EXPERIENCE DUBLIN

Royal Dublin Golf Club is located on Bull Island in Dublin Bay. The island was formed following the building of a sea wall in the early 1800’s. The result is a perfect sandy island, superb terrain for a golf course and an excellent home for flora and fauna.

The Dublin Golf Club, as it was originally called, was founded in 1885. The club moved twice before the course finally came to rest on Bull Island in 1889. Two years later, Queen Victoria granted the club royal patronage. The course was severely damaged during the First World War and was rebuilt by Harry Colt in 1920. 

This is a classic traditional out and back links, relatively unusual for an Irish links. The course is fairly flat and narrow with long stretches of out of bounds, and the wind tends to swirl around Dublin Bay, generally making the course play tougher than the yardage would indicate. The greens are outstanding and there are some brutally deep greenside bunkers as well.

Martin Hawtree was engaged in course redevelopment work between 2004-2006 and Royal Dublin has improved as a consequence. Today's championship layout stretches to an impressive 7,269 yards from the tips and has hosted numerous Irish Open Championships, with Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer among the winners here at Royal Dublin.

Portmarnock Golf Club is situated on its own sandy peninsula, approximately two miles long and covering some 500 acres. The land belonged to the famous distiller, John Jameson, and from around 1850, the links was used as the Jameson’s private golf course. Nine “proper” holes opened for play in October 1894 and, two years later, the course was extended to eighteen holes.

There is nothing man-made about Portmarnock; it’s a natural links, and considered to be a very fair golf course. With water on three sides, the course is at the mercy of the wind. Laid out broadly in two loops of nine holes, you are invariably playing in different directions. Measuring just less than 7,500 yards from the back tees, it is a formidable test of golf.

There are delightful views to the south of Portmarnock, including the Ireland’s Eye (a small island), home to important seabird colonies and the Hill of Howth (once famous for its electric trams).

Portmarnock has hosted a number of important tournaments, including 19 Irish Opens, the Canada Cup and the Walker Cup. The closing five holes are especially brutal. Bernard Darwin once commented: ”I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last five holes at Portmarnock”.

There is always lively discussion about which golf course is better than another, but none is more passionate than the debate over the relative merits of Royal County Down and Royal Portrush. Having said that, Royal County Down is ranked number 1 in the World Rankings of golf courses by Golf Digest, so perhaps it wins by a nose.

Royal County Down Golf Club is at Newcastle, a small vacation town nestled at the feet of the Mountains of Mourne. It’s a visually exhilarating location for a classic links golf course where the Bay of Dundrum sweeps out into the Irish Sea and where the mighty peak of Slieve Donard (3,000 ft.) casts its shadow over the golf course and town.

A Scottish schoolteacher originally laid out the first nine holes at Royal County Down and they opened for play in 1889. Later that year, Old Tom Morris extended the course and 18 holes were ready for play in 1890. Harry Vardon modified the course in 1908, the same year King Edward VII bestowed royal patronage on the club. In 1926 Harry Colt was commissioned to make further alterations to the course which included addressing the gathering nature of the original greens and reducing the number of blind drives.

However, Old Tom Morris deserves most of the credit for the layout, as his routing took full advantage of the piece of ground he was handed. The sand dunes are rugged but beautifully clad in purple heather and yellow gorse, the fairways are naturally undulating, shaped by the hands of time. The greens are small and full of wicked undulations.

Measuring nearly 7,200 yards from the back tees, Royal County Down can be a brute. It’s a mystery that this fantastic course, with one of the finest outward nine holes in golf, has never hosted an Open. Factor in the ever-changing wind and you have as stern a test as any Open Championship venue.

The 4th and 9th holes are both universally admired. The 4th must be one of the most scenic long par threes in golf described as follows by one commentator: “Innumerable gorse bushes, ten bunkers, three mountain peaks, and one spire equal the most magnificent view in British golf”. The 9th, a long par four, is perhaps one of the world’s most photographed holes, the line from the elevated tee is directly at the Slieve Donard peak and the sweeping fairway lies eighty feet below the tee.

If a measure of a great golf course is the number of holes that you can remember, then Royal County Down is one of the greatest courses of them all.

Founded in 1892, County Louth Golf Club, or Baltray as it is more commonly known, has established itself as one of Ireland’s finest links courses. Winner of the 2017 IAGTO Links course of the year and host of two Irish Opens, the course stands as a par 72 and measures 7,031 yards from the Championship tees.

Baltray is one of Ireland's great secrets, this is a course that has remained relatively anonymous, except to those in the know. County Louth Golf Club was established in 1892 but Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay designed the present course in 1938. Baltray has no weak holes. The course is laid out in two loops, and most holes run in different directions. However, the greens are County Louth’s hallmark – they are among the very best in the whole of Ireland. If you can avoid three putting for 18 holes, then you have the right to claim you’re a great putter.The back nine is especially entertaining with a number of holes running close to the shore with distant views towards the Mountains of Mourne.

The Island Club in Ireland was once on an island. It’s now attached to the mainland but it’s still an isolated peninsula-like spur of links land, sandwiched between the Irish Sea, the beach of Donabate and the Broadmeadow estuary.

Few people know about The Island Golf Club, despite the fact that the course is over 100 years old and has featured in numerous ranking tables over the years. One leading golf magazine once commented: “The best course in Ireland you have never heard of. Play it and tell no-one.”

