| Renowned throughout the world for the quality
of its golf courses, Ireland is without equal as a golfing destination.
Courses such as Ballybunion, Portmarnock and Royal County Down
may be the first that roll off most tongues in terms of Irish
golf but it is the depth of quality courses, both links and
parkland, which makes Ireland different. |
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Ardglass
Golf Club
Ardglass really is a course to savour with some outstanding
holes. The 161yd Par 3 2nd, the 480yd Par 5 11th and the 181yd
Par 3 12th each require a carry across the coastline and cliffs
tops of the Irish Sea and rank among the best holes in Ireland.
The view from the elevated 12th tee, with the backdrop of the
Irish Sea and Mourne Mountains is to die for. The course hugs
the coastline, with no fewer than 8 holes where the Irish Sea
coastline comes into play. The Irish Sea is visible from all
18 holes and on a clear day it is possible to see across the
Irish Sea to the Isle of Man. |
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Ballybunion
Golf Club
An American golfing aficionado thought so much of Ballybunion
Golf Club that on his deathbed he ordered his body to be flown
from Los Angeles for burial in the graveyard beside the first
tee at the famous Old Course. That last request underlines the
captivating spell cast over all those blessed with the fulfillment
of having made the pilgrimage to one of the world's greatest
links. The legendary Majors champion Tom Watson, and the renowned
course architect Robert Trent Jones are prominent among the
many admirers. "Playing Ballybunion is similar in many respects
to playing Cypress Point in America and I like that style of
golf," says Watson. |
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Ballyliffen
- Old Links
Nick Faldo visited Ballyliffin in June 1993 and described The
Old Links as the most natural golf course he had ever seen.
The Old Links is a classically old fashioned links. It oozes
charm, character and curiosity. More than anything, it is the
extraordinary terrain that makes a game on the Old Links such
a unique experience: stand on any tee and the fairway ripples
and tumbles in each and every direction. The principal architect
of the links was of course, Mother Nature. |
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Ballyliffen
- Glashedy Links
Described as "The Ballybunion of the North" Ballyliffen is Ireland's
most northerly links and comprises 365 acres of spectacular
dune land, surrounded by rolling hills and mountains with the
Atlantic Ocean as its western boundary. Glashedy Links opened
for play in August 1995 and its location on the north western
Atlantic Coast makes it a magnificent setting. Designed by Pat
Ruddy and Tom Craddock, it has been laid out on predominantly
higher ground above and beyond the Old Links. The challenge
presented by the Glashedy Links is almost as formidable as it
is exhilarating. |
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Belvoir
Park Golf Club
Belvoir Park is without doubt the best inland course in Ulster.
Founded in 1927, this undulating parkland course, which meanders
through 136 acres of mature woodland was designed by the famed
course architect H S Colt. Situated just two miles from Belfast
City Centre, this is one of Ireland's best kept golfing secrets.
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Bundoran Golf Club
Bundoran Golf Club is one of those golf courses with a fantastic
domestic reputation that is relatively little known on the international
stage. It is a classic links course that has been in existence
for over one hundred years and deserves to be rated among the
great Irish links courses. Overlooking the Atlantic, Bundoran
Links was designed by one Harry Vardon, one of golf's most legendary
figures and a member of the famed Great Triumvirate that also
comprised John Henry Taylor and James Braid. |
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Carlow
Golf Club
Carlow Golf Club is a parkland course laid out in a former wild
deerpark over undulating terrain with numerous elevated tees,
several excellent dog-legs, and small slick putting surfaces.
With sandy subsoil Carlow is an inland links and is playable
twelve months of the year, a plugged ball is almost unheard
of. The present course was laid our by Cecil Barcroft in 1922.
The course was redesigned by Tom Simpson in 1937 and remains
faithful to his design with only minor alterations to this day.
