm just, I've got a line. I'm just going to have to guess the distance a little bit. Well aid. Bit short. Yep. All right. It's bang on line. Just a wee bit short. Okay. Big par putt coming up here now on three. Need to get a par on the card pretty quickly. A cop and a half on your left there. Pretty flat. It's always leaking. Oh, Rick. Just trying to force that par stupidly and blasted it through the break. Oh, look. Okay. Fighting for bogeys right now. I'm holding a couple of good putts for bogeys. Three over through three. Not looked yet. I've come up this big steep hill here on to fourth. Oh my goodness. Oh my gosh. What? Is this real? I mean, look at it. It's scenic. It's natural. It's beautiful. It's scary. Look at it. I had to make a golf ball down towards that flag down there. It's a par three playing about 230 yards. But look at that. So here we go. Fourth hole, par three. Just when I kind of could do with a respite, I've got 229 yard par three with this scenery. But make it count, Rick. Three iron straight at it. Wind just a little bit off the left, Brendan. Just off the left. Go on. Get back there. Go on. Release it. Can't quite tell, Brendan. 15 feet right. 15 feet right at the flag? Yeah. Just short. Good shot. Let's go. Let's start this party here on the most incredible par three. One of the most incredible I've ever played. Up the hill, right to left for a real opportunity. An opportunity to make par. Let's start with that first. Let's not get too greedy. I need to react a bit quicker. Spending too much time over the putt. Okay. Here we go. This might be a rare feat today. In for par. Good to me. Fifth hole, 440 yard par four. Beautiful. I mean, every hole's beautiful. It's not like a broken record. Keep saying that. But I'm going to go three wood. Need to find fairway. That's number one priority this round. Oh. Missed it, but terrible strike. Still 215 front there. Four iron, three iron. I would go four, even five. Pin has just left the center. So as long as you're a little right of that, it's good. See the little bunker in front of you there? Yeah. Over the left side of it. Anything else down there? No. Once you get over them bunkers, it's all far away. Okay. After a bit of a weak three wood shot there, just in this rough, 215 yards away, I'm going to stripe a five iron and see if we can get a bit of a flyer out of this rough. Good lane. If it runs, it's good. Yep. Okay. Just short of the green here on hole number five. I'm taking putter. I think you'd have probably guessed. As much as I would genuinely, I'm more confident at chipping these now. If I need to make par, it's putter every day. Got to be firm, give it a good hit, uphill all the way, right to left. Go on. Good effort. It just, I didn't expect it to go right then. Yeah, just at the end of turn, but great putt. Listen, think what you want, it would have taken me a hundred chip shots to get closer than that then. Okay. Little two footer, two and a half footer for par, right to left, just on that edge and drop it in. Yeah, I like it. I like that. Back to back pars, let's go. We're rocking. We are rocking. What have we got coming up now, Brendy? Sixth hole, another blind tee shot. One of the shortest par fours in the course, but it's no means easy. There's not been that many short holes so far. No. That stone's more or less for these tees, but if you can just go slightly left of it. Okay, the stone on the hill. Yeah. Driver? No, three wood here. Yep. That was nice. Good. That was very nice. After a really good tee shot, three wood off the tee. I just finished on this slight uphill, but that's part of Lynx golf, so it's going to just be a little bit elevated. I've got 119 flag. This is one of the shorter holes on the golf course, so we just need to capitalise ideally. I'm going to hit a full gap wedge, a bit too far right. Don't spin off the green. It's okay. Just a bit short. Okay, so it's just off the green. It landed up there and just spun back a little bit, but I don't mind this putt. Just off the right, Brendy. It goes back right at the end. It's right the left at the start and then breaks right at the end. Okay. Back the other way? Yeah. That's a slight double breaker. Roll it in. Oh, just needed that extra few feet. Three pars in a row though. We'll take that. Yep. Nice one. So, Brendy, what have we got here, pal? 124 to the flag there, Rick. Shortest par three out here. Didn't you say it's the shortest par five? Shortest par five. Yep. So just left of the pin. Just slightly left of the flag where the pin is today. What's my carry number? You have 99 to carry the bunker, 100 yards to carry the bunker. But hit like a 110. 