Co. Louth
Co. Louth
Co. Louth (aka Baltray) is one of Ireland’s great links, 45 minutes
north of Dublin. It has graced this coastline since 1892, but it
will forever be known for more recent events: Shane Lowry
winning the Irish Open in 2009. It does, however, have a long and
distinguished history, with its impeccable design embracing old
school strategy and finesse. This is especially true with the slopes
around the greens, and on the four excellent par threes. The
putting surfaces are sublime and are forever mentioned when Co
Louth is appraised. Today, raised tee boxes help to show off the
beauty of the course’s holes which typically fall into two types:
the subtle and the shapely. The biggest dunes are pressed up
against the sea and this is where the most dramatic holes exist,
with the renowned run from the 12th to the 16th promising some
outstanding thrills.
Killeen Castle
No other course can boast such a glorious landscape as Killeen
Castle. Six hundred lazy acres, drenched in trees, wrapped around
a 12th century castle… how could it not be the idyllic setting for a
Jack Nicklaus ‘Signature’ course. This is the longest course in Ireland
(7,677 yards), and home to the Solheim Cup in 2011, but golfers of all
abilities will enjoy this expansive course. There are five tees (choose
wisely) and fairways always appear wide and inviting, which makes
this a delicious driving course. Every hole is strong, but the par five
12th, with its stream cascading across the front of the green, may be
Killeen Castle’s signature hole.
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Carlow
They don’t come much older or more distinguished than
Carlow Golf Club. The club dates back to 1899, although the
current site wasn’t employed until 1922. Tom Simpson revised
the layout in the early 1 940s and the course has remained
unchanged since then. Given the current trend of modernising
older parklands, Carlow is a perfect example of why clubs
should embrace their roots. A big rolling landscape provides
some elegant and natural settings for small, devilish greens.
The terrain is well wooded but despite chaperoning holes so
beautifully the trees rarely cause problems. The acclaimed 8th is
a perfect exception as the hole descends sharply through a dark
corridor of beech and oak. It may not have the dramatic shapes
of big modern parklands but Carlow fiercely embodies the art of
subtlety and old-school quality.
Mount Juliet
The sylvan setting of the Mount Juliet estate is home to one of
Ireland’s most popular parklands. The course was designed by Jack
Nicklaus, and opened in 1991. Mount Juliet also boasts a magnificent
hotel and the Michelin-starred Lady Helen Restaurant. This is
top-tier stuff and the course is just as elegant, sweeping over the
landscape, through the trees and throwing in the occasional but
dramatic splash of water – the 3rd, 4th 13th and 18th most notably.
It is a generous course where golfers of all abilities will find plenty
to excite them, be it the short par three 3rd over water, the tree
enshrined setting around the 13th green or the par five 17th, curving
between sentinel-like oaks. But perhaps most exciting of all is the
entire package, because the Mount Juliet experience is something
truly special.