Ten Irishmen, known as the “Syndicate”, founded the club in 1890 and they needed a ferryman to take them from the town of Malahide across the estuary to play golf. When they were set to return to the mainland, they would hang a large red and white disc from the clubhouse wall to signal that they were ready for pickup by the water taxi.

This is a no-frills golf course. There is nothing artificial, it’s simply harmonious and in tune with its surroundings. Some of the most shaggy, rugged and looming sand dunes imaginable provide natural and distinct amphitheaters for many of the holes. In the summer, if you are unfortunate and wayward enough to find the dunes, be careful to avoid trampling on the wild dune flowers.

It is unclear who originally laid out the course, but the Island has been revised by Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett and more recently by Martin Hawtree. From the tips, the golf course now measures 6,903 yards with par set at 71. The challenge invariably comes from the wind and the ability to find the greens, putting surfaces are some of the very best around. There are some great holes to choose from, but the signature hole and a favorite is the long par three 13th, measuring over 220 yards. There is a bail-out option short of the green to the left, but the brave will take on the beach, hoping that they strike the ball cleanly and that they have the right club in their hand.

The Island Golf Club has hosted a number of professional tournaments, including the Irish PGA Championship, the European Amateur Team Championship and numerous Irish Open Qualifying Competitions.

The European Club is located between the coastal towns of Wicklow and Arklow, about 30 miles south of Dublin. This is a unique experience, a 20-hole links set amongst rugged dunes. It opened for play in 1993 with only one thing missing – history. It has enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest Irish links courses since its’ opening day.

This is an inspiring place for golf, huge dunes provide tremendous definition and the Irish Sea is very much a backdrop during your round. It’s a bit of a monster too; the 18-hole layout stretches to more than 7,000 yards, a challenging par 71. Two par 3s make up the par 77 20-hole layout and they are definitely worth playing, making a refreshing break from tradition. This is an absolute must-play golf course and quite likely one of the last links courses to be built in Ireland.

The European Club has hosted a number of prestigious events, including multiple Irish PGA Championships and Irish Amateur Championships. And is ranked inside the World Top 100 Golf Courses and is #14 of the 120 Greatest Golf Courses in Britain & Ireland.

Portmarnock is the ancestral family estate of the famous Jameson whiskey family. The Jameson’s once had a nine-hole golf course here and the land is now incorporated into the Jameson Links Golf Club and the Portmarnock Hotel.

Jameson Links opened for play in 1996 and recently underwent a multi-million dollar redesign and renovation. The course borders its illustrious neighbor, Portmarnock Golf Club, but the two courses are separately owned and managed. For such a young layout, Jameson Links is a very natural and understated course. There is nothing showy about the design; the natural links land is used simply and effectively. The first eight holes play across gently-undulating ground with definition provided by varied grasses and pot bunkers. Then, around the turn, a cluster of shaggy sand dunes provides a much more dramatic playing field.

Bernhard Langer commented on his creation: “There are very few locations in Europe which could have allowed me the opportunity and landscape to design such a classic championship links. I hope all those who play it discover its magic and its challenging beauty.” We thoroughly agree and encourage you to add this links course to your itinerary.

First opened for public play in 1971, this links course lies along the east coast of Ireland, next to its’ more well-known golfing neighbor, The Island Club. Corballis Links is owned by an arm of the local government and is a true public golf facility. Having said that, you certainly won’t enjoy it any less and will marvel at it’s views and shot quality

The course itself is over a hundred years old, with the original holes set out in 1906 and later expanded to a full 18 holes in 1928. It was relocated to its present location in 1939 but was then sold to the Dublin County Council in 1971 for $125,000. The County Council redesigned the layout in 1980, removing some blind holes and rebuilding some tees and greens.

Old holes 4, 13, 14 and 15 were lost, replaced by new ones along the coastline at holes 4 to 7, so that the course is now laid out with five short par fours, seven par threes and only one par five – with that rather unique configuration, it’s no surprise to learn that the course plays to its par of 66 over the short distance of 5,114 yards. But course par and distance aside, this course definitely belongs on your play list when you visit Dublin.

The K Club is probably the most opulent golf resort in Ireland. This is where an Irish piper will greet you at the landing pad as your pilot switches off your helicopter.

The K Club, or to give it its full title, the Kildare Country Club, is located in 550 acres of rolling County Kildare countryside. The North course (now known as the Palmer course) was designed by Arnold Palmer, opening for play in 1991. The River Liffey meanders through the course and becomes a hazard on a number of holes, especially the 8th, where it runs all the way down the left hand side of the fairway. There are four teeing areas to choose from and from the back the Palmer course measures a whopping 7,337 yards with a par of 72.

In October 2006, the K Club played host to the biggest golfing event in Irish history, the 36th Ryder Cup. The Palmer course proved to be a worthy venue and millions of people witnessed an emotionally charged European Team romp to a record equaling victory – 18½ points to 9½.

The holes are designed to shock and in some cases, intimidate golfers, much like Pete Dye does with many of his courses. In many ways, the K Club is reminiscent of the Belfry Golf Club. It is a tournament course first and foremost. And secondly, it is a resort course. However, having said this, the Palmer course at the K Club is aesthetically pleasing, immaculately maintained and one you’ll never forget it. In addition to the Ryder Cup, the K Club hosted the European Open for 15 years.