The course is rated among the top 20 Championship Courses in
Ireland and is listed in the top 40 Parkland Courses in the
British Isles in the publication "Following the Fairways". |
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Carne
Golf Links at Belmullet, Mayo
Carne was the last links course to be designed by the late Eddie
Hackett and is now believed by many who have played there to
be his greatest challenge. Carne lies in the splendid sand dunes
overlooking Blacksod Bay, the legendary Inis Geidhe and Inis
Gluaire islands and dramatic Achill. Affording little disturbance
to the natural and unspoilt environment that surrounds it, Carne
is "everything you could ever ask for from the 1st tee to the
18th green", - James W. Finnegan - 'Emerald Fairways and Foam
Flecked Seas'. "Is annamh a thagann tú ar ghalf chúrsa a thugann
dúshlán ar leith duit mar a thugann Cairn ach nuair a tharlaíonn
sé is iontach an rud é". |
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Castlerock
Golf Club
Castlerock is another great links course on the Causeway Coast,
lying where the River Bann enters the Atlantic Ocean. Set among
rolling sand dunes it offers stunning views of Donegal, and
even Scotland on a clear day. The Championship Mussenden Course
is a par 73. The best known hole is the fourth, called the "Leg
O'Mutton", a 200 yard par-3 with a railway line to the right,
a burn to the left and a raised green. |
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Connemara Golf Club
Connemara is one those Irish golf courses that makes you feel
as if you are at the very edge of civilization. In fact, its
hard to believe there is actually a golf course in this remote
part of County Galway. The Par 72 is hard to achieve, partly
due to the fact that calm days are rare when you are at the
mercy of the Atlantic Ocean, and partly due to the vastness
of the last six holes. Consolation can be found however in
the breathtaking backdrop of the Twelve Bens Mountains and
the white sands of Ballyconnelly Bay.
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Cork
Golf Club
"The large undulating greens at Cork Golf Club immediately
put the more observant in mind of Augusta National, the revered
home of the U.S. Masters" Of course there is a very good reason
for this. Alister Mackenzie, the Scottish doctor, who turned
his back on medicine to dedicate himself to building some
of the world's finest golf courses, was the designer of both.
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County
Louth Golf Club
County Louth Golf Club or "Baltray" as it is more affectionately
known is situated 4 miles from the historic town of Drogheda
at the mouth of the river Boyne. With the river to the south
and the Irish Sea to the east. This is Links golf at is very
best, with only the muted murmur of a ships engine to break
the sounds of nature, as it quietly wends its way up river
to the port.Rated in Golf Digest's top 100 courses in the
world as a "hidden gem". It is one of the top twenty five
courses in the British Isles and it is in the top six in the
island. Sometimes a lion and other times a pussy cat, it provides
competition for all handicaps. In today's language it could
well be described as "user friendly".
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County
Sligo Golf Club (Rosses Point)
This great Championship links was designed in 1927 by the
famous golfing architect, Harry S. Colt, with a variety of
holes to create a test for the very best golfers. Over the
years legendary players such as Walter Hagen, Bobby Locke,
Henry Cotton, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Darren Clarke have
made the pilgrimage to this classic course that lies under
the imposing shadow of Ben Bulben. Peter Aliss described this
fascinating links course as "a tremendous test for the highest
quality player and great fun for the modest competitor and
one which stands at the very top of great Irish Golf Courses."
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Cruit Island Golf Club
This is links golf as primitive as it comes. Cruit is a top
class course, very short but also very challenging. The wild
Atlantic is never far away and provides a magnificent backdrop
for many shots. There's always a wind blowing and it's usually
never the same 2 days in a row. The par 3 sixth is one of the
best par threes you will ever play. Both the green and tee are
set on peninsulas so either too short or too long and you're
gone, with the wind blowing it can vary from a 3 wood to a wedge.
It's only 9 hole but it will be challenging for even the best
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Doonbeg
Golf Club
Designed by the "Great White Shark", Greg Norman has created
in Doonbeg Golf Club what writers and critics are calling "one
of the greatest golf course designs in the world". By allowing
the natural terrain to dictate the route of the course, Norman's
design is a classic links that looks like it has been there
for a hundred years. The course recently won the prestigious
Golf Digest Best New International Course and is already being
touted as a future for the Ryder Cup.
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Donegal
Golf Club (Murvagh)
Lying in the bosom of Donegal Bay, this superb links occupies
an elegant peninsula which is backed by the magnificent Blue
Stack Mountains. "Hauntingly beautiful and an excellent test
of Golf", is how Peter Dobereiner of the English Observer described
it. The course is presented in two loops of nine where the fairways
wend their way by the Atlantic dunes and the sage-green grasses
of the bay. The course suits big hitters of the ball as the
ever-present ocean breezes ensure that it plays long and challenging
most of the time. The par 3 fifth is called "The Valley of Tears",
and it has proved just that for the golfer short on skill and
nerve. |
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Druids
Glen Golf Club
Druids Glen was opened in 1995 and hosted the Murphys Irish
Open, Irelands premier golfing event and one of the richest
on the European PGA tour from 1996 - 1999. There are many who
say that Druids Glen is currently the best and most dramatic
golf course in Ireland. It is situated 30 minutes south of Dublin
in the heart of beautiful County Wicklow, nestling between the
Irish Sea and the stunning Wicklow mountains. The mystique of
this exquisite mature setting, the rich history of the land
and surrounding amenities combined with a picturesque 18 hole
course leaves no wonder why Druids Glen was voted European Golf
Course of the Year 2001. |
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Dunfanaghey
Golf Club, Donegal
Golf here goes back to the early days to just 25 years or so
after the setting up of St Andrews in Scotland. The local landlord,
Stewart of Horn Head, was one of the founding fathers of St
Andrews and when he purchased his property in Horn Head he established
five holes on a narrow strip of sand dunes for the entertainment
of his guests - no holes, just five fencing posts and foolish
men trying to hit them with a wee, wooden ball. Rest assured
today's course, designed by the legendary Harry Vardon has improved
a great deal since its simple beginnings and offers golfers
of all experience a unique and enjoyable experience. |
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Enniscrone
Golf Club, Sligo
For many years Enniscrone was coveted by those in the know as
one of Ireland's hidden gems, but of late this wonderful course
is fulfilling its potential as one of Ireland's finest links.