110 is perfect. That's in the hole. That looks good. That looks close from here. That's really good. Birdie time, Rick. It's birdie time. It really is. Okay. Big putt here after a really nice iron shot. Not an easy green to hit this. It's a birdie and to get to two over par. Oh. Really wanted that birdie. All right. Three over, three seven. Eighth hole, par four. Stroke index one. I feel like I've played five stroke index ones so far. 429 yards. I'm guessing at the bunker in the middle. Second bunker on your left side there, Rick. Yep. I'm going to pick a point at the top of that mountain. See it down? I think I hit the par from the right. Yeah. Not a bad hit. Just a little bit leaky right. Second shot here into eight. Just leaked it off to the right-hand side, but nothing too dangerous. 155 yards to the flag. I'm going to hit nine iron, and I need to find the green. Be good. Come on. Keep coming. Just maybe leaked right. Hopefully, it's carried enough. We'll be on the green. If not, it may have kicked off. Okay. I've actually hit a really nice second shot in there. We both thought, me and Brendy thought, we'd both hit it a little bit too far right. But this is perfect. Proper. I'm going to hit the green. Birdie opportunity. I'm knocking at the door, Brendy. Yeah. Time to hold one here, Rick. All right. Come on. Let's open my birdie account here at Royal County Down. I'm not going to get many opportunities. Right to left. A little bit down the hill. Break. I just stayed there. I think I went a little bit too far right. Yeah. It wasn't much. About a ball or something, if even. In for another par. On a bit of a par run, though. We'll take that. Ninth hole, 483 yard, par four. Some of these holes are massive, but let's find fairway again. Let's finish with the front nine with a birdie would be incredible. Too far left. A little bit tight. Just pulled it a fraction. Pulled it a little, but it was good straight. Wow. That's what they were saying. Comes from where the mountains have morned, sweep down to the sea. Okay. Second shot here into nine. I'm 200 yards to the front of the green, 215 to the pin. I'm going to hit a low flighted five iron and try and chase it up there. I just want to stay left of the pin, Brandy. Yeah. Just slightly left there, Rick. Straighten out with the wind. Looks good. Just doing it. Go on. Front left. Yeah. We're on the green. Long, long, long putt now. See the two wee bits of grass over there. On your left. Yeah, I can. On that. The one on the left's pretty good. For another par. Well, this is for birdie, but two putt par is the goal. Oh. I didn't think that was going to be as pacey. Testing par putt now to finish the nine. Firm up the hill, right to left. Didn't hit it. I'd missed it before I putted that. Oh, that's a shame. That's ruined my par run. Four over front nine. Listen, after the way I started, I'd probably, well, I'd definitely take that. Okay. Tenth hole, par three, 177 yards. We're 180 playing 177. What's the wind doing now, Brenda? Is it helping? Just slightly off the right there, Rick. So just go middle of the green? Yeah, middle of the green's good here. Okay, I've got seven iron in hand. After an interesting front nine, I thought this was going to be a real disaster after those first three holes, but we got it back. Silly bogey there on the last, which is frustrating, but either way, let's see if we can get a birdie back. I think anything under par for this back nine would be, I mean, let's not get too crazy, but be the goal. Oh, don't draw, Rick. Carry the bunker. I think he carried it. If it carries, it shouldn't be too bad. Okay, so I'm just in the thick rough, just the side of the green. Got a little delicate chip from the fringe. A couple of yards further, it might go on there. A little bit straighter, it might go on there. But I don't know how it's going to come out of this, to be honest. Release, release, release. Oh, that was tracking. I wasn't sure, but next foul. Salvaged a par. That could have been horrible. Eleventh hole, 442 yard, par four, blind tee shot. I've got a post there that I need to draw it to the left of that or just hit it slightly left of that. Right is not my friend. The hole is Northern Ireland on my left. Yeah, that's good. Left side. It was a good hit. Second shot here into 11, 172 to the flag. Just a yard off the fairway here, which is a shame because it was a really good drive. I just missed a Brendy's target line by five yards. Recommended to go just right of the flag here, between the bunker and the flag. Stop moving. Hold on. It should do. Come in soft. Yeah, held the bag. Good. I was desperately trying to keep that right of the flag, Brendy, but just slightly tugged it. Okay, up the hill, left to right for birdie here on 11. Would really like to get a birdie early on in this back nine. It's a good putt. Really good for speed. Aim for par. Wow. Walking up to 12th tee. This is a new tee, did you say, Brendy? New tee, a couple of years ago, Rick. The Rory tee. 545 yard, par five. Let's go. Let's make a birdie. Is that the bunker just right at the pin? Just bogger, right's perfect, yep. Looks good. Best drive of it today. Nice one. Yeah, really nice. We'll take that. Second shot here into number 12, par five. I've hit a really good drive. 