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Rosapenna
| The ghosts of Old Tom Morris, James Braid and Harry Vardon still whisper at Rosapenna, but now it is the vivid Irish architect, Pat Ruddy, who has thrust this historic golfing resort back onto the world stage. There is almost too much to take in at Rosapenna, and we’re not talking about the rugged Atlantic views. There is a bewitching, old-fashioned links from golf’s Golden Age, a new championship course in vigorous dunes that is astonishing from first tee to last, and another nine holes that are just beginning to mature. Contemplating the golf choices ahead of you over breakfast in the seafront dining room (fresh kippers anyone?), you can’t help but wonder if Rosapenna, in its own unassuming way, has once again become the very best golf hotel in the world. See pictures of the Rosapenna hotel here See pictures of Rosapenna’s golf courses here |
Portsalon
| Saved from extinction and now modernized, the links at Portsalon are situated in a remote and picturesque setting every bit as stunning as Pebble Beach. This is the best-value golf experience in Ireland, a genuinely championship test that combines modern design with a handful of holes that have survived, more or less, from golf’s golden age. The criss-crossing fairways are now gone, but playing at Portsalon is still a journey of discovery, one that combines sweet nostalgia, an exquisite slice of golf history, and some of the most enchanting and challenging links golf anywhere. See a picture of Portsalon here |
Donegal
| A big, bold, beautiful links, Donegal is gradually undergoing a successful renovation under the careful supervision of Pat Ruddy. But Eddie Hackett’s original conception remains intact. Most everything is writ large at Donegal -- with its expansive fairways and greens, the panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Donegal Hills, and the hospitality of the members. Still not well known, it may emerge as one of the great links courses in Britain and Ireland. See pictures of Donegal here |
Narin and Portnoo
| Formerly known affectionately to some as Narin and Portmoo, this formidable links, cobbled together by the members themselves, no longer has cattle roaming its fairways. Now that you don’t have to watch where you are stepping, and with no more electric fences to chip through, there’s time to focus on some raw and riveting golf holes. If the club ever gets to play the two new par 5s they have constructed along the sea, and build a new clubhouse, the reputation of Narin and Portnoo will surely rise. For the moment, this is still Irish golf at its most splendidly unpretentious. |
County Sligo (Rosses Point)
| In a country chock full of spectacular golfing scenery there is nothing
quite like the exhilaration one feels teeing it up on “The Jump”, the fifth hole at County Sligo. It is a gorgeous,
thrilling drop to a wide and welcoming fairway. There are mountains on three sides -- including
Benbulben, made famous by W. B. Yeats -- and up ahead, beyond Rosses Point, the harbor
stretches out into the endless sea. Go ahead, "grip it and rip it" -- even a weak shot here will seem
to soar -- and savor the sense of anticipation and privilege as you bound down the hill towards
one of the greatest stretches of links holes to be found anywhere. While Drumcliff Bay never
actually comes into play at Rosses Point, it is a constant and magnificent presence, and seems to
infuse the links with a special glow and tranquillity. See pictures of Rosses Point here |
Carne
| Carne is a startling links in the most unpromising of places -- the remote and thinly populated Belmullet Peninsula. Carne is a wild ride through Ireland's most rugged linksland, but Eddie Hackett has kept the roller coaster just tame enough to make the trip enjoyable, and to make it a true test of golfing skill. Carne is not only a thrilling golf course, it is a remarkable example of community development in an area of few economic prospects. You will have to go out of your way to get to Carne, through miles and miles of tawny peat bog, but you will be richly rewarded. |
Enniscrone
| Another of Eddie Hackett's low-budget miracles, the links close by the tiny village of Enniscrone in County Sligo may offer Ireland's most enjoyable game of golf. Although a championship test from the back tees, Enniscrone is also pure delight for the middle handicapper -- with a series of thrilling elevated tee shots, four marvelous par 3s, and some truly sublime linksland. The new century has brought Donald Steel’s addition of six new holes through terrain that was off limits to Hackett, and returning visitors will find that the new Enniscrone is better than ever.
See pictures of Enniscrone here |
Ballyliffin
| The club members of Ballyliffin rebuffed a lucrative offer from Britain's most famous golfer, and are now proud custodians of what is arguably the most enjoyable 36 holes of links golf on the planet. While the spectacular new Glashedy Links has justifiably won wide praise, the magical Old Links, with its crazy undulating fairways, is every bit as endearing. There is a great contrast in styles between the two, despite the fact that they share essentially the same topography and surroundings. On Glashedy, Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock used modern earth-moving machines to fashion relatively wide and smooth fairways that sweep through the sand hills in majestic curves. The Old links, by contrast, was “built” with a miniscule budget, and the fairways retain thousands of small (and not so small) bumps and swales that the wind and rain have created over thousands of years. |
Connemara
| In a tale fit for Hollywood, Connemara was built by the local community of Clifden, at the urging of their parish priest. The result is a links profoundly unlike any other in Ireland and perhaps anywhere. Winding its way at times through great slabs of rock, Connemara is a raw and exposed place, wide open to the relentless Atlantic winds. It is also uncommonly beautiful, as uncompromising and majestic as the region that gives it its name. Connemara is golf at its most elemental -- a striking example of a course dictated by nature, and all the better for it. Now extended to 27 holes; the third nine has been completed on the plan originally laid out by Eddie Hackett. It is a stern and intriguing test in its own right, over land that could not have originally been used for golf when funds were impossibly tight. |
Strandhill
| Overshadowed and at one time perhaps a bit overawed by their famous and fancier neighbours across Sligo Bay at Rosses Point, the members at Strandhill can be justly proud of their unusual, varied and thoroughly entertaining links, much of which they have devised themselves. And there are at least a couple of wild and wonderful holes that you will never forget. It may be that the course’s personality merely reflects the quirky streak of the golfers who play over it. After all, where else in Ireland do you find a club so enthusiastic about winter golf that it’s harder to get a tee time on a Sunday in January than July? |
Dunfanaghy
| Dunfanaghy may not possess the most muscular linksland in the northwest of Ireland, but it is an intriguing and enjoyable links that deserves more attention than it gets. The middle portion of the course plays over rather flat terrain, pinched between the Derryveagh Mountains and Sheephaven Bay. But the holes at either end of the course, particularly two par 3s at the ninth and seventeenth, define the course and are among the best in all of Ireland. The clubhouse atmosphere is exceptionally welcoming, and curious visitors are sure to be treated to the latest exploits of local hero Paul McGinley. See pictures of Dunfanaghy here |
Cruit Island
| The finest nine-hole links in Ireland, in as magnificent a setting as one could ever hope to find. In a country of wonderful par 3s, the sixth hole is one of the greatest of them all. On the rest of the course you will find no par 5s, but lots of wind, blind tee shots and rollicking links terrain. This is truly golf at the end of the earth. Visitors may not be plentiful, but they are sure to be welcomed warmly. Finding the course is not easy, however (see directions in the box at left). Honour box for green fees in effect during the off-season. See pictures of Cruit Island here |
North West
| One of the nine original members of the Golfing Union of Ireland, this venerable links near the town of Buncrana, just twelve miles northwest of Derry, has shrunk over the years and, as a result, has become progressively more old fashioned. In the late nineteenth century, North West was considered a big muscular links, and a writer of the period marvelled that it was ‘absolutely without a cross’. |