Tiger Woods is reportedly set to design a £30 million championship links golf course at Bellarena, marking a potential milestone in Northern Ireland’s golfing landscape. If confirmed, the landmark appointment would mark the 15-time major champion’s first course design in Ireland or Europe; the development would become Northern Ireland’s first new links course in more than a century — a double milestone that could transform the region’s golfing ambitions and elevate its status on the world stage.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
A Causeway Coast and Glens councillor informed Coleraine Now that they secured Woods for the project, saying: “We received a briefing, and they confirmed to us that Tiger Woods will design the course at Bellarena.”
The Galgorm Collection, the hospitality group behind Galgorm Golf Club near Ballymena and Roe Park Resort in Limavady, is developing the scheme. The company unveiled its plans last year, outlining its ambition to build on the region’s growing international profile as a destination for championship golf.
Woods, widely regarded as one of golf’s greatest players, has already established a presence in course design through projects including El Cardonal at Diamante in Mexico, Bluejack National in Texas and Payne’s Valley in Missouri. His reported involvement at Bellarena would represent a significant expansion of that portfolio and could attract further international attention to Northern Ireland’s golf offering.
An ambitious championship development
In August, the team advanced the project toward the planning process by submitting a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN). The plans outline a new, championship-standard 18-hole links course, supported by a range of facilities intended to create a comprehensive golf destination.
Proposed amenities include a clubhouse with a bar and restaurant areas, practice facilities, a short course, driving range, putting greens and eight golf lodges. Together, these elements would position the development as more than a standalone golf course, offering visitors a place to play, stay and experience the surrounding region.
The site spans agricultural land and woodland west of Bellarena House, north of the River Roe, with the proposed course stretching along Lough Foyle and across the Coleraine–Londonderry railway line.
Alongside the golfing facilities, the developer has also expressed a desire to reconstruct historic military buildings associated with the American Second World War camp that once occupied the site.
Camp Bellarena housed the U.S. 34th Infantry Division’s 151st Field Artillery Battalion until 1942, with plans provisionally naming the proposed golf development ‘Last Man’s Club’ in a nod to the site’s wartime history.
People believe American soldiers stationed at Bellarena during the Second World War honored a pact with this name. The group bought a bottle of liquor and vowed that the last surviving member would drink it in memory of his fallen comrades. The story offers a poignant nod to the site’s wartime past, which the developers hope to preserve as they transform it into a world-class golfing destination.
£65m regional investment and 300 jobs
They plan to start construction before the projected opening in 2029, but the development still depends on completing the necessary planning and approval processes.
The project should raise the Galgorm Collection’s total investment in the north-west region to about £65 million and create around 300 jobs. Beyond direct employment, the development could also benefit local accommodation providers, restaurants, tourism operators and other businesses by attracting golfers and visitors from across the UK and overseas.
Woods’ reported involvement would further boost the scheme’s profile, although formal confirmation from TGR Design and further planning milestones will be important in establishing the project’s next steps.
Northern Ireland’s golf ambitions continue to grow
The Bellarena proposal comes amid renewed attention on Northern Ireland’s established championship venues. Royal County Down recently submitted a major planning application to upgrade several holes and facilities, fuelling speculation about the club’s potential to host The Open Championship.
The club is working with Mackenzie and Ebert, the golf course architecture firm that also helped improve Royal Portrush ahead of The Open’s return to the venue in 2019, ending a 68-year absence.
Together, these developments underline Northern Ireland’s continuing ambition to build on its reputation as a world-class golfing destination. While established venues remain central to that reputation, a new championship links course at Bellarena could add another interesting attraction to the region’s portfolio.
Meanwhile, Woods remains the subject of considerable interest in course design. His former TGL Jupiter Links teammate Kevin Kisner has hinted that the 50-year-old could play a significant role in the simulator-based league next year. Woods has not competed in a professional tournament since the 2024 Open Championship, leaving fans watching for signs of a return, including at the Hero World Challenge in December, an event he hosts. Officials have yet to confirm three spots in the field.
For now, Bellarena represents a potentially significant new chapter in Northern Ireland golf. With Woods’ appointment and the necessary approvals, the £30 million development could blend championship-level golf, regional investment and a distinctive wartime heritage story. With a 2029 opening targeted, the coming planning stages will determine whether Last Man’s Club can turn its ambitious vision into one of the country’s most talked-about new golf destinations.