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Ballybunion Old
| Almost unknown forty years ago, Ballybunion is now a legend, receiving almost as many visitors as St. Andrews. They don't come for the history or the luxurious surroundings -- you wouldn't want to send anyone a postcard of the clubhouse. The attractions of Ballybunion are found entirely on the links, which weaves its way through some of golf's most stirring terrain. It is not just the size or the wild look of the famous Ballybunion sand dunes, or the beauty of the seaside holes -- it is the way the links fits so superbly into what nature has provided. Many golf courses are blessed with fine natural settings, but at Ballybunion one feels that the gods have also designed the holes. |
Ballybunion New (Cashen Course)
| The Cashen is not just a second course at Ballybunion, it is a theatrical event all its own, and a highlight of any golfing visit to Ireland. Considered by Trent Jones to be one of his masterpieces, the Cashen is like a daring film that is loved by some critics but less appreciated by the masses. It is the Apocalypse Now of links golf -- controversial, occasionally self-indulgent, big budget (by Irish standards) and full of splashy set pieces. But the overall effect is the opposite of what is conveyed by the magical Old Course next door. On the Cashen, the whole seems somehow less than the sum of its dazzling parts. |
Waterville
| Waterville is a stern and stunning test of championship golf set in the kind of rugged linksland for which Ireland is famous. Beginning on relatively flat land, the course builds steadily to a crescendo of great finishing holes that rumble through the dunes and along the Atlantic shore. Set along the picturesque Ring of Kerry, Waterville is the one place where the Irish architect Eddie Hackett had the money do exactly as he pleased, and the result is extraordinary. |
Killarney
| Set on the edge of one of the planet's most enchanting lakes, Killarney is the one inland golf experience in Ireland that you won't want to miss. The serene and luscious beauty of its two older courses is a complete departure from the exposed, rugged links that are Ireland's principal legacy to the sport. Each hole is deliberately charming at Killarney -- greens and fairways are thoughtfully framed by woods, lake and the marvelous Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Ireland's highest and most pleasing mountains. On a calm day, this is the mistily tranquil Irish landscape of Hollywood fantasies. Indeed, visiting celebrities such as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (who crooned "How Can You Buy Killarney") helped to make Killarney synonymous with Irish golf in foreign eyes. A third course, the Lackabane, opened in 1999 and hosted the 2002 Ladies Irish Open. |
Lahinch
| Known widely, if somewhat misleadingly, as the St. Andrews of Ireland,
Lahinch is a marvelous place. There is no community in Ireland with a stronger sense of
connection to
the sport, and the club's evolution has in many ways parallelled the history of Ireland itself. The
championship quality and classic feel of the links is the work of Alister Mackenzie (of Augusta
and
Cypress Point fame), and his legacy here seems secure after a sympathetic “restoration” by Martin Hawtree. But you also get a
glorious whiff of Old Tom Morris at two of golf's most famous and exquisite anachronisms -- the
holes
they call Klondyke and the Dell (now holes 4 and 5). Lahinch is an entirely successful blend of old and new, and when
the
greens and fairways are firm and fast there are few places that are more delightful to play. See a picture of Lahinch here |
Doonbeg
| Many wondered if Greg Norman was the right man to create one of the last links courses on the planet. So it is to Norman’s credit that the verdict is still out on Doonbeg. Whether or not his vivid design is the best way to use this heaving piece of linksland on Doughmore Bay in County Clare, Doonbeg is without doubt an exciting and provocative course to play. We could do without the greeters and the forecaddies, the piles of range balls shaped like D’s, and the needless and wasteful opulence of the facilities, designed to attract Americans with more money than they know what to do with. But against all expectations, it is the Irish who play the most golf here. See pictures of Doonbeg here |
Tralee
| If Tralee doesn't quite live up to its setting, that's hardly a criticism. The views of cliffs and beaches are mind-blowing, and constantly draw your attention away from the admirable efforts of Palmer and Seay. Although there are lots of contenders, Tralee is certainly in the running for the most stunning seaside golf course in all the world, and film buffs will perhaps recognize the landscape for David Lean's Ryan's Daughter. There are also some tremendous golf holes at Tralee, and its true character won't really be known until the course fully matures. There are places where the American architects seem to be trying too hard, and Tralee doesn't have the consistent style that marks the greatest courses. But like a charging Arnold Palmer, it will sure get your adrenaline going. |
Ceann Sibeal
| Set out like an afterthought on the western extremity of the Dingle peninsula, Golf Chumann Ceann Sibeal is a little-known but friendly enclave of Gaelic. The links by the stunning cliffs of Sybil Head are in one of the last remaining Gaeltacht -- everything at Ceann Sibeal is in Irish, from the scorecard to the signs on the washrooms. The most westerly course in Europe, the links itself is eloquent in any language, one of Eddie Hackett's most bewitching creations. The setting is mesmerizing, too -- with the Three Sisters rock towering behind the course, and the sea crashing against the cliffs just below. If the legendary giants of Irish lore played golf, this might be where they'd play. |
Dooks
| If there was a golf scene in The Wizard of Oz, it might have been shot at Dooks, an unconventional club that plays the game in a setting of almost surreal beauty, with picture-perfect sea and mountain views and fairways brimming with flowers. Even the ponds are special here, with their rare species of Natterjack Toad. The links used to be dream-like too, with one green shaped like a saucer and another requiring a compass to find. However, Dooks’s famous quirks are in the process of being ironed out in an aggressive redesign by Martin Hawtree. It may seem crazy for a club to rip up their much-praised course for something almost entirely new, but in the wonderful, unpredictable Land of Dooks, we expect that everyone will return from the adventure unscathed. |
Cork ("Little Island")
| The story of Cork Golf Club's first half century went up in smoke in 1945, leaving us little idea about just how much a role that Alister Mackenzie had in the design of its distinctive and memorable golf holes. But it does the designer of Cypress Point and Augusta no discredit to be associated with what is still one of Ireland's finest parkland courses. Part of the course is routed through an old quarry, while other holes hug the shore of Cork harbor. There are some magnificent elevated tees in the Mackenzie style. |
Ring of Kerry
| Ring of Kerry is a strange but memorable golf experience that is distinguished by its jaw-dropping scenery. Though built on a steep slope, the course is surprisingly playable, which may be due to the original routing by Eddie Hackett. Nevertheless, this is the one place in Ireland where a buggy (electric cart) may enhance the enjoyment. Just don’t come on a foggy day. |
Old Head Golf Links
| Controversial and dramatic course built on a promontory jutting into the Atlantic which opened in June 1997. Designed by Ron Kirby (formerly of Jack Nicklaus's team), with assistance from Joe Carr. Kirby has been quoted as saying "you can land a 747 on our fairways, but you can't land a golf ball", so you can expect it to be a bit windy. The major asset is the extraordinarily beautiful setting. But through the courts, the owners have succeeded in barring locals from free access to one of their own national treasures, while golf’s international jet set are able to fly in on their choppers and enjoy some of the planet’s most enjoyable scenery. Note that trolleys are not permitted on the course (caddies or golf carts with forecaddies are required) and that children are not permitted in the clubhouse or on the grounds at any time. The club’s stated goal is to develop as a private international members club, and promotes heli-golf on its web site. |