Patrick Desmond

Ardee: A very playable typical pleasant parkland course which has some memorable holes on the back nine. Tree lined and sloping throughout you will need to keep the ball straight or get lucky. The par five index one is a challenge as the approach to the green is tight. We played it twice and while in the wet there is little roll on the fairways. June ‘22

Co Louth: This course has come up a notch in the last year following some serious investments in irrigation and works on improving the presentation which is very pleasant to the eye. New signage helps the poor transition and it is a pity the course has so many ‘walk back tees’ to play forward to achieve the desired length. Be aware there are long walks and when I tried to get a buggy was not permitted without a medical certificate.Some holes have a high resistance to scoring which we found a bit tough in the high cross winds. The newer 17th was in play the day when we played which is now one of the better par threes. The transition is still a bit puzzling making recall and navigation a challenge. Pity the routing did not get a makeover as it would shorten the walks and five hour round we had.Deserves the high ranking it has which it will hold. pd July ’22.

Back again after five years and we played it twice both on windy days. The layout and transition is as good as ever whilst the greens are much improved. Worth the long trip down to Dunbeg. 10 May '22 pd

The Island: Fresh from its makeover in early 2020 by renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert the Island has stepped up a notch from its well placed ranking # 8 in Ireland with a nice mix of holes on the front rather than the older format viz., eight par fours in a row! The opening hole is located in beautiful high dunes so this sets the scene for the astute player to decide on their strategy over the entire course. The course starts at a relatively nice pace over gentle terrain before gaining in momentum and excitement with a great mix of short and long holes. The new design now has great variety with different configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and green contours.The new third is a par five followed by the fourth a par three which is a treat ‘postage stamp’ size with a great view over the Irish Sea but longer than 7th in Pebble beach which transitions you nicely through more dunes to the new lay-out holes. There are some great golfing holes at 5th, 8th and 9th replacing the short blind holes that persisted before the very welcome new routing with the ‘2020 vision’ of Ebert. One sensational hole follows another. Your enjoyment of the new front nine where you can open up will get you in good mood for the coming challenge of the back.The 10th starts with the ‘road hole design’ reminiscent of 17th at St Andrews which invites the player to cut the corner on the right to shorten the hole. Players must play good golf to score well particularly on 12th, 13th, and 14th the most memorable/devilish trio of holes on the back. The 13th is not unlike the par three Calamity in Portrush at 220 yards with trouble on the right. The 14th fairway looks very narrow but it’s a short par four so being brave take out your driver and rip it - you will get your reward -- if you pull it off! The 15th is a beautiful par five – aim for the white disk afar in the distance and then wind your way down through some of the most spectacular secluded dunes anywhere. The Island is now masterpiece both technically and visually, particularly if you’re a fan of dune land. It is an almost perfect case study of how you can use the natural lie of the land to frame holes instead of relying on expansive fairway bunkers. The holes pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse. Players will finish on the great par four, index one, where you can see in the distance the flag 460 yards away from the elevated tee. If you have played it before and liked the old layout you will love the five new holes on the front. You’ll yearn to go round once again to see if you can improve... Expect the ranking of # 8 in Ireland and # 51 in UK & Ir. will be revised upwards before long. 9/10. pd

It is with good reason that this course is always in the top three in Ireland &gt;&gt; an absolute pleasure to play as it is all laid out in front of you - visible fairways large greens and a great challenge from start to finish. Playability is a key word, while the holes point to all parts of the compass you need to be alert on windy days. Many elevated greens where the poorly executed shot will be repelled but not into unplayable jungle grass - the run-offs are fair where I just enjoyed getting up and down so often. (Note: Ken Brown one putted 8 of the last 9 nine greens to win the Irish Open in 1978)-- you can too!!! There are many memorable holes viz., 13th to 16th particularly the par three 15th ‘Redan’ design which will test the golfer. No towering dunes but scenic in its own way. Played it loads and never tire of it 9.8/10 pd.

