Ireland Preview
We plan to revisit Ireland, following the success of The Pocket Guide to Golf Courses: Ireland (‘easily the best golf guide’ Financial Times), published simultaneously with the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club. Here is a brief preview, full of stunning photos…
We publish a few course reviews with photos from the player’s view, in alphabetical order:
Ballybunion
What a place, what a name, what Irish atmosphere it conjures up!
Take your clubs there, and you will not be disappointed: links at its ancient and modern best.
Ballybunion Golf Club, Sandhill Road, Ballybunion, Co Kerry, RoI ΩΩΩΩ
Tel: +353 68 271 46 www.ballybuniongolfclub.ie
Ballybunion – Cashen
Robert Trent Jones Snr’s famous modern twist on an old Irish links: undulating fairways lead to generally raised, small, often tiered greens in a stunning seaside setting. At some holes, long, yet well-placed, drives will roll down hills, significantly shortening second shots. More in and over the dunes, and more scenic than the Old course, of which it has some nice echoes (e.g. consecutive par 5′s and par 3′s). Wind! 13, 15 and 17 are all rated Gold for design. See rating system
6306 yds Par 72 Designer: Trent Jones Snr (1984) * €€
Hole 13 395 yds Par 4
Hole 15 487 yds Par 5
Hole 17 479 yds Par 5
Ballybunion – Old
6598 yds Par 71 Designers: Various/Simpson & Gourlay/Watson (1893/1941/1995) *** €€€
Fashioned by nature, world-class seaside links. Massive dunes, eccentricities and irregularities. Every hole different, yet harmonious and fair. The slightly blander townwards section comes early in a round which builds, through sometimes penal, short-game-testing shoreliners and undulations, to a roller-coaster climax. Views. Wind! No less than 7 gold-rated holes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 16, 17. See rating system
Hole 6 364 yds Par 4
Hole 8 153 yds Par 3
Hole 11 453 yds Par 4
Hole 16 499 yds Par 5
Next, an under-rated design in suburban Dublin…
Castle
Classic, lush, mature parkland course (generally turning from a coniferous to deciduous feel as the round progresses) over gently sloping ground in a compact, intra-residential setting, whose recent excellent upgrading Colt would surely have endorsed. Superb, excellently bunkered, often sloping, greensites require precision right from the tee to score well. Agreeable 19th.
6246 yds Par 70 Designers: Barcroft/Colt/Howes (1913/1919/2005) **
Castle Golf Club, Woodside Drive, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, RoI
Tel: 353 1 490 4207 info@castlegc.ie www.castlegc.ie ΩΩΩΩ €€
Hole 1 492 yds Par 5
Hole 13 132 yds Par 3
Hole 16 529 yds Par 5
Now back to the South West again, for the best new course in Ireland, by far…
Doonbeg
Raw links golf on a modern course that feels centuries old. Out and back with a fabulously natural feel among sea dunes and inner linksland, each hole presents a different variation within a consistent theme, full of eccentricities and undulations (natural-feel greens included). Good mix of harder and easier holes. Generally generous fairways, awesome bunkering. Wind! Holes 1, 3, 6 and 13 are all rated Gold for design.
6911 yds Par 72 Designer: Norman (2003) ***
Doonbeg Golf Club, Doonbeg, Co. Clare, RoI
Tel: +353 659 055 246 reservations@doongeggolfclub.com www.doonbeggolfclub.com ΩΩΩΩΩ €€€
Read The Doonbeg Ghosts, which we publish.
Hole 1 567 yds Par 5
Hole 3 361 yds Par 4
Hole 6 370 yds Par 4
Hole 13 500 yds Par 5
More courses to follow shortly…
