| _ | | _ | | | Par 70, yardage 6,065. Ardglass is a spectacular 18-hole seaside course with championship standard greens. The first five holes meander along cliff tops, with spectacular views across the Irish sea from every hole. With the first five holes along the Irish Sea and cliffs tight to the left, the holes should be treated with respect. Anything resembling a hook will meet disaster. The second hole is a daunting par-three where the tee shot must carry a cliff and a canyon, and that's the easy part of the hole. While on this tee box, a superb view of the mountains of Mourne should not be missed. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 7,135. In keeping with the tradition and reputation of its sister course, the Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin provide a wonderful setting for traditional links golf. In the early summer of 1992 , members of the committee met with Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock, both course architects from Dublin. In that meeting, Ruddy & Craddock stated that the land next to the Old Links was probably the finest piece of links golfing terrain that they had ever seen, and the possibilities for developing it as a golf links were mind-boggling. The instructon to the designers was to develop a world-class championship standard links course - something they duly delivered. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 6,604. Christened the 'Dornoch of Ireland', Ballyliffin is now recognized as one of Ireland's ultimate golfing beauties. A personal favorite of Nick Faldo, who fell in love with the course and its surroundings in 1993, Ballyliffin is one of the friendliest clubs on the Emerald Isle, boasting an unsurpassable setting and quality of terrain that is so perfect for golf. Situated close to Malin Head on Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula, Ireland's most northerly links comprises 365 acres of spectacular duneland and is practically surrounded by rolling hills and mountains - the only other boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 6,669. The towering sand dunes of the Atlantic coast of Mayo are the unique setting for this championship links course. Carne Links (Belmullet) was featured in the Top Ten of new developments in the British Isles by Golf World in November 1994. The ubiquitous Atlantic wind makes the second nine a real challenge on the 11th, 14th and 17th in particular - a gem of a links well worthy of a visit despite its geographical isolation. Carne was the last links course to be designed by the late Eddie Hackett and is now believed by many who have played here to be his greatest challenge. Carne lies in the splendid sand dunes overlooking Blacksod Bay, the legendary Inis Geidhe and Inis Gluaire islands and dramatic Achill. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 73, yardage 6,747. Castlerock Golf Club is situated in the seaside village of Castlerock, which lies approx. 5 miles due west of the town of Coleraine on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. Castlerock is a fabulous links course set among rolling sand dunes. Its scenic qualities embrace the river Bann flowing out to the Atlantic, and also eye-catching views of Donegal and on a clear day towards Scotland and the Isle of Islay. The best-known hole is the fourth, called the 'leg o'Mutton', a 200-yard par-3 which has been described as "one of the scenic holes in Irish golf". Graced with the natural beauty of its peaceful setting and the views that surround it, it is the Club's underlying pursuit of excellence that keeps this place a sacred retreat for the truly ardent follower of golf. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 7,229. The par 72 is rarely achieved on this most challenging Atlantic links. This could be influenced by the invigorating air and breathtaking scenery, but more probably due to the vastness of the last six holes. Greens set high in the hillside on the 14th and 15th can be unnerving, particularly after playing the most testing short 13th! Take time, however, to marvel at the splendid scenic backdrop of the Twelve Bens, etched against the skyline, or Ballyconneely Bay, dusted with pure, white sand. James W. Finnegan wrote: "The Course is a perfect reflection of the austere beauty that is the world of Connemara". | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 73, yardage 7,244. Set on a peninsula in Donegal Bay and susceptible to some quite ferocious ocean winds, this course is a mesmerizing test of links golf and arguably one of the finest links in Irish golf. Described famously by an English golf journalist as "hauntingly beautiful", it is everything you want it to be: tough, enjoyable, full of surprises and wonderfully inviting regardless of your skill level. There are great views of the Blue Stack Mountains and a wide variety of holes to enjoy during your round. Perhaps the finest of the lot is the short fifth hole, aptly called the 'Valley of Tears'. