Golf might well have remained a minority sport in Ireland had it not been for a go-ahead railway company official, who exploited the unknown fishing village of Newcastle Co. Down.

Joseph Tatlow was the enterprising manager of the old Belfast and Co. Down Railway, and it occurred to him that, since the Belfast Golf Club was proving such a curiosity, another club somewhere along the line would be a big boost for business. Little could he have realised that he was to inspire the creation of a golf club that would attract people to travel from all over the world.

Founded in 1889, the second oldest club in Northern Ireland has long been revered as one of the world's classic links. "Exhilarating even without a club in your hand", it was intuitively observed, in respectful recognition of a course essentially laid out by Old Tom Morris and later approved by Vardon and then by Colt.

According to the early minutes of the club, Morris was adjured not to let his costs exceed four guineas (£4.20). Considering his artistic expression in such a setting, the present generation is left bewildered by the massive sums of money now expended in the creation of courses.