250 yards to the pin, 230 to the front. I could go in low and run a three iron, but there's just a bunker that's kind of in the right corner. If I just leak it right, it's going to inevitably catch that bunker. So I'm going to go three wood. Oh, it's absolutely phenomenal. Keep cutting ball, keep cutting ball. We're dancing. Oh, yeah. We are dancing. It was really, really starting to track then. And as it starts to fade, it just held up into the wind. But we are on the green putting for eagle. Come on then. That was more like it. That was two actual golf shots there. Wow, okay, this was an unbelievable three wood. It's actually pitched just here. I tried to just hit a big high cut and to be honest, I did it. I think I just maybe took a little bit too much speed off it. But we can't complain here. Eagle put here on number 12. I'd normally like to break a little right to left on that one. Okay. I'm going to go fairly straight, that's it. Brendan, if that's good with you. Yeah, just overall right to left up the hill. Okay. Not much. All right, for eagle. This will be a nice eagle here at four county down. It was tracking. I just couldn't quite hit it hard enough. Okay, big moment. The birdie here on number 12 at Royal County down. With the backdrop and the sun setting. That's nice. That is nice. All right. We're rocking. One under for the back nine. 13th hole, par four. This is Brendan's favorite hole. I'm going to hit three wood. And just where the drop of that kind of rough area comes down. Just put it on that. Oh, pull it left. Talk to me, Brendan. No trouble. Take down the left side. So, I was on the fine line. But to be honest, between fairway and sheer disaster. Right in the middle. Eight iron in hand. Just right at the flag. Just right at the black and white poster, yep. Straight at it. Dig your teeth in. Yeah, good shot. I'm not listening to your guidance though, am I really? You said go right and I pulled it left. But we're all right. We're on the green putting. Okay. Another good look at birdie here. Back to back. This feels very straight, Brendan. Yeah, there's a little break in it. There's not much. It's not as fast as it looks. Look. Which way do you think it's going to go? I can't tell. It seems really straight. I would keep it out about here. Yeah, right lip? Yeah. Down the hill. Right to left. I pushed it. My line was right lip and I pushed it right. What could have been then? That would have been nice. That would have been real fireworks. Never mind. In for another par. Fourteenth hole. The last par three today. 190 yards. Pin's just kind of tucked in that front left corner. That's just going to go just on that right hand side and just play a little draw into the pin. Come on. It'd be really nice to say my goal to finish this back nine under par would be. Really special. Going well so far. It's coming in. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, oh yeah. We like that. Yep. Okay. For birdie on 14. Up the hill. Right to left. Come on, Rick. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I kind of pushed it and also didn't quite hit it hard enough. In for a par. Not threatening those birdie chances, am I, much really? No. Thank you. Fifteenth hole. Furthest part of the golf course away from the clubhouse. Par four. Tough one though. 468 yards. It's like a dog leg to the right. So just right on the light side of the fairway. Light side of the fairway. So just five yards just right of the stone there. Yeah, that's good. Nice one. Straight over the stone? Yep, that's good. Okay, second shot here into 15. 191 to the front. Just going to get a nice five iron. Don't need to jump on this. Oh. Terrible strike. Okay, just off the side of the green. After that terrible strike on my second shot. Lots of green to work with though. Just in the rough but not sat too badly. Let's see if we can get this up and down. Ah, it's come out hot. Okay, so just ran through the other side of the green. Got this back up the hill. Oh, I didn't strike it. Uh-oh. I've got a testing bogey putt. Okay, for bogey. A little bit left to right. Oh. We dodged a bullet. 16th hole, par four. Somewhat short one. A little bit of a respite. 