Waterville - A long way down but worth the trip (Nov ‘19) this course does pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse while still being very fair -- as fair as a links can be and one can see why it is so popular with visitors.No reviews on site since 2015 having read some woeful ones I got nervous as I had it on my bucket list for years. Should I have read the reviews before I booked? Can 16,000 golfers per annum be misguided?? Anyway the good news is the greens etc have been fixed. One must admire the design variety which has great memorability, aesthetics and ambiance. It is a shot makers course where the golfer can hit the ball and enjoy the walk after it where the scenic values of the course add to the pleasure of your round. The holes have great variety in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and green contours.The design features provide individuality to each hole yet a collective continuity to the entire course. Movement around the course did occur naturally giving a very pleasant transition. The scenic values of the course add to the pleasure of the round starting at the third and really spectacular all the way round. The only shortcoming being the 12th hole an elevated par three.On the day we played the course the fairways were sanded which was fair enough but the ball travelled and the greens were firm yet receptive and the roll of putts was true.The overall feel and atmosphere of the course did reflect the modern values of the game. At # 2 in Kerry and # 5 in Ireland we would give it # 1 yes top spot in Ireland having played all the top 10 recently &gt;&gt; 9.9 /10. pd Nov 2019

DOOKS - A long way to get there but worth the trip this course does pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test accuracy and finesse. Quirky is a word that will come to mind often when playing into some elevated greens (the links bump and run option is not available to some greens).Great variety in the holes in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and green contours&gt;&gt;quirky! The design features provide individuality to each hole yet a collective continuity to the entire course albeit a bit tight in some places.On the day we played the course (11/19) the fairways were not fiery which was fair and the greens were firm yet receptive and the roll of putts were a challenge on some holes. The scenic values of the course add to the pleasure of your round and make up for any shortcomings. Two par fives 9th and 10th are well laid out and challenging as are the four par threes; Index one 17th and index two 7th area a real golf test.The overall feel and atmosphere of the course did reflect some traditional values of the game if you are fond of gorse, small greens and blind shots!!. I can happily report on the day that we played it the workers were cutting out the gorse which was in play.Movement around the course did not occur naturally in places giving a strange transition. # 5 in Kerry and # 31 in Ireland is about correct. 7/10. pd Nov 2019

SAUNTON (East) Played the East twice and enjoyed the test. Lines off the tees are important as one can run out of fairway in the distance. In fairness the barber’s poles (black and white) give a true indication of the lines to take to avoid the myriad of dry dykes that are ubiquitous. 10th hole is short and allows a good wedge to a very elevated green where putting then can be a challenge. The 11th is short and tricky not a driver.13 par fours and two par fives is a bit off balance-- Seve reckoned the ideal course would have 6 threes, 6 fives and 6 fours... 6/10; May 2019, pd

BURNHAM & BERROW (Championship) This is a serious test of golf with high dunes which Harry Colt had a hand in the excellent design with the traditional nine out and nine back formats which we enjoyed with the sea breeze holding as we set off and helping on the way in. The ambiance and overall feel of the course reflect and uphold the traditional values of the game. The holes do pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse. The design variety is good with differing lengths while the 16th (index 18) is nearly derivable.Great greens many of which are on a shelf so be up with your wedge or the ball will return to your feet Augusta like. In reality it looks tougher than it plays and every hole has some bail out area which we realised and utilised when we played again the next day. If you’re not on your A game avoid ‘tiger lines’ and play left to where you will see your ball particularly the two par fives at 4th and 8th which slide around to the right.You will get a pause from the dunes from the 7th (index 1) until 11th which is flat around the channel course. After that respite brace yourself for a great finishing stretch. The only hole we did not like was the 13th par 5 called Pill Box blind almost from tee to green! Four great very testing par threes all around.We stayed in the comfortable dormer house and settled the lost bets in the members snooker room. 8/10; May 2019, pd

Carnoustie. One of my favourites, flattish no spectacular scenery but you are there for the golf which is testing from the very start. Excellent design because as you progress around the course it gets tougher closer to the finish by which time you should be well warmed up.You need to plot your way around while # 6 Hogan’s Alley is a thrill to play. He drilled his four drives into the gap between the out of bounds and the bunkers on his way to win the Open in 1953- this line will give you a better approach to hit the green in two! However you probably won’t tee off beside the tee with the plaque. There are many holes on which you can score while you travel round the horseshoe shaped course which has two par threes and four par fives the most spectacular of which is the ‘Spectacles’. The last three are very testing so you should score early and often. Most greens have an extended ‘tongue’ which makes them long so note where the flag is as indicated on each tee box. The long par three 16th is called the Barry Burn (stream) which is not in play here but does weave its way round the course and appears with devastating effect elsewhere particularly on 17th ‘Island’ and 18th . You cannot play the last without reminders of Van de Velde, Harrington and Molinairi who finished 7, 6 and 3. Surely you can match one of these scores or just enjoy the trip….. pd April ‘19

