Britain & Ireland

Ireland

Clare

Lahinch is derived from the old Irish name Leithinsi, a half island. The village dates back to the 18th century and grew in popularity thanks to George I, who believed that eating periwinkles and sea-grass was healthy.

Golf at Lahinch dates back to 1892. Three local Limerick golfers laid out an 18-hole course, assisted by officers of the Scottish Black Watch regiment who were stationed in Limerick at that time. In 1894, Old Tom Morris was commissioned to make improvements to the layout and he made excellent use of the natural terrain, especially the giant sand dunes. Old Tom believed that Lahinch was the finest natural course that he had seen.

In the mid 1890s, the West Clare Railway made the town more accessible and consequently, people flocked to Lahinch to stay at the new Golf Links Hotel. The whole town lives and breathes golf. Bernard Darwin wrote the following in his book, 

, published in 1910: “The greatest compliment I have heard paid to Lahinch came from a very fine amateur golfer, who told me that it might not be the best golf in the world, but was the golf he liked to play best. Lest this may be attributed to patriotic prejudice, I may add that he was an Englishman born and bred.”

In 1927, Dr Alister MacKenzie redesigned the course, relocating a number of holes closer to the bay. The redesign work took one year to complete and featured undulating triple tiered greens. William McCavery took over as the club’s professional at that time and his first task was to assist with the introduction of the new layout. He would serve in that role for the following sixty years.

Unfortunately, in 1935, the same time that MacKenzie was designing Augusta with Bobby Jones, the Lahinch committee decided that his greens were too tough for the average golfer. John Burke was granted the remit to flatten them out. Happily, in 1999, Martin Hawtree knowledgably reinstated MacKenzie’s characteristics, completing Lahinch’s restoration.

Lahinch is an enchanting place to play golf. It’s rugged, distinctive, unusually varied and immensely entertaining. This traditional out and back layout is situated next to the lovely beach of Liscannor Bay.

During the last week of July, Lahinch hosts the South of Ireland Championship, an annual occurrence since 1895. The “South” is a matchplay competition, which attracts many spectators and some great amateur golfers, although it is unlikely that anybody will beat John Burke’s record. The “King of Lahinch” was the South of Ireland champion 11 times between 1928 and 1946.

Views across the bay from the 3rd are uplifting. This 446-yard par four, has a blind drive to a hidden fairway and the approach to the green is obscured by a hill on the right. The 4th is a short par five named Klondyke. It's one of the most unusual holes in golf and an Old Tom speciality. The tee shot needs to find a narrow rippled fairway located in a valley between dunes. A blind second shot then has to negotiate Klondyke, a towering sand dune that straddles the fairway some 200 yards away from the green. It's certainly a quirky hole but it's also very memorable.

What's the best way to follow such an eccentric hole? Why, another highly peculiar one, naturally! Left untouched since Old Tom Morris first fashioned it over a century ago, Dell is the renowned blind par three 5th, its green nestling between towering sand hills that surround the narrow green on all sides. A stone on top of one of the dunes indicates the hole location from the tee so golfers are advised to factor in the wind direction, pick the right club for the yardage then take aim for the hidden flag.

The Old course at Lahinch is a gem, but take note of where the goats are. If they are sheltering near the clubhouse—take your umbrella—you are in for a wet round.

Lahinch Golf Club staged the Irish Open for the first time in 2019. The event was a treat for the pros, especially Spain's Jon Rahm who won the title by two shots. Englishman Robert Rock grabbed the headlines on Saturday after carding a record-breaking 60. Rock birdied the last six holes during round three and had a 35-foot putt for eagle on the last for a 59 but missed by inches.

Lahinch (Old)

Lahinch Golf Club is situated next to the lovely beach of Liscannor Bay. It's an enchanting place to play golf... rugged, distinctive, unusually varied and immensely entertaining.

The name Doonbeg is derived from 'Dun Beag', which roughly translated means small fort. So it's no surprise that this pretty seaside village grew up beside a castle, which was built in the 16th century for the Earl of Thomond. You'll find Doonbeg 40 minutes or so due west of Shannon airport. Just keep going until you reach the Atlantic. You can't miss the golf course – just look out for the mountainous dunes and keep your eyes peeled. Somewhere around these spectacular 100ft high sandhills, you might get a glimpse of the Great White Shark. Because this is the course that Greg Norman built – his one and only architectural ensemble in the whole of the British Isles.

