Shannon - Clare - Ireland

Opened for play in 1966, Shannon Golf Club has developed into one of the best inland courses in the county of Clare, hosting a number of national amateur championships in recent years.

It’s a compact parkland track extending to just over 6,700 yards from the back markers – holes have been fitted into a tidy parcel of land beside the Shannon Estuary – and many of the fairways are bounded on either flank by a variety of deciduous trees.

Water hazards feature at holes 6 to 8 on the front nine then, on the inward half, at both the 14th and the signature 17th – a par three, measuring 213 yards from the back tees, the penultimate hole on the scorecard will ruin many a round for those who fall short of the green and find the sea instead!

The course lies in the shadow of the international airport so be prepared for the occasional plane overhead either landing or taking off.