We played this course in October 2018 in fine weather where we found the course overall very enjoyable. The parkland course is well drained as there was little expense spared to create sand based fairways. Great design variety where the front nine has three par 4’s; three par 5’s and three par 3’s which makes it most unusual but very pleasant. Point to note is the length has been allocated to the par fives hence some have low indices while the par fours can be short the first of which requires an iron off the tee. The holes are excellent with large fair bunkers and the greens are huge whilst receptive and great to putt on. The course has a some puzzling layout where one player played up to the 17th green when on the eight fairway so keep a constant check on the map on the card for the line of play and some hidden water.The course has an American feel to it where water is in abundance and you play around the hotel but must yield to oncoming ‘car traffic’ on the 10th hole. The course has a lot of deciduous trees which shed loads unlike pine trees (US style) which do not.This does not take away from the challenge which exists with the variety of tee boxes- four in all. Many memorable holes include the sixth par five dog-leg with water on the left, the 14th index 1 crescent going left to right and the five par threes all over water. The course deserves the ranking of # 16 in Dublin and has some good views across to the Dublin Mountains. Recommend play but could be leafy after the fall. pd

Royal St David’sWe played this course in the long hot summer of 2018 so the links was white whilst running at full speed. Great course where the holes were well defined from the tee with well protected greens where wayward second shots found the bunkers. The front is flatish with a nice backdrop of the hills while the back nine are amongst the sand dunes which make a nice variety. Holes 7 and 8 are par fives where the player can drive on with abandon pleasure. Hole 10 was my favorite at index 1. On the back there are no par fives on the card. The par for the course is 69 while standard scratch score is 73 off white. Golfers need to score on the front as in reality 13, 15 and 17 could be par fives giving a card par of 72. So reaching some of these greens in two is a dream for the average handicapper. A pleasure to play, where the player will be keen to retry the back nine if it did not go well. Dampen your expectation for the final hole a rather disappointing flat par 3 having had great par threes on 11th and 14th. Good ambience, great design variety where the holes pose a variety of risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse. Shot value was high rewarding a risk- fair and tough. Greens conditions were below average. pd July ‘18

We played this course four times with the variety of weather which one can get in Wales-wind, rain and sunshine. Deserves the ranking of # 3 in Wales and 64 in the Br & I - true links traditional nine out and nine back with a figure eight starting on the fifth a 200 yard par three which means the golfer must quickly adjust to the prevailing wind. Great par fives on the back nine 13th which is index 1 and 15th index 7 . A bit tight on the second and 17th so when you read the notice on these holes you get a hint where to go. Notwithstanding the third hole a par three being blind (can’t see much pleasure in a blind hole) this is a fine track. A bit off the beaten track in west Wales but worth the visit.

Doonbeg Trump: Well the expectation was unavoidably well hyped and with a US president as owner we had to dampen our anticipation in case we lost the run of ourselves altogether and could end up bitterly disappointed in light of past reviews which have (like the Irish weather) varied enormously. Greg Norman designed this course with five par threes, five par fives and some derivable par fours although original comments we heard were that only ‘The Shark’ could enjoy this unforgiving beast whilst a good design should allow each player to enjoy their day out at their level of skill. Be assured the Martin Hawtree revamp has actually achieved this objective. The bunker in the ‘middle-of-the-green-caper’ is gone.The variety of shot selection from any of the choice of five tee boxes is unmatched in Ireland &gt;&gt; I know that is saying something considered. We played this course on a nice summer’s day with an off shore wind and had a wonderful golfing experience. The views were stunning from so many holes. The design and layout is good and winds the golfer through and around protected dunes cleverly swapping the inland holes which are plain enough with the ocean views comprising of traditional links nine out and nine back. You will enjoy the derivable par fours and the five par threes particularly the short 126 yarder 14th from on high.The opening hole is a stunning par five into a theater of dunes 534 yards away and ‘all’ your shots can be viewed from the clubhouse patio and first tee -- from there outwards it gets better. We used a lot of superlatives to describe to our friends how good this course is. Very deserving of the ranking of # 15 in Ireland and I will be amazed if it does not creep into the top ten links in Ireland if they sort out the slow greens. Possibly could get into the top five if they improve on their current high standards.... Definitely worth the trip and the green fee&gt;&gt; now on replay list - - 8½ out of 10. Lost 1½ points for dreadfully slow greens which need sorting.	3 May 2017 pd