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 6,720. Designed by Eddie Hackett, Enniscrone is a traditional championship links course on the shores of Killala Bay, with inspiring views in almost every direction. It is as traditional a links course as they come, featuring tight fairways, high dunes, deep bunkers and superb greens. As with any great links course, you will need the use of all the clubs in the bag, so don't think you'll get it easy - there are no shortcuts round here. The course was founded back in 1918 and was extended to 18 holes in 1974 by Hackett. As you walk on the fast draining fairway turf, where you never get less than a perfect lie, you experience a feeling of lightness that makes two rounds seem more like one. | | | _ | | _ | | | Combining 54 magnificent, awe-inspiring holes of golf over three courses in perhaps Ireland's finest setting: the world-famous Causeway Coast. This is one of Ireland's most distinguished golf clubs and was used as a qualifying venue when the Open Championship came to Royal Portrush. The Old course is situated at the eastern end of Portstewart. Your round begins and ends at the site of the original Portstewart course, where golf was first played as far back as 1889. The Old Course, The Riverside Course and The Strand Course make up the highly popular Portstewart Golf Club in county Londonderry. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 70, yardage 6,270. In 1891, while a guest of Lord Leitrim at his nearby estate, Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews, a winner of four Opens in the 1860s, took a ride to enjoy the Donegal scenery. Morris was quick to see the golfing potential of this fine stretch of Donegal coastline and before returning home he had staked out the first Rosapenna Links, incorporating wide rolling fairways amidst the undulating terrain and delightful greens. As with most good links courses, the Old Tom Morris course takes advantage of natural terrain to provide a classic links golf challenge. The first 10 holes which are pure links run between the ocean and the dunes in what is known locally as "The Valley". The last 8 holes actually play inland and uphill into high meadow that offer superb vistas over the north Atlantic Ocean. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 7,155. Sandy Hills is in many ways the ideal of a modern links. Intended for the serious golfer, its narrow fairways appear constricting from the tee, but the landing areas sculpted from the dunes are deceptively wide. Sandy Hills was designed with championship play in mind, however, don't allow this to deter you as it has a multiplicity of tees to suit all strengths. Above all, the appeal of the course lies in its beautifully balanced routing through the high dunes cloaked in marram grass. These sandhills bear a striking resemblance to the ones near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland that form the spine of Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock. Many of the holes feature elevated tees and greens, with drives into natural bowls on the dune floor. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,611. Located on the Rosses Point peninsula, some four miles from Sligo, this is one of Ireland's greatest championship links courses. Founded in 1894 and remodelled by the great Harry Colt in 1929, it is considered one of the very best links courses in the country by all those who have played, including Christy O'Connor Jr. who claimed its penultimate hole to be one of the finest holes in Irish golf. The course is set above three large beaches on the Atlantic coast in the shadow of Ben Bulben, Ireland's version of Table Mountain. There are plenty of highlights and plenty of surprises. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 70, yardage 6,306. Residing on the shores of the Belfast Lough, Royal Belfast has hosted a number of championship events, including the Ulster Professional Championship (won by Darren Clarke), the Irish Cup Finals, the Irish Close Championship, the Ulster Ladies Championship and the Irish Ladies Championship. It is one of only four Irish golf clubs with a 'Royal' prefix and was founded in November 1881, making it Ireland's oldest club. Harry Colt's original design has barely been touched, although Donald Steel did make some slight renovations in 1988. Both nines provide for an exhilarating round, with the short par-three 4th hole the most memorable. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 7,037. Old Tom Morris, the man who sculpted the original outline of the Old Course at St. Andrews, was paid just four guineas to produce this links masterpiece in 1889. It was improved upon in 1908 by Harry Vardon, though it was not altered dramatically. This is one of the world's greatest links courses. It has all the classic elements: imposing sand dunes; tight, rolling fairways; small undulating greens and countless blind shots. An American golf magazine was so enamored by the experience of a round at Royal County Down, that it rated it third best in the world behind Muirfield and Pebble Beach. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 72, yardage 6,818. Royal Portrush has a special place in the history of Irish golf, since it is the only golf course outside Great Britain to host the Open Championship (in 1951 when Max Faulkner was victorious). In 2003, it hosted the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and in July each year it hosts the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship. Its Dunluce Links is a wonderful test of links golf but can also be extremely ferocious. It was once famously described as a "spectacular monster". If you don't believe it, just look at some of the hole names: 'Purgatory', 'Giant's Cave', 'Himalayas' and 'Calamity Corner'.
Maximum handicap: 18 men, 24 women. | | | | | | | | Custom Trip Quote to North & North West | | | | | | | | | | |