Apparently Norman made 23 visits to this amazing piece of links-land, which curves and tumbles for a mile and a half around the crescent-shaped Doughmore Bay. "When I first looked at this site, I thought I was the luckiest designer in the world," Norman said. "If I spent the rest of my life building courses, I don't think I'd find a comparable site anywhere." Norman's design is totally in tune with nature - 14 greens and 12 fairways were simply mown - not much earth moved for Greg here at Doonbeg. The look and feel of the layout is old-fashioned and the routing follows an out-and-back style, synonymous with traditional links architecture. Not bad for a course which opened on July 9, 2002, marked by an exhibition match between Padraig Harrington and the Great White Shark. Norman won 2 & 1.

According to legend, officers of the Scottish Black Watch Regiment planned to turn these dunes into a golf course in the early 1890s, but they settled on Lahinch because it's located closer to the railway station. When Norman got his hands on this land a century or so later, he said: "I'm not going to Americanise this golf course - not one single foreign blade of grass". Norman remained true to his word, but the club is American-owned and their membership philosophy is that Doonbeg is the ultimate home club for the discriminating international golfer. Ah well, at least Doonbeg is open for green fees and it's also open for local residents.

The layout is unusual in that it has a combination of five par 3s and five par 5s - the par 72 course measures 6,885 yards from the back tees. The signature hole is probably the 14th, a par three and one of the most sensational short holes in Ireland, although there are many memorable holes on this remarkable course. The 14th measures a mere 111 yards, but hitting the green is easier said than done because there are numerous distractions... the Atlantic stretches out beyond the green and the wind will dictate your club selection. Expect to take anything from a sand wedge to a 3 iron and hope for the best.

The Doonbeg project is believed to be the largest single investment in this part of Ireland and this amazing golf course has a magnetic appeal for thousands of golfers. Doonbeg is a priceless jewel between Lahinch and Ballybunion and one that simply must be played.

In February 2014, The Trump Organization bought the Doonbeg property in a deal said to be worth €15 million. The facility was renamed Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Ireland and the course was redesigned over a two-year period under the architectural stewardship of Martin Hawtree at a reputed cost of €5 million.

Trump International Golf Links - Ireland

Doonbeg is the course that Greg Norman built, but it was redesigned by Martin Hawtree over a two-year period after the property was acquired in 2014 by Donald Trump and renamed Trump International Golf Links.

The course at Dromoland Castle has been around for more than half a century (opening initially as a 9-hole layout in 1963) but in recent years, dramatic changes have elevated it to new levels. The layout can now be bracketed alongside some of the other great household names in southwest Ireland, including Ballybunion, Waterville and Lahinch. Dromoland is certainly well worth a visit.

Located just eight miles from Shannon airport, the course is set within the magnificent 360-acre Dromoland Castle estate and it wends its way through woodlands, alongside lakes and across streams. The setting is nothing short of spectacular.

One of Europe’s most formidable design teams, Ron Kirby and Joe Carr, teamed up to re-design this parkland layout in 2002 and the result is stunning. Kirby and Carr were the driving force behind Old Head, so it’s not surprising that drama is very much in evidence here at Dromoland Castle. This par 72 6,824-yard track features rolling hills, ancient trees and water hazards that will test all standards of golfer. From tee to green the views throughout are stunning, with Dromoland Lough and Castle providing a delightful backdrop.

The signature 7th, stands high above a postage stamp sized green with water left and a shamrock bunker to the right. The 9th is reminiscent of the 10th on the Brabazon course at the Belfry. The 280-yard carry to the green will tempt the big hitters.

With its new length and challenges, Dromoland Castle is now unquestionably championship quality and we believe that a significant tournament could be held here in the not too distant future. Dromoland also has one of the classiest castle hotels in Europe, dating back to the 16th century. It was once the ancestral seat of the O' Brien’s, one of the few native Gaelic Irish families of royal blood. So, if you fancy living like a king for a day or two, a visit to Dromoland Castle will fit the bill perfectly.

Dromoland Castle

The course at Dromoland Castle Golf Club has been around for over forty years but in the last two years, dramatic changes have elevated it to new levels.

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 and this 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.

Shannon

The Derg Golf Society was established in the late 1980s and within a short couple of years members decided to set up their own golf club on land purchased from a couple of local farmers. An initial 9-hole course was laid out and a temporary clubhouse erected. Additional land was then acquired, allowing architect Arthur Spring to set out an 18-hole course in 1997. The following year, East Clare hosted the first (and last) edition of the West of Ireland Seniors Championship.

