Massereene Golf Club

Overview: Massereene Golf Club lies on the north-eastern shore of Lough Neagh, just outside Antrim town. The front nine is mostly tree-lined with tight fairways, while the back nine crosses drier, more undulating ground with a firmer, almost links-like feel and three of the four par fives. The course measures about 6,600 yards to a par of 72, and breezes off the lough regularly change how it plays. The layout occupies an estate landscape close to Lough Neagh, with views across the water and surrounding countryside opening from higher ground. Its gently rolling parkland corridors reward a position that keeps the next shot clear of trees and rough.

History: The club began with golf beside Lough Neagh in 1895, first as a nine-hole layout. Fred Hawtree was engaged in the early 1960s to extend it, and the eighteen-hole parkland course at Massereene opened in 1964. More recently, the venue has staged the ISPS Handa World Invitational alongside Galgorm Castle, bringing professional men’s and women’s golf to Antrim.

Did You Know? Lough Neagh, which borders the course, is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, covering roughly 150 square miles.