Portmarnock Links Dublin. Not to be confused with its famous near neighbour of the same name which it borders. This links is relatively new, designed by Bernard Langer on the Jameson (of the whiskey fame) estate. Overall a beautiful course and merits the ranking of # 3 in Dublin and # 23 in Ireland. Played it many times and this week off the back tips, which is a challenge for the better golfer. The layout is good winding around the turn with two fine par threes on 9th and 11th holes. There are two blind doglegs- 8th left and 15th right. Each could do with a white marker disk to help the second shot which is commonplace on most Irish Links. Index 1 is the 12th followed by the only par five on the back 577 meters long. I have mixed opinions on this hole which was stretched post Langer by shoving the green back into land beside the next tee box ( a good development) but they then shoved the tee box back about 60 meters back into the dunes behind the 12th green (a poor development- bad transition). You can accidentally take the natural short cut onto the 12th fairway which is very visible as the 13th fairway option is a bit too tough. Langer was tougher in his original design and the course had to be given a shave and a haircut to make it now playable for the average golfer. Great finish on the last three holes so choose your tee boxes well (six on each hole) and you will enjoy the challenge. 	pd

Ranked 19th in Morocco designed by Robert Trent Jones three nines Jibilettes, Atlas and Tensift.We played (in February 2017) the J/A as the new nine was a bit new looking. Overall a good course; if you hit the fairways you get run and if in the rough it slows quickly but is findable making it a pleasure to play. Not spectacular views where the course circled around the hotel where we stayed. Many holes are dog-legs and more of them a semi-circle around a lake making the amount you want to bite-off interesting and challenging. Greens were good and fast and yet will check up a good shot. As a links players we struggled to pitch from the ’cotton-wool’ rough. Beware of 17th par 3- be long. A bit of a mystery playing for the first time as my sat-nav. nor the buggy nav. did not work and made it more difficult clubbing than it was. Recommend play and enjoy ahead of the Royal.

We played the mature Blue & Red courses as Green is a bit green! Very good layout good par 3’s and the 15 hole is a good par 5 index 1 where you need to hit fairway off the tee. Nice setting where the flatness of the surrounding landscape is well balanced with nice elevation changes on the course. Excellent greens whilst good choices off the different tee-boxes. Wide course lots of space with a lot of waste areas where we found there was little difference between the sand in the bunkers and the waste areas which contrasted with the course we played the day before. Could do with some 200 meters markers to help navigation as the map on the card was unreadable.Merited the ranking of 14th in Morocco

Old style designed in 1927 extended in 2007 so the trees have matured and shed leaves on the fairways and in the bunkers- tight- reload if your ball heads towards the trees. Ten holes are around 300 meters so leave the driver in the bag for these unless you are laser accurate with it. Enjoyable in some ways but poor dated narrow tee boxes cambered like speed bumps. Greens were good but the course needs lots of work to keep up with the options around. Fairways were good; no wow scenery at all but playable none the less. The 9th par 3 is interesting with cleavage and 17th par five is good. Having played better courses in Marrakech we won’t be rushing back. Would rank it 20th not 12th of all courses played in Morocco but if the reviewers control the rankings possibly lower? Feb ’17