This championship venue provides the ultimate experience - dramatic
dunesland, an inspired design concept, superb greens all year
round and breathtaking views. This is a course you will hear
much more about in the near future. |
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Fota Island
Golf Club, Cork
Fota Island Golf Club was the venue for the 2001 and 2002 Murphy's
Irish Open - one of the most prestigious events of the European
Tour. This is a par-72 course that runs to nearly 6,900 yards,
one that will require you to use every club in the bag. The
British publication Golf Monthly said of Fota, "purists will
delight at the old fashioned features, you'll stand in wide-eyed
admiration", Golf Digest in the USA observed "it makes you think
- its real golf". |
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Greencastle Golf Club
Greencastle Golf Club nestles in the idyllic surroundings of
the Inishowen Peninsula near the entrance to Lough Foyle, and
is renowned throughout Ireland for its tranquillity and hospitality.
The Greencastle Golf Club is bordered on one side by the waters
of Lough Foyle, with panoramic views across the mountains of
Derry, and on the other by spectacular views up into the hills
of County Donegal. This challenging 18 hole course is worth
a visit by any level of golfer, even if you just come for the
views. |
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Hermitage
Golf Club
Hermitage Golf Club is a feature of West Dublin since 1905.
As Dublin has expanded past the boundaries of the course Hermitage
is now a rural oasis in the midst of a bristling vibrant metropolis.
Set in rolling parklands above and within the beautiful Liffey
Valley the course tests golfers of all ability. The gentle rolling
of the front nine contrast to the steep and stern test that
surprises many on the back nine. The picturesque 10th lures
with its spectacular beauty, the 11th and 12th show that even
extraordinary beauty holds nasty surprises. Hermitage will enthrall
and test in equal measure and will prove an experience that
all golfers will want to repeat. |
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The
Island Golf Club
Founded in 1890, the magnificent splendour and solitude associated
with the island is highlighted by undulating fairways rolling
through majestic sand dunes. You know you are in for one hell
of a day when you stand into the wind on the 1st tee and realise
you have to hit what looks like a pencil thin fairway shrinking
between 25ft scraggy sand dunes. On the other hand you know
you are in for a heavenly day when you rise to the top of the
hill at the 5th to see the fairway curling down to a perfect
links green framed by a wall of bracken. |
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Kildare Hotel
Country Golf Club
The K Club is currently the most talked about course in Ireland
as it has been chosen for the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup.
Designed by Arnold Palmer there are some incredible holes here
including the double dog-leg Par5 7th: The River Liffey sparkles
and bubbles along left of the fairway then curls into create
an island green. The course has already hosted the 1992 and
93 Irish Professional Golf Championship and the Smurfitt European
Open was held here from 1995 -98. |
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Killarney
Golf and Fishing Club
The flagship of three courses, Killeen is truly one of the greatest
courses in the country. At 6474 metres it will certainly challenge
the longest of hitters and with water on almost every hole accuracy
is essential. Killeen played host to the Carroll's Irish Open
in both 1991 and 1992, and proved to be a stern test for the
Pro's. For the 1991 Carroll's Irish Open, only three players
finished under par for the tournament. Killarney also hosted
the Curtis Cup in 1996, when Great Britain & Ireland defeated
the USA. |
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Lahinch
Golf Club
Often referred to as the Irish St. Andrews, Lahinch is one of
the country's most established courses. Old Tom Morris designed
the original course in 1892, and Alistair Mackenzie, who also
helped to create Augusta National, transformed it in 1927, building
holes in dune land previously thought too wild for golf. Further
improvements have just been completed this year, and have added
to Lahinch's already excellent reputation, although it has retained
many of its original features, including the resident goats!
