PLAY GOLF IN IRELAND
Sea Cliff Challenges and Glorious Greens
Flying into
Dublin for the first time, descending over the bay to the north of the
Howth Peninsula
and over Portmarnock, the first thing you
spot upon the sight of land through the puffy clouds are the green connected
link of golf courses on along the water’s edge and low cliffs. With
a slight misty drizzle of moisture on the windows, the person in the
next seat asked what I thought of Ireland upon my first arrival, my response
was pretty much what I had imagined – green and wet.
It should not be surprising that one’s first sight of Ireland is a golf course, the country boasts one third of all the "links" courses in the entire world. The tradition of golf in Ireland first started in 1881 with the establishment of the Royal Belfast Golf Club in 1881. The sport spread in popularity, with an abundance of open space with lots of green grass and fields with only the occasional herd of sheep of flock of water fowl as obstacles. Ireland now has over 440 courses, from championship courses to hidden gems across the Irish landscape.
Many of Ireland’s courses are attached to romantic hotels and luxury resorts, ranging from modest hideaways to historic grand castles - just a few to consider.
Nearest Dublin,
the Royal
Dublin Club is one of the premier golf destinations three miles
from Dublin city where legends have played for over 100 years. The Deer
Park Hotel, Golf and Spa are those greens first seen from the
airplane
window.
A little more budget friendly, the
Deer
Park
golf facility is the largest golf complex in Ireland, with five different
courses, 18 hole main course, 2 9 holes courses, a 12 hole Par 3 and 18
hole pitch and putt. Easy for a spur of the moment golf outing from Dublin
with access by the DART train, or to stay at the hotel over-looking the
greens
and
sea
beyond.
In May and June, a Rhododendron Garden blooms on the grounds. Deer
Park Hotel
While on the other side of the bay the Portmarnock Golf Links near Malahide, is one of Ireland’s most challenging and historic courses, hosting 16 Irish Open Championships. The Portmarnock Hotel is located in a manor house once owned by the Jameson Whiskey family (see Jameson Irish Whiskey Tour) and the 18 hole Bernhard Langer designed course, with coastal winds will test any true golfer’s long drive. South of Dublin, Druids Glen in County Wicklow, renowned as of the world’s great golf resorts has been called the Augusta of Europe.
Marriott
Druids Glen Hotel & Country Club
For
other courses with magnificent coastal landscape views and cliff challenges, Royal
Portrush in County Antrim of Northern Ireland, first opened in 1888
following Royal
Belfast is set along the magnificent sea cliffs not far from where the
Irish legend Finn MacCool built his Causeway (see Giant's
Causeway Antrim).
In the south, in County Cork, the Old
Head Golf Links course is one of
the
most
dramatic
you’ll ever encounter, jutting two miles into the Atlantic ocean
with half its holes played along the sea cliffs with whales and dolphins
swimming below. And don't forget Ballybunion in County Kerry is one of
Tom Watson's favorite courses. Review
of Ballybuniont
For a little
less challenge from blustery sea cliff winds, go inland for a bit of
Irish luxury and hospitality with your scenery. Near Enniskillen,
Fermanagh County in western Northern Ireland, several course lie around
the waters of Ireland largest inland lake, Lough Erne. The Castle
Hume course is a wallet friendly choice overlooking the waters
of Lough Erne on old estate grounds. While for the luxurious minded, the Lough
Erne Golf Resort has
opened a brand new Nick Faldo course to compliment
the original
championship
course
on the grounds
of its purpose
designed 5-star luxury hotel built in the style of a French chateau with
stunning course-side guest houses fit for a Saudi prince (including 5 helicopter
pads!), surrounded on all sides by the golden shores of the lake.
In the west
of Ireland in County Limerick, two grand castle hotels offer the opportunity
to
live in the style of an Irish lord while exercising
your swing just steps from the manor house door. Dromoland
Castle is the
ancestral home of Ireland’s O’Brien clan with its own private
course on the former grounds of the ancient manor lands, twenty-five minutes
from Shannon Airport. Adare
Manor Hotel and Golf Course offers a Robert
Trent Jones designed 18 hole champions course through the beautiful woodlands
parks bounded by the Maigue River. And in Galway the Glenlo
Abbey Hotel and Golf has views overlooking Lough Corrib at the gateway to the rustic
Connemara region.
To find a detailed list of Ireland’s courses you can check the official tourism website, Discover Ireland. If you don’t want the challenge of planning your own golf tour, several tour operators in Ireland specialize in golf tours from self drive to fully customized. Scepter Tours, Absolutely Golf & Travel, Celtic Golf, Erin Golf Tours, Wide World of Golf Ireland and Diamond in the Rough to name a few. But if you do go on your magnificent golf adventure in Ireland, take some rain gear, just in case.
Find best hotel and travel deals in Ireland on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Discover
Ireland Golf
Discover Northern Ireland Golf
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See Also
25 FREE THINGS TO DO IN IRELAND
IRELAND LUXURY GOLF RESORT HOTELS
