Par-4 6th - Rosapenna’s Sandy Hills.
The fabulous par-4 16th at Enniscrone
(Pic: Mount Falcon).
Carne’s signature par-3 16th from an
elevated tee (Pic: Carne Golf Links).
Ballyliffin Golf Club - County Donegal. A remarkable 36 holes
meander through this most beguiling of links land, with rocky
outcrops, perfect greens and enchanting views of the coast.
Designed principally by Mother Nature (with some tweaks by
Sir Nick Faldo), the classic Old Links undulates in the glory of its
natural terrain. The rippling fairways give the course a unique
character, and its the type of place where you can imagine the
golfing forefathers striding along the sheep-cropped turf with
their hickory clubs. The more recent Glashedy Links is fashioned
around the incredible dunes on higher ground above and
beyond the Old Links, offering stunning views as you play. After
kicking off with a trio of long par-4’s the challenges never let
up – making it a worthy venue for the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish
Open in early July. ballyliffingolfclub.com
Rosapenna Golf Links - County Donegal. Way up in the north-
west corner of Ireland, the hands of the golfing greats have
shaped and moulded the links at Rosapenna, one of the oldest
in the country. Old Tom Morris laid out the original course in
1893, and over a century later came the equally inspiring18holes
of Sandy Hills designed by Pat Ruddy. Sandy Hills is a course of
gargantuan proportions that bobs and weaves its way through
mammoth sand dunes, with spectacular elevated tees, clearly
visible landing areas and large greens. A statue of Old Tom Morris
who must have seen it all before, watches on as you tee off on
the par-5 opener. A standout hole is the par-4 6th, where you
drive over a crest then look down at the emerald green below
and a stunning panorama of Muckish Mountain, Sheephaven Bay
and the golden beach of Tramore. rosapenna.ie
A golfer at Carne Golf Links.
Enniscrone Golf Club - County Sligo. Enniscrone started life as
a modest nine-holer in 1918, but it was the prolific Irish designer,
Eddie Hackett, who put the place on the map when he extended
the layout to eighteen in the mid-1970s. Then, a few years back,
Donald Steel visualised another six holes in the dune range
and built three others, enabling the club to spread its wings
to 27 holes. The scenery of the main championship course,
appropriately called The Dunes is second to none. Twelve of the
holes wind and twist their way through a maze of the tallest and
shaggiest dunes land on the coast, where a sense of isolation
and tranquility surrounds you, along with the tall marram
grass rough. One hole that will etch itself in the memory is the
mountainous 350-yards par-4 13th, called The Burrows, which is
like teeing off the summit of Everest with the green nestled down
at base camp below. enniscronegolf.com
Carne Golf Links - County Mayo. The special charm of Carne
lies in the journey required to get there, plus its remote location
in magnificent sand dunes overlooking Blacksod Bay and the
wild Atlantic Ocean near the town of Belmullet. “If ever the Lord
intended land for a golf course, Carne has it,” so said the late
Eddie Hackett, who laid out the course in the early 1990s. This
was his final links layout, and it is now believed by many who
have played it to be his greatest challenge. Carne finishes with a
great trio of holes – the par-3 16th drops steeply from an elevated
tee to a green encircled by dunes, and the challenging par-4
17th and par-5 18th are a memorable finale to this rugged links
that has a lasting impression on all that play it. Complementing
Hackett’s original eighteen is the recently created nine-hole
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