Plans unveiled for NI's first new championship links golf course for 100 years
Hospitality group Galgorm Collection is investing £30 million in building the course at Bellarena on the north west coast between Limavady and Coleraine.
The announcement comes as the region continues to play host to the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club around 20 miles away.
Golf tourism in Northern Ireland generates £86 million annually – a figure that has increased 66% since Portrush last hosted the Open in 2019 – but tourist bosses have highlighted that capacity is a limiting factor in driving further growth, with only so many visitors being able to play on the region's landmark seaside links course at any one time.
Tourism NI has previously flagged a desire for a new course to be built and Friday's announcement means that is set to become reality in four years, with Galgorm Collection planning to open its new course in 2029.
The company already owns and runs the championship parkland course at Galgorm Castle in Ballymena and a course at Roe Valley in Limavady.
Subject to planning permission being approved, Galgorm Collection said development of Bellarena Golf Links will start next year.
It said building the course would bring its total investment in the north west to around £65 million, creating an additional 300 jobs.
Galgorm Collection managing director Colin Johnston said: 'Our exciting plans to develop a new 18-hole links golf course at Bellarena on Northern Ireland's stunning north west coast will deliver a once-in-generation opportunity to drive a new era of golfing and tourism success that will amplify our outstanding and award-winning credentials while also creating hundreds of jobs.
'Preparatory work is already well under way that could pave the way for development from next year before we welcome our first guests in 2029.
'We look forward to consulting widely on our plans and engaging stakeholders at every level to ensure collective, shared success for the local community, the north west region and Northern Ireland as a whole.'
Stormont's Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the announcement.
'Golf tourism generated a record £86 million for the region last year and this month's Open at Royal Portrush will help to increase this impact even further,' she said.
'I commend the Galgorm Collection team for their confidence and ambition in supporting our drive to amplify the regional prosperity which the sport can bring.'
Tourism Northern Ireland Board chair Ellvena Graham said: 'With a rich heritage and stunning views, Northern Ireland is a highly sought-after destination for golfers from across the globe and our golf strategy focuses on maximising our strengths to continue to grow this crucially important part of our tourism offer.
'Galgorm Collection has been a pioneer in developing an outstanding, internationally acclaimed tourism product and I'm delighted that this key, experienced tourism stakeholder is further investing in this area.'
East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said the development would deliver a 'major economic boost' to the north west region and also help showcase its natural assets.
'This investment will also help ensure that the benefits of tourism are more widely spread, supporting local growth and prosperity,' he said.
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ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
'A resounding success': 153rd Open at Royal Portrush bigger and better than 2019 golf major
Empty grandstands signal the end of the 2025 Open Championship, but as the clean up effort begins in Portrush, the golf has performed a lot of heavy lifting for the town. Tourism Northern Ireland has hailed the return of The Open to Northern Ireland as "a resounding success". Around 278,000 golf fans descended on the North Coast for the week-long event. Tracy McAllister is a shop owner in Portrush who "never seen crowds like it" in the town. She said: "We had some of the families of the professional golfers that were in Portrush from the States and from South America. "We had some people here from Australia and New Zealand. "We are so delighted that we had a really good week of trade. "I think The Open was about 25% bigger this time than it was in 2019 so it would be brilliant to have it back." There were concerns following the last tournament that Portrush did not see the trade it should have. The ability for fans to leave the course during the day this time has helped. Alan Simpson from Portmagic said: "There is little doubt that there was a lot more people in Portrush this time around." "The ticketing ballot scheme gave people more freedom." he said. It wasn't just spectators enjoying the town, with Jon Rahm being one of many golfing superstars decompressing in Portrush. "Scottie Scheffler's wife and young Bennett, who stole the show on Sunday evening, spent a lot of time in West Strand and the beach making sandcastles." "The golfers come into town and mingled with the locals. They were happy to take selfies and photographs. "Everywhere you looked there was a famous golfer. Xander Schauffele went to the local spa." The home of Rory McIlroy was the Dunluce Lodge last week, which overlooks the fourth hole at Royal Portrush. The success of the 2019 tournament prompted the resort to be built. Sinead McNicholl from Dunluce Lodge described the economic benefits to come over the next number of years as "very exciting". "Over the last 48 hours we've seen a phenomenal increase in inquiries not just from golf enthusiasts, but from people looking for day spa activities, and wellness retreats." Tourism NI has said the region should feel 'incredibly proud' of its seamless and highly successful delivery of The Open. It is estimated that the economic and media benefit from hosting the major will exceed £213million. John McGrillen, CEO of Tourism NI, said the opportunities and impact associated with hosting such a global sporting event 'cannot be underestimated'. 