Palm Golf OURIKA Marrakech. Ranked 8th in Morocco; six lakes and cart only course. The Atlas mountain backdrop creates a good surround although also bounded by quality properties built well back from the course where there is lots of freedom. In great condition the day we played it so we came back again and it did not disappoint. With lots of space it is a hitter’s course where you need to carry the water or the waste. As you get used to working the GPS on the mandatory cart this is not a problem, if your game is on. The back nine are made up of 3par 3’s, 3 par 4’s and 3 par 5’s-- apparently a Seve B. recommendation for good course design. The greens were fast and in pristine condition and large enough to reach in regulation. Take your time on the greens to enjoy calculating the subtlety of the breaks. Pity the front, middle, back flags were not in use. Favourite was index 1 fifth par four and 10th par five circling a large pond. One of the table top par3’s were a bit much like the 17th. The cart comes with your own rake and you will need it as sand abounds. Would rank it top of all played in Morocco to date and ahead of Tazegzout except for the scenery. Well signed and a good practice area. There were no local rules on the back of the card so we just played golf! Unforgettable, most enjoyable, twice; Ranks #1 for us. - Feb ’17.

SAMANAH Marrakech, Ranked 7th in Morocco. Five tee boxes per hole so choose according to your handicap. Great design and good grass on fairways and greens. No great scenery but the Atlas mountains are in the backdrop. Very good flow and transition around the course. Bunkers were full of sand which contrasted with other courses played this week. Challenging par 3’s with fair view on all holes with space except the 9th which is a bit of a lottery. Great index 1 and finishing hole index 2. Our pins were on a Sunday position which meant the putting on these fast greens were challenging. This course was in great condition and merits no 6 in Morocco. Choose the tee boxes correctly and it will be thoroughly enjoyable. Feb ‘17

Co Louth: Played it this week after a long absence and enjoyed it thoroughly. Nice mix of holes – some in front of you visible and inviting a decent drive, whilst some blind –creating a golfing query but not punishing or annoying. Three par fives on the front and one on the back nine but you have to wait till the 18th hole for this gem. The par threes are a work of art and demand precise hitting as any miss hits on these can leave the player short sided and scrambling to get up and down. The back nine are enjoyable and scenic as is the overall course. Wide fairways and large greens make this playable for all abilities. The transition is a bit puzzling as it is a figure of eight rather than two loops of nine making recall and navigation a challenge. Playing the last hole one can try and relive the efforts of Shane Lowry an Irish Amateur taking on the professionals to win the Irish open after playing the final hole three times to win the tie hole. Top 10 in Ireland.

Formby: This charming course was redesigned in 1980 and the routing changed, hence the player has two sorts of terrain- one open and truly links whilst the other part is in the pine forest. The opening five holes are wonderful with each fairway out in front of you inviting you onwards. After the fifth par 3 the player is taken on a journey through some dog-leg blind holes which are quite challenging including hole eight- a great par five index 1. On some holes you get a hint where to go while others leave you to do the guessing. The middle greens are now protected by staggered mounds rather than bunkers so running the ball in to the green is not an option. When you emerge from the pine trees the finishing stretch is very playable (par 3, 5 and 4) towards the fine club house which invites you home to the dormer rooms where we stayed whilst finishing our competition in the snooker room. Great designers left their marks including Park, Braid, Colt, Hawtree, and Steel although I would bury the hidden bunker short of the 6th green. Played it twice in October 2016 -rating 9 out of 10. Friendly and well worth the trip.

Played this course many times and over the numerous years I played it has been improved each time. Good links but a bit tight as many holes are nearby and parallel to each other. When the wind was high in serious competition we just played down the other fairway particularly when it is side on. It is littered with shallow drains many of which are dry and could be filled in, as some have been over the years. A lot of nasty gorse has been cut out allowing the player to hit on in comfort. There are some wonderful holes with some great par trees but regretfully the vista of the final exceptional hole is blocked by a plane tree. Fond memories of winning the father & son there. Definitely in top ten in Dublin and a bit higher than the Ireland ranking.

This course is a fine parkland which is pleasant to play with very good greens and a nice layout that winds its way round the top half of the course until you reach the 10th which is a cliff top par 3 needing a good stroke. The next hole par five index one follows the river Liffey upstream -- a left handed crescent shaped hole blocked by trouble on the left and requires some brave hitting to get to the green and avoid a watery end in ‘Abhainn Na Life’. There are a total of five bells/buzzers on the back nine. The next few holes can be a bit disconcerting to play the first time. The normal white stone or barbers pole to help on these blind does not exist so for first time visitors on holes 12, 14, 16 and 17 it is a lottery. A real test off the back/blue tees at 6069 meters plays longer as so many are uphill- hence a lot of climbing. Played it twice last week but best played from May to October. Might deserve # 63 ranking in Ireland but # 7 in Dublin is too high.