337 yards. I'm going to hit three into the fairway. Wedge it on, make a birdie. Bounce back ability after that last hole. Should be perfect. That's good. Yep, middle of the fairway. That's all you need. Okay, second shot here into number 16. Tricky little pin. Fly this one 75. Oh, it's going to have to go. Fatted it. Oh, I've just fatted it. That's a shame. Okay, Shields. We don't want to be dropping any more shots this round the golf. Currently four over. It's a par 71. I was cruising to attempt to try and break 75, but now we need to par the last three to shoot 75. Down the hill. It's going to kick to the... It's uphill, then it's downhill, then it's going to kick to the right. Speed control is key. It's like we're due a long one though. Yeah, you need to be six feet out and I'd lay off side rig. Yeah. I need to knot this one in now. Lay off the right, up the hill. I just aimed it too straight, didn't I? Yeah, you need to keep it out. That's a big mistake. I stood over it. I felt like I was aiming too straight. I should have stopped and gone again. Never mind. Damn. Five over now. Got to bird the last two to break 75. Okay. Let's come down to this. Last two holes. Now five over. To be honest, after the first three holes, could have been a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot worse. I thought just the one birdie. So now I need to make two more last two holes. My chances. Brendan, making birdie, birdie. Yeah, yeah. Why not? 17th hole. 433 yards. Par four. Straight down. Just need to tonk a driver. Hopefully get it on the green. Hole a putt. Pushed it right. Might be in some thick grass over there, right? Yeah, just thick grass. That's all. Okay, so found the ball. Just in the roof. Not horrendous. One yard left. It would have been actually in the semi-roof. But it's actually sat up nice in the thicker stuff. Must have just rolled in. All right. Need to do something special. Par eagle finish or birdie, birdie finish to break 75 at Royal County Down. Off the blues. I couldn't have hit it better. Stay there. On top of the bunker. I thought that was absolutely on it. It bounced straight. It was good. It's just got a wee nudge left. Okay, I got somewhat lucky and unlucky on there. It landed short of the green. If it would have just trickled on it would have fell to the right and gone close. But I could have also ended up in this bunker. Swings and roundabouts. Little chip just on the side of the green. I feel like this has to drop in the hole. Oh! Flags are too thick. I really thought I had that then. Okay, Rick. This is to keep the dream alive. Knock this in, then eagle the last. I thought that was in all the way. I really did think that was in. I'm going to make an albatross on the last now. Okay, final hole. Listen. Six over now. As I started the round I thought I would be six over through six. So to be stood on the 18th hole six over basically I need to paddle that birdie the last to shoot 76. Just bomb one. Just bomb. Lay off the centre of the cut. Rick's good laid. Oh, yeah. Oh, now you decide to work driver. Yep. Should be good. Thank you, my friend. Thank you. Randy, you've been awesome today as well. Thank you for your help and support. Yeah, no bother. You've been phenomenal. And come have a little walk with me. Come have a walk and talk. This place, honestly. You're very lucky to call this home. Absolutely. I mean, this is just world class. One of my genuinely one of my favourite courses I've ever, ever, ever, ever played. I desperately want to come back already. Now I know the course a little bit more. Sometimes that might help me and also hinder me next time I play it. I know where a bit more of the danger is next time. You know some of them playing tee shots now. Yeah, you can trust it a bit more. You can trust what's the far side. But listen, I mean, with the mountain, the sunset we've had, the glorious weather, there hopefully some decent golf in there. It's been a real, real treat. What would finish this off is an incredible birdie or dare we say eagle on the last. Now I have seen this green though and it's an upside down saucepan, right? It is. So it's got to be on the green for us having a chance of making eagle. But it's been unbelievable. Irish Open here in September 2024. Definitely worth checking it out because I think every player will thoroughly love to play this golf course. OK, second chance is par 5. We're miles away. I'm like 260 yards away so I'm going to have to absolutely rip a three wood. Blind shot I can just see the top of a white flagpole which I need to aim for. Uh oh, it's a bit left. OK, so just pulled it left there the second. Brenley has incredible eyesight. We've found it up on the left here. 55 yards to the pin. This has to go in to break 75. Oh, it doesn't anymore. That's it. I can't break 75. Up and down for birdie that would be good. Go. Stay. Alright, Brendie what are we looking at? There's a brave owl swinging there you don't see it. First half's uphill. Can't see a lot how dark it's getting now. Really swings in from that point there. OK, so it's a finish with a birdie. Incredible golf course. It did break. It did swing. It really did. That was a good read that one. Good effort. Really good read. OK, so for 77 six over. Very nice. Enjoyed that unbelievable experience really was. Brendie, you've been a superstar. Thank you, my friend. Right, thank you. Really enjoyed that. Well done, well done. If you're ever coming down here and play give Brendie a shout out. Get him on the bag. Roll country down. Done. With a 77 I think it's respectable. We'll see you next time.