Hooked: an amateur’s guide to the golf courses of Ireland

 author Kevin Markham writes: “the club sits at the end of a wonderful maze of little windy roads and it is a charming country surprise. There is an excellent routing, which shows off the surrounding hills, and the variety in lengths and shapes of holes demands careful consideration. At the start you can be aggressive but you will find you are tested more and more as the round progresses.”

Extending to 5,786 meters from the back tees, the course plays to a par of 71, with holes arranged as two returning nines. Water, in the shape of small pons, come in to play at four of the five par three holes on the card. Highlight holes include birdieable par fives at the 5th and 6th; the right doglegging par four 9th (rated stroke index 1) where two ponds protect the front of the green; and the water-laden par three 17th in the southeast corner of the property.

East Clare

The parkland course at East Clare Golf Club opened in 1997 and was designed by Arthur Spring. Host to the 1998 West of Ireland Seniors Championship, East Clare has developed a strong reputation since opening its tees for play.

Ennis Golf Club dates back to 1907 and the club’s 18-hole course lies just over a kilometre to the west of Ennis town centre, with fairways laid out on either side of the busy R474 road. Holes 1-7 and the 18th occupy the clubhouse side of the highway, with the remainder of the layout set across the other side of the road.

 author Kevin Markham writes: “the top section is on a gentle slope with downhill curves at both ends, while on the other side there is one significant drop to a flattish plateau. The holes utilising this drop are the most interesting on what is an average parkland course.”

Measuring 5,706 metres from the tops, the course plays to a par of 70 (35 out then 35 back) with only one par five on each nine, at the 479-metre 9th and 453-metre 18th. Feature holes include both the long par fours at the 6th and 12th (stroke index 2 and 1, respectively) and the longest of the par threes at the 169-metre 16th.

Ennis

Founded in 1907, the parkland course at Ennis Golf Club measures a relatively modest 5,706 metres from the back tees, but low scoring will not come easy on this tight tree-lined layout.

Everyone naturally flocks to Lahinch to play the Old course and few people will have heard about the club’s second course, the Castle. It’s not in the same league as its big, elderly brother but it’s a genuine fun links and an ideal warm up (or warm down) track.

The Castle course at Lahinch Golf Club was fashioned in the mid 1970s by Commander John D. Harris and is located on the opposite side of the road to the Old course, on land that was earmarked by George Gibson – the professional of 

 – on his visit the early 1900s to re-vamp the original links.

The Castle is shorter, more forgiving and less undulating than the Old, but it is worth a look in its own right and is a course to be sampled by any links aficionado.

Lahinch (Castle)

The Castle course at Lahinch Golf Club was fashioned in the mid 1970s by Commander John D. Harris and is located on the opposite side of the road to the Old course...

Dr. Arthur Spring established his Spring Golf Design company in 1989 and they have created new (or extended existing) Irish golf courses at a rate of almost one a year since then.

Woodstock Golf Club is an early Spring design – opening in 1993 – and it’s laid out over 155 acres beneath the Slieve Bernagh Mountains on a free-draining site which allows it to remain open most of the year.

Measuring 6,450 yards from the back tees (with a par of 71), the course routing makes great use of a mature, forested landscape – including lakes, a river and a couple of ancient forts – to form a wonderful 18-hole layout that many consider to be one of the finest parkland courses in the Midwest of Ireland.

During construction, the architect built a sizeable lake, which, along with connecting streams, provides a formidable water hazard at holes 6, 8 and 11 – a trio of wonderful par three holes. The course at Woodstock ends in some style too, with three testing par fours that follow the short par four 15th.

Woodstock

Woodstock Golf Club is laid out over 155 acres beneath the Slieve Bernagh Mountains on a free-draining site which allows it to remain open most of the year.

Located to the north of the River Shannon, County Clare covers an expanse of over 1,300 square miles in Ireland’s mid-west region with a sizeable portion of the landscape dominated by The Burren, one of the largest areas of exposed limestone rock in Europe.

 is the top golf club in County Clare and its Old course has been the venue for the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship since 1895. Lahinch member John Burke managed to win an incredible total of 11 out of 12 finals contested between 1928 and 1947. Many of Ireland’s modern day golfing heroes have done well in the South Open. Darren Clarke (Dungannon) won it in 1990, followed by Paul McGinley (Grange) the following year. Padraig Harrington (Stackstown) was runner up in 1994 and 1995 then Graeme McDowell (Rathmore) claimed the title in 2000.