Wonderful layout uphill to start and then along the coast for some lovely holes. Played it in 2015 and had a pleasant round. Three par 3’s of different challenges which will test the golfer. Some blind holes which look derivable but not recommended without ball spotters. I’m not a fan of gorse ‘in play’ particularly if there is no bail-out and neither will you be if you go left or right of 15th green- depending on your mood/score bash on or layup short. Recommended play 8/10. Ranked 47th is about right.

This is one of Ireland’s great courses- opening up with a good start that improves gradually as you progress all the way around through to the final stretch. The scenery blends well with each hole and the course will test the golfer’s ability to play a variety of shots. There are some semi-blind holes that a player in good form should naturally be on the right track. The keen golfer will discern the correct approach to each green or will remember not to come in from the wrong side if they play it again. This is a hitters and shot maker’s course extremely enjoyable to play and deserves the top 5 ranking in Ireland. Atlantic storms in 2014 washed away one of the better par five fairways but it has recovered somewhat now and is playable again.

Tazegzout # 6 in Morocco and built in 2014. The course is set on the Atlantic Ocean in a spectacular setting behind the famous hill in Agadir 80 mrs above sea level. Wide fairways with a lot of runoff from the hilly terrain. It has gullies which come into play on several holes so a keen eye is needed on many holes or one will find a watery grave. As the course is new it was a bit barren looking the poor turf/sand required an adjusted chip/shot. A lot of barbers poles and blind tee shots making it a bit difficult to know where you are going - one of our golfers played to the wrong green early on. The player has a chance to warm up on the front and needs to be on his game for the finish which is challenging and spectacular. The greens were large with hidden breaks towards the sea. Some greens a bit too severe being unreadable. Recommendation: We played it in February 2016 and would say if you want views yes- ranking number 6 not yet, maybe after some years. 4/10.

Newport National: Great track we played it in October 2015 and it was in great shape. so good we went back to play it again that week and it did not disappoint. Really enjoyable layout trees kept back from play and away from the greens- a hitter’s course with different options off some tees. Two par 3’s come beside each other on holes 3 and 4. Not sure what to do on the 10th hole.  Water on the back requires some confident play with a good finishing stretch.  Recommendation Play: 7/10.

L’Océan AgadirRanked # 17 in Morocco.  Played twice in February 2016 Garden /Dunes and then Garden /Desert being the main combination. The Garden is tight and lined with eucalyptus so any driving inaccuracies on this course are a dropped shot while straight hitters were rewarded. Excellent par 3’s with unusually low index – 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 which are a pleasure to play. This makes up for the overall course which can be a bit short for those who like big hitting. We played off the back tips the second day which created a better challenge. The Dunes played very pleasantly with holes set in inviting valleys and sand based greens which were receptive. Many downhill holes and some severe uphill which necessitated serious club adjustment. The # 6 green on Desert was rather rough looking and new holes could have been cut as the grass was inside some holes. Could do with better directional signage.  Recommendation: play 5/10.  

Les Dunes # 16 in Morocco. Again 3 nines Oued /Jaune/ Yellow is flanked by tall forest trees tight while Tamaris /Rouge has water; Eucalyptus/Blue is tree lined. We played Blue & Rouge 6,299 mrs and it was in good shape in Feb ’16. This Championship course as the name suggests has sandy topography with lush fairways and was a pleasure to play including the 7th with its 3 tiered green. As the names suggest there is plenty of sand around. Fee €70.Recommendation: play 5/10.

Golf Du Soleil # 15 in Morocco where you have two courses one around the Tikida Golf Palace Hotel and the Championship course which we played. This was a step up and had beautiful sand based fairways which required a clean hit.  The greens were very well protected and required correct clubbing. The fifth a dog leg is a bit of a mystery with green access blocked by a crescent bunker around the approaching side. We found the course enjoyable to play with good signage.  Fee €70 Recommendation: play 6/10.

