Improvements Proposed for Portstewart Golf Course

Portstewart Golf Club has submitted a planning application to Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council outlining ambitious intentions to upgrade its well-known golf facilities.

The proposal proposes a number of changes to improve the Riverside and Strand courses and significantly improve infrastructure.

Portstewart Golf Club was founded in 1894 and is one of the only clubs in the UK and Ireland to boast three courses under its name. The club prides itself on the unrivalled natural beauty and challenge its courses offer to members and visitors alike. 

With over 1500 members, Portstewart Golf Club is one of the largest golf clubs in the UK and Ireland. The club is also a major employer in the local area with in excess of 60 staff, and its courses attract over 10,000 visitors from the US annually, making the Portstewart Golf Club a significant contributor to the local economy in tourism and employment terms.

The proposed course works involve modification of the 13th to 18th holes on the Strand course and holes 1, 2, 17 and 18 on the Riverside course to improve golf course strategy and playability. Realignment of the existing practice area located east of the clubhouse, orientating it further away from adjoining properties(and thus removing the need for protective netting) is also proposed. New putting and chipping greens, along with covered practice bays expected of a club with the international reputation of Portstewart are key components of the overall upgrade proposals.

Operationally, an extension to the existing greenkeeper shed is proposed to provide additional covered storage for course maintenance machinery along with an enlarged water tank to provide short-term irrigation storage and bays to store materials such as topsoil and sand. To accommodate overspilled parking during the busy May – October period when the existing club carpark (165 spaces) is heavily oversubscribed, an additional 30 spaces are proposed, which will also serve the covered practice bays. Retrospective permission is also sought for recent upgrades to the 13-15th holes on the Strand Course.

In summary, the proposed modifications to the courses and its facilities are to:

1. Improve golf course strategy and playability

2. Improve safety both within the course and outside the golf course property

3. Improve the level of golf facilities on offer;

4. Assist in the improvement of golf course operations and management; and

5. Maintain and strengthen the position of the club as a major attractor and contributor to the local economy in employment and tourism terms.

The application will be heard by Councils planning committee in the coming months.