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Malone
Golf Club
"In any 19th hole discussion attempting to determine the accolade
of supreme inland course in Ireland, it is perfectly understandable
that there will be a case for the claims of Malone Golf Club.
Not much argument is really required for, truth to tell, the
gently rolling summertime tapestry of mature wood, restful lake
and blaze of flowers sets it quite apart."
John Redmond,
"Great Golf Courses of Ireland" |
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Mt. Juliet Hotel and Club
Chosen as the first and only Jack Nicklaus signature course
in Ireland, the "Golden Bear" was meticulous and pain-staking
in his design and overseeing of the construction of his great
creation, sited 12 miles south of the medieval city of Kilkenny.
Feature holes abound on the course, but the 3rd hole, a stunning
par 3 from an elevated tee to a green guarded by a natural stream
and lake is one that golfers always remember. The par 5 10th
hole with its copse of trees which tests the golfers strategy
is also a favourite. The final hole, a long par 4 with water
all down the left and a narrow entrance to the green has decided
many a tournament result. |
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Narin & Portnoo Golf Club
Narin & Portnoo Golf Club is situated in the beautiful seaside
resort of Portnoo in south west Donegal. It is considered to
be one of the finest natural links courses in Ireland, it is
certainly one of the most scenic. At 5,322 metres, Par 69, the
18 hole course may not be considered as a particularly long
but when the wind blows it is certainly a good test for golfers
of all handicaps. With 6 par 3's, one needs to be striking the
irons well, play the par 3's well and you are well on your way
to a good score. |
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Old
Head, Kinsale
Old Head Golf Links is built on a 220-acre diamond of land,
jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic; the promontory
is almost an island with numerous caves running beneath your
feet as you play the course. The links and practice area occupy
180 acres and the remaining 40 acres of unspoilt cliff frame
the course and rise in places to over 300 feet. Comprised of
five par 5's, five par 3's and eight par 4's, the links stretches
to over 7,200 yards from the tips and with a minimum of six
tees on every hole, the course provides a stern test to the
touring pro and high handicapper alike. |
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Portmarnock
Golf Club - Old Course
Portmarnock is on everyone's "must-play" list. It is one of
Ireland's greatest courses and has hosted more professional
tournaments than any other course in the country. It is an intelligent
and masterful design - demanding yet fair. It's a real ball
striker course needing unerring tee shots and searching irons,
as well as a subtle touch around the greens, many of which are
raised with shaved run-offs. It has recently been updated with
lots of work done on the back nine with excellent green-surround
shaping and new fairway bunkering. Sheer brilliance. |
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Portmarnock
Hotel & Golf Club
Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links shares a similar name as its
more illustrious neighbour but the similarity certainly does
not end there. Like Portmarnock Golf Club, Portmarnock Hotel
& Golf Links is a superb links course, essentially fashioned
from the same dune land as Portmarnock and deserves its growing
international reputation. If anything in fact, the Links at
Portmarnock (as it's also known) is an even tighter layout,
distinguished by some wickedly difficult pot bunkers. |
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Portsalon Golf Club, Donegal
Portsalon is one of those truly wonderful Donegal courses that
doesn't get nearly the number of visitors it should do, or would
do if it were located near Dublin, Killarney or Cork. It is
a truly natural links, with most of the course set in glorious
duneland beside the Atlantic. Portsalon is a favourite for Irish
golfers, as it's a course that should not be under estimated
even by the most experienced golfer. |
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Portstewart
Golf Club
A claim is often made that Portstewart has the best opening
hole in Irish Golf - some say in the world. Situated on Ulster's
magnificent Causeway Coast, Portstewart Golf Club is one of
the very few 45 hole complexes in Europe. Going back to 1951,
when the course was used as a qualifying venue for the Open
Championship at Royal Portrush, it seemed that Portstewart was
destined to be forever cast in the shadow of its more illustrious
neighbour. Not any more. Everything changed when the new championship
layout of the Strand Course hosted the Irish Close Championship
in 1992. |
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Rossapena
Golf Club
It is here, where the bays of Sheephaven and Mulroy converge,
that a unique experience awaits. The wild Atlantic has chiselled
the rugged features of Rosapenna and the beauty is spectacular,
the air is invigorating and the welcome is warm and sincere.