This is the paramount course on the planet according to Bobby Jones. Why? It is for so many reasons. If I could summarise it would be that the course is very enjoyable and easy to play but very difficult to score on. For example the opening hole is a doddle, no rough in play, short, and then a flick over the Swilcan Burn and a two putt. The 18th hole opposite is similarly easy and short - this time over the famous Swilcan Bridge head on to the ‘valley of sin’. But so many players struggle to get a good result on these holes. One wonders what causes the difficulty. Is it the history or the Town or the R&A looking at you or the casual spectators who can get very close to the 17th and 18th green on any day?  As you travel out and back through the hockey stick design you must weave past the famous bunkers many which are cruelly named. How can you miss the massive double greens from here on? Some shots look intimidating from the tee and you are tempted to bail out/play safe or go for the hero shot. If it works out great if not enjoy the challenge of getting out of the coffin or hell bunkers. Utterly enjoyable whilst steeped in history.

One of the planets finest golf courses set in an exceedingly scenic part of Ireland occupying a triangle of giant sand hills. A more breathtaking setting for a golf club would be difficult to match it is a masterpiece of golf architecture. The course is a commendable test for a seasoned golfer who will need to manoeuvre through some unimaginable rough with difficult greens. It is a testing course requiring skill and concentration. For good reason it was the only course in Ireland chosen to host ‘The Open’ where it will return for a second time in 2019. Memorable holes will be the 5th which starts the beautiful vista where you hit into the ocean and Calamity 14th a great par three, 201 yards playing over 100 foot precipice. The rave reviews you will read about are accurate- a must play course.

Always in Irelands Top five list and very pleasant to play. Exceptionally well designed, it starts you off gently while you warm up to the challenge ahead which increases in difficulty as you progress through the course to a great finishing stretch. The scenery will charm you from holes seven onwards where the design blends in beautifully with the landscape. The back nine is tight and ‘Ballybunion rules’ should apply if your ball goes badly astray- which means no searching for lost balls- reload, move on, enjoy the journey. Great variety of shots to play to the par 3’s on the course of which there are five set in breathtaking sand dunes.

Another world top five course and perhaps Irelands finest. The wow factor of this course is the beautiful scenery from so many tee boxes. This course is a tough beauty - many blind and intimidating shots but actually playable. It has 120 bunkers to be avoided if possible! It is difficult to play because your mind does not get a rest—so much to take in- good scenery combined with trouble. Key is not to compound and turn trouble into double-trouble. I have seen people rack up big numbers taking on shots that Seve would not dream of even in his prime. If you can put all this aside, clear your mind and play the ball cleverly you can make a good score. I played loads of times and caddied there also, where I could see more options on many different days. Writing about it just gives me the urge and desire to take on the challenge again and again...

For good reason this course ranks # 78 in the top 100 ‘Architects Choice’ and in Ireland is also very well ranked. The start is tough in wind or no wind, where the first four holes head in four different compass directions (ESNW) which will test the player from the off. Next comes two blind holes and after the first eight par fours you play a par three the 9th. The back is much more enjoyable starting with a spacious beautiful par five.  Visitors will do well to manage a good score around the triangle of holes 12th, 13th and 14th known as ‘The Ship Sinker’. The 12th par 4 is aptly named Valhalla,  the 13th par 3 of 200 meters looks high over the estuary like a hawk, while the short 14th par 4 boasts the ‘narrowest fairway’ on the planet. Maneuvering through ‘The Ship Sinker’ (in allusion to the ship that sank on The Island in 1881) with a good score is a test in itself and will set them up for four memorable finishing holes. The 15th set in an amphitheater of sand-hills will delight most keen golfers and lead them to the spectacular finishing stretch which is set in some of the most spectacular sand dunes anywhere.

Great layout, variety of shot making and great views. Winds the golfer out nicely and returns them with some stiff tests. Absolute purists will say it is not a true links hence not playable in winter.

Excellent layout- all holes in view except one blind which opens kindly as you travel over the screening dune. A good test of all different types of shot making. Very well designed and rolls out in front of you with pleasant scenery -a feature of excellent design. Large greens which should be reachable but you can be far from the flag- at least you are putting and not searching! Very popular world-wide because of these pleasant features- seven star..