Castle Dargan Estate

Sligo businessman Dermot Fallon acquired Castle Dargan Golf Resort in 2000 then embarked on a mission to transform a rather bleak piece of property into one of the top residential golf complexes in the north west of Ireland.

Six years later, the owner’s vision had turned to reality with the construction of a 4-star resort hotel and spa, around 50 homes and, of course, a modern 18-hole parkland golf course.

Laid out in the heart of “Yeats Country,” within a 170-acre wooded estate to the south of Sligo town, the golf course at Castle Dargan is the result of a collaboration between established Irish architect Patrick Merrigan and fledgling designer, Darren Clarke.

The opening and closing three holes are very strong, with the downhill par three 3rd regarded as the signature hole on the card. Played to a wide but shallow green with a beech tree sentinel guarding the approach, it’s a tasty little short hole.

The closing trio of par fours are all over 400 yards in length and they present a final flourish to the round with the 16th playing towards the ruins of Castle Dargan before the last two holes head back for home.

Last word on the layout to Clarke, the popular Irish professional, who says, “all we had to do was pull back some of the covers to reveal a truly outstanding piece of land… We worked with the magnificent mature trees, the old stone walls and natural lakes, and the course unveiled itself, as if it was always there.”