Each hole is both a challenge and a charm, with picture postcard
scenes composed of mountains, oceans, sky and dunes. Rosapenna
offers golfers an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy links golf
at its best. |
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Royal Belfast
Founded in 1881, Royal Belfast is the oldest golf club in Ireland
and throughout its illustrious lifetime has inspired the phenomenal
growth and popularity of golf across Ireland, setting the standards
for courses and players. The first hole is one of the best openers
in Irish golf, setting the pace for thrills to come. Watch for
holes 2 and 15, and beware of the greens - the best-tended in
Ireland, but they fall towards the sea. And before you tackle
the daunting blind pitch hole at 11, peek over the wall for
a glimpse of seals basking on the rocks below. |
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Royal
County Down
Royal County Down is one of the worlds great golfing destinations.
Consult any list of top golf courses around the world and you
will always find Royal County Down somewhere near the top. County
Down is everything links golf should be - undulating greens,
deep pot bunkers and tight fairway lies. Laid out beneath the
imperious gaze of the mountains of Mourne, the course enjoys
a magnificent stage-like setting as it stretches out along the
shores of Dundrum Bay. It is spectacular to look at and even
more thrilling to play. |
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Royal
Dublin
Royal Dublin was the first club to have an 18 hole course in
all of Ireland when it was first laid out in 1885, although
its early beginnings date back to the early 1880s when Capt.
William Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame!) in constructing
a sea wall to aid proper shipping access to Dublin, cleared
a sandbank where Royal Dublin enjoys its unique location today.
The course has been at the centre of Irish golf since its inception.
It has staged the Irish Open no fewer than 6 times, the last
in 1985 when it was won by Seve Ballesteros for the second time
in 3 years. |
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Royal
Portrush
Simply put, the Dunluce course at Royal Portrush is one of the
world's finest links courses and the only course in Ireland
to have hosted the British Open. Overlooked by the ruins of
the 13th Century Dunluce Castle it is a masterpiece of golf
architecture. Famous for its magnificent turf and excellent
holes, many of which require long and accurate drives made all
the more difficult by the high winds. Unimaginable rough and
tricky greens, thrown with windy conditions make this course
an admirable test for a seasoned golfer. |
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Tralee Golf Club
It is destined to be one of the finest courses in the world.
In addition to having the best views of sea and wild sand dunes
I've ever seen, Tralee is a tough but fair test of golf. The
back nine is one of the best you'll ever find. Chris Falkenhagen
- Maryland Independent Tralee is a course destined for greatness.
Tralee has the potential to take its place among the best courses
in the world. It is a setting to match the matchless Pebble
Beach. The 12th will some day rank as one of the premier par
4s on the globe. Peter Andrews - American Heritage |
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Tramore
Golf Club
Tramore Golf Club was founded in 1894 and in 1939 moved to it's
present address, Newtown Hill. This is an 18 hole championship
course with many holes of different character that will challenge
the most enthusiastic golfer. Newtown Hill, Tramore, Co. Waterford |
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Tullamore
Golf Club
"WINNER OF THE 2002 AIB GOLF CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD for CLUBHOUSE/COURSE
PRESENTATION"
Tullamore Golf Club is recognised throughout Ireland as one
of the countries finest inland golf courses. The course is situated
in the heart of Irelands midlands and is enjoyed by all our
local and foreign golf vistors. |
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Waterville Golf Club
Waterville's Championship Links is regarded by many as the best
golf course in southwest Ireland and one of the best links courses
in the country. Founded in 1889, it has recently hosted many
of the world's top ranking golfers, including Tiger Woods, David
Duval, Raymond Floyd, Mark O'Meara and the late Payne Stewart.
Surrounded by lakes, mountains and warmed by the Gulf Stream,
there are grass-covered dunes and the sheer length of the course
to deal with. Located just north of Waterville in the Ring of
Kerry, the scenery and the golf are both spectacular here! |
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Westport
Golf Club
Westport Golf Club is rated as one of the top golf courses in
Ireland. It is recognised as a prestigious venue and has hosted
both the Ladies Home Internationals in 1989 and the Irish Amateur
Close Championship on three occasions, most recently in 1997.
Set in 260 acres of rolling parkland on the shores of Clew Bay,
Westport Golf Club is situated in the shadow of Croagh Patrick,
Ireland's Holy mountain amidst some of the most breathtaking
scenery imaginable. Westport Golf Club has a well-earned reputation
for its hospitality, warmth and friendliness to visitors. One
thing you can be sure of at Westport is being made feel welcome
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Woodbrook
Golf Club
Perched on top of one hundred foot seacliffs, landscaped on
all sides and steeped in history, Woodbrook offers a new challenge
to today's golfer. Leading new-age architect Peter McEvoy has
handsomely redesigned Woodbrook's layout. The result being a
course that sits comfortably alongside other rich new creations
such as Mount Juliet, The K Club and Portmarnock Links. |
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