'The exposure created during this incredible week of golf is invaluable for the entire region. 'From the thousands of people who visited Royal Portrush to see the action first-hand to the millions who watched the television coverage, Northern Ireland has without doubt been showcased as a must-see golf and tourism destination.", he said.'Opportunities to stage major events such as this cannot be under-estimated and the chance to host The Open, not just once, but twice in the past six years is a remarkable achievement. 'The warm welcome people from around the world received means it will not be the last time they visit Northern Ireland.' Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Former cocaine-dealing caddie - who was barred from entering UK for The Open - misses out on six-figure payday
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Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
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Tourism leaders ‘optimistic' £213m Open boost ‘will be fully realised' and that tournament makes quick return
It comes as Tourism NI chiefs said they are hopeful it won't be too long before the major returns to these shores. As the dust settles on a successful eight days on the north coast, the Causeway Chamber said it estimates that 278,000 people attended the tournament, making it the largest Open held outside of St Andrews in Scotland. Academics from Sheffield Hallam University's Sport Industry Research Centre carried out an independent forecast predicting an overall economic impact of around £213m for the region. The Causeway Chamber thinks that figure is right on the money. 'The 153rd Open has once again placed Portrush and the Causeway coast firmly on the world stage,' a spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph. 'With attendance tracking to meet the impressive figure of 278,000, we are optimistic that the projected economic impact of £63 million — along with an additional £150 million in global media value — will be fully realised across Northern Ireland. 'Locally, businesses have felt the immediate benefit, and the legacy continues. With a six-week derig period now underway, contractors and R&A personnel remain in the area, staying in local accommodation and enjoying our hospitality offerings. 'This extended presence provides a welcome and sustained boost to our economy, especially for the hospitality, tourism, and service sectors. 'We are proud to have supported such a world-class event and thank all those who contributed to its success. 'The Open has once again showcased what this region has to offer — and the long-term benefits will be felt well beyond the closing putt.' With limited accommodation in Portrush sold out well in advance of the event, many visitors stayed further afield — including Belfast — and commuted to the north coast over four days of practice and a further four days of competition. Translink confirmed more than 200,000 people used its services in a week of 'unprecedented' demand. Businesses in Portrush and beyond enjoyed bumper trade with some bars running out of beer. Tourism NI is 'confident' the £213m figure has been achieved amid speculation that other global events could soon be coming to Northern Ireland. When The Open came to Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2019 following a 70-year absence, tournament organisers committed to staging it at the course at least two more times. Aine Kearney from Tourism NI said they hope the world's top golfers will be returning soon. 'We've had really positive engagement with senior people in the R&A and they just told us how well it's gone,' she said. 'And we hope that puts us in a really good place in terms of them coming back as quickly as they did after 2019. 'It's been an outstanding success and I think that's been echoed by the R&A. We've heard the same from the golfers and all the visitors that have come to experience not only the golf but also the destination. The feedback has been absolutely fabulous in terms of how successful it's been, and how much we've been able to shine a light on Northern Ireland as a fabulous destination.' One of the main reasons NI has been unable to attract major sporting events is that there is not a stadium here with more than 20,000 seats. The long-awaited redevelopment of Casement Park will see a 30,000-capacity stadium built, but full funding to get the project off the ground is not currently in place and it is unclear when it will be. Delays in the redevelopment have already resulted Northern Ireland missing out on hosting Euro 2028 matches. There was a previous bid for the island of Ireland to host part of the Tour de France in 2026 or 2027, but this fell through. There was also a bid for the island to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but it instead went to France. The lack of stadium seating does not affect golf however and Ms Kearney said many will feel the economic bounce. 'What we do know is that there were a lot of people playing golf while they were here,' she said. 'The reports we have from all of our golf clubs is that their tee time sales were unbelievable and that puts them in a really good position, not only from the income they got from that to be able to continue to invest in their product, but also the advocacy that will come from the people that played. 'Hopefully, from that advocacy and the 100 million viewers across 190 countries that saw not only the world's best golfers playing, but also the magic of the landscape and the destination... we will look to see a similar increase to what we saw on the back of 2019, that was a 66% increase to £86 million. 'If we get that similar bounce again, we'll be very, very happy.'
