Ireland to the Fore

TEE TIME

IRELAND TO THE FORE

For a tiny island on the edge of Europe, Ireland knows a thing or two about golf. Everyone from champions Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Tigers Woods to actors Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and Bill Murray all love playing golf on the island of Ireland, and it’s not hard to see why. With world-class courses in spectacular locations, Ireland’s golfing credentials are sky-high.

Ireland is home to over 400 golf clubs, including a third of the world’s natural links courses, and a selection of exceptional championship courses in spectacular locations. Little wonder, therefore, that every year over 240,000 golfers from all over the world come to the island of Ireland’s greens to experience the impressive but unforgiving fairways.

The island of Ireland has been named International Golf Destination of the Year on more than one occasion by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. It continues to cement its reputation as an iconic golfing destination by hosting prestigious events, including the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2020.

Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny was selected to host the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the second Rolex Series event of the 2020 Race to Dubai. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course has a prestigious history in hosting major golf events and producing world-class champions.

The course at Mount Juliet is set in lush, rolling parkland, part of a 1,500-acre old Irish country estate with an 18th-century mansion as the clubhouse. Magnificent mature trees line the fairways, with the River Nore cutting through the course, providing a natural water hazard. The course is described as parkland golf at its best; tranquil, beautiful, and at times generously open, but with elegantly framed holes.

Royal Portrush North of the border is one of the island of Ireland’s premier courses. From Ballycastle to Portrush, Antrim’s famous coastline is truly spectacular and provides the setting for Royal Portrush Golf Club.

The 148th British Open will go down in history as one of the great Opens after a week-long party in Portrush ended with a popular winner. Shane Lowry famously became the fifth Irish winner of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, delighting home crowds with a stunning victory to seal his maiden Major Championship title, having already earned a first Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.

The Open generated more than £100 million for the economy of Northern Ireland, attracting a record attendance for the Championship outside of St Andrews of 237,750 fans throughout the week. More than 5,400 hours of television coverage were broadcast to hundreds of millions of viewers globally as Irishman Shane Lowry performed superbly to become Champion Golfer of the Year and lift the famous Claret Jug. The Open is set to make a triumphant return to Royal Portrush in 2025, marking an exciting new chapter in golf’s original championship history and providing another outstanding showcase for golf in Northern Ireland.

According to Golf World Top 100, Royal Portrush “provides brilliant hole after hole tests to challenge every part of the game and the rough punishes any offline shot. Providing you can hit the fairways; the incredible greens require a wide array of approach shots.”

With one of the most dramatic entrances to any golf club, Portrush stands on a rocky promontory that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. White Rocks, tall limestone cliffs that lead to Dunluce Castle and the Giants Causeway are to the east, while to the west are the hills of Inisowen.

Less than 1% of all the golf courses in the world are true Links. 85% of these geological rarities are located in Britain and Ireland.

This world-class club set in rolling dunes with fabulous coastal views goes back to 1888. The 36-hole club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links (the championship course) and the Valley Links. It is a private members club, but visitors are welcome as long as they are members of a recognized golf club.

Adare Manor An extraordinary, lavish experience, Adare Manor is one of Ireland’s most spellbinding Manor House Hotels. Built in the mid19th century for the Earl of Dunraven, this magnificent manor is luxury personified.

This nineteenth-century neo-Gothic masterpiece is steeped in history and surrounded by medieval ruins, walled gardens, winding woodland paths and a championship golf course. Every bit as strategic as it is scenic, this course demands precision but rewards risk and courage. The setting for the 2027 Ryder Cup, Adare Manor Resort will provide the backdrop for golf’s greatest team event, 20 years after the 2006 edition was played at the K Club – where Ian Woosnam’s European team lifted the trophy.

Described as ‘parkland perfection’ by Rory McIlroy and cited as a firm favourite in Dubai, Ireland’s golfing greats are generous in their praise for the 2027 Ryder Cup venue:

Padraig Harrington: “It’s second to none. A fantastic design, fantastic development. With the hotel and clubhouse, there’s nothing better.”

Rory McIlroy: “The course is absolutely incredible. To have it presented like this is phenomenal, it’s parkland perfection.”

Shane Lowry: “The best course in the country and one of the best in Europe. The whole venue is just incredible, like nothing else we have in Ireland.” Golfing Greats

Despite being such a small island, Ireland’s credentials as a golfing superpower are well established. Second only to Scotland in importance to the history of the great game, Ireland was sculpted to be the home of spectacular golf courses. Here are some of the other greats:

The top-rated links golf course in Ireland is Ballybunion Golf Club in the Southwest. Home to some of the biggest sand dunes you’ll ever see on a golf course, this golfing masterpiece is not only well-ranked in Ireland, but also features within the Top 20 Golf Courses in the World.

Ranked 1st on Golf Digest’s biennial ‘World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses’ list in 2016 and again in 2018, Royal County Down Golf Club is nestled in the Murlough Nature Reserve, flanked by the breathtaking Mountains of Mourne and running along Dundrum Bay. It is considered by many to be the most strikingly beautiful golf course in the world.

Lahinch hosted the Irish Open for the first time in 2019 and has been at the pinnacle of Irish golf ever since. Often referred to as ‘the St Andrews of Ireland’, this is a place where control of the golf ball is not just advantageous but necessary. For those who love real links golf, Lahinch Old Course is as good as any you will find, a definite must-play.

Situated in a breathtaking location on the shores of County Kerry, course designer Arnold Palmer, said of Tralee Golf Club: “I have never come across a piece of land so ideally suited for the building of a golf course.”

Also in the ‘Kingdom of Kerry’ in the rugged southwest of Ireland, Waterville Golf Links is one of Ireland’s top ranked courses. In the face of the Atlantic Ocean, golfers from around the world make the pilgrimage to play on its spectacular links. In the words of Graeme McDowell, “I don’t want to spread the word too much, but Waterville is my favourite golf course in Ireland. I love it down there in that part of the world, it’s just a magical, magical part of Ireland.”

The only course designed by Greg Norman in the entirety of the UK & Ireland, Trump International Doonbeg is one of his masterpieces. It should be said however, that the greater credit belongs to Mother Nature. The course is mesmerising in its natural beauty.

Occupying a stunning headland jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean, the Old Head of Kinsale is spectacular beyond belief and one of the most recognised and sought-after golf experiences anywhere on earth. It is a sanctuary for those seeking the finest in golf, scenery and personalized service.