Background on the Pocket Guide to Golf Courses: Ireland (2006) — who made it, why, and the thinking behind how it rates and discusses course design. For how the ratings themselves work, see How Our Ratings Work.
Although the views given in this book are the personal consensus of the editors, we could not possibly have compiled it without the generous support of so many, including the numerous golfers whom we have met during our research. Our thanks go to all who have helped us, especially Colin, Jackie, Ali and David Gregan for so generously and regularly providing us with shelter and craic in Dublin, and Allen Lowe, our New Zealand director, who crossed the world to join us on no less than 3 of our 5 main research visits to Ireland. We are indebted to the rest of our editorial team and our panel of amateur and professional players, who have accompanied us on our research trips. In particular we would like to thank Arnie & Hilary Cohen, Andrew Hall, Will Menko, Ivan & Marie Morris and Sarah Sanderson. On the production front we have been expertly and tirelessly guided by Mari Roberts, our copy editor, Robert Updegraff, our designer ("si monumentum requiris, circumspice" amounts here to understatement) and Geoff Barlow our print production manager — a dream team. Also special and unreserved thanks to annalists of golf club histories, websites and the many other sources: without their work we could never have included as much about the history of golf in Ireland — and indeed to the hundreds of Irish whose welcome has been so generous and entertaining, if not infectiously disarming.
We cannot name everyone who has helped us, but would particularly like to mention the following: Dickon Armstrong, Meriona Armstrong, Tim Browne, Lorenzo Doni, Hugo Donnithorne-Tait, Freddie fforde, Nic fforde, Peter Fowler, Baden & Eva Foster, Hiro & Hiroko Makoto Fujii, James Hallett, Jeff Hall, David Head, Scott Macpherson, Paul Maleedy, Ana Ma de la Maza, Sam Millhouse, Stella Millhouse, Lucia Montigiani, Idris Pearce & Anne Meyer, Sara Pearce, Adolfo Rivas, Pat Ruddy and Juan de Zavala.
Finally, thank you to all the golf clubs for allowing us to play and photograph their courses, without which this book could not have been possible. There was one exception in all Ireland: we would have liked to have included the course at Laytown & Bettystown, but were denied permission to inspect it. From the roadside it looked as if it might be worth at least 🏆🏆🏆 ↗. We hope for a change of heart before the next edition…
Following the success of our guide to the golf courses of Spain & Portugal, we are delighted to publish the next in the series, timed to coincide with Ireland's largest sporting event ever, the 2006 Ryder Cup. Our purpose continues to be to set new standards for golf course guides. As we go to press, there is no single volume which deals independently, selectively, objectively, critically and in pocket book format with one of northern Europe's most popular, historic and beautiful golf destinations.
We have developed the system used in Spain & Portugal. Ireland features some important enhancements: a "facility rating" for the overall standard of the golfing product; a "purple" rating for holes of unusual design; course presentation in alphabetical order; an introductory photographic tour of some of the best in Ireland; an indication of club dining facilities, and a more comprehensive list of places to stay. Encouraged by the positive response to Spain & Portugal, we have retained our colour coded hole ratings, and repeat our view that the few clubs with "red holes" should not take umbrage: readers are encouraged to play courses with "red holes" as much as those with "gold holes".
The change to alphabetical order allows more flow in the design, including larger photographs. I refer to our desire generally to show holes from the player's viewpoint: too often we see (otherwise excellent) reverse view images which do not show what is required of the player. Whilst we were often very lucky with the weather, we have made a point of showing Ireland as she presented herself to us: be prepared to get wet!
We have structured the book to be used at different levels and for different types of readers — from the travelling golfer, local or holiday house resident, to the armchair tourist, and from players to golf design enthusiasts. We are very aware that there is ultimately no right answer to what is or is not good golf course design… We accept that those who disagree with us may have just as valid reasons for disagreeing with, as we have for holding, our opinion (several readers of the manuscript took issue with us over Waterville, in particular). The case may even be put for some red holes to be gold, and vice versa. Having invested many years in this project, we have rated, photographed, videoed and played on nearly all the courses in the book, with a panel of professional and amateur players from scratch to high handicap, male and female, providing instant feedback.
A final, personal note: Allen Lowe (our director) and I are both Irish dual nationals, living abroad. It has been a moving experience to have spent so much time in Ireland: we have appreciated alike her outstanding beauty and the consistent generosity of our compatriots.
William fforde, EditorSan Macàrio in Monte, Italy, May 2006
Whether from my days on the Tour or for this project, I will always remember my golfing visits to Ireland for their warmth and for the greater sense of joie de vivre than in the rest of the British Isles. The idea for this whole project was sown in a golf tour William fforde (some kind of Irishman, himself!) and I enjoyed with friends back in 1995. None of us will forget the disarmingly generous spirit of the Irish welcome (one evening at County Sligo, especially, which some readers may recall…).
In assessing the design of courses in Spain & Portugal, we could not ignore their general relative immaturity. For Ireland, given that golf has been played here since the late 19th century, we expected to find a higher quality of design. We were not disappointed. Indeed, that sense of living life to the full comes through in the character of many courses, particularly the older ones. And it is there too in Greg Norman's ★★★ Doonbeg, the star of modern golf design in Ireland, and also in Martin Hawtree's restoration of the links at ★★ Dooks (it would not take too much more to achieve ★★★ there).
At the same time, we have to admit to disappointment at the levels of design in the numerous courses built more recently, say from the time of the development of Waterville in 1973. Have no doubt: the long journey there will reward you with a memorable experience, but in some ways the design of Waterville marks the beginning of a trend (brought on by the use of modern equipment and computers) towards too homogenised an approach to course design — a trend by no means restricted to Ireland. Perhaps reflecting the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of modern society, there has been a move away from something particularly Irish towards something more internationally generic (e.g. The K Club and Druids Glen). This has included the emergence of a new type of seaside course, which we prefer to label by the name "dunes" rather than links.
Modern golf course design has seen the introduction of computer aided design, increasingly large machinery, budgetary restraints, with, in the case of the larger design companies, a factory production line approach, which risks over-commitment and consequent lack of attention to detail and artistry from the designer, all set against the quest for ease of maintenance. This has resulted in the manufacturing of courses, which has made some new ones built over linksland feel as if they have been imposed on the dunes, rather than fashioned within, and in response to, their eccentricities (e.g. Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)). Dunes courses have their own merit, though sometimes more in appearance (including some outstanding photo opportunities) than functionality, but it would be wrong to assess them as traditional links.
The combination of increasing affluence, and golf tourists' awareness of the quality of Irish courses, would also appear to have led to the "dressing up" of some of the country's older courses (and clubhouses), aimed at increasing green fee income. Whilst this has generally been done with growing degrees of professionalism, it has led to a loss of some of the Irish veneer, which in the past has proved so endearing. For better or worse these revisions are taking us more towards a game in which the ball is played in the air from tee to green (e.g. Hawtree's new 7th green at Lahinch (Old)) — how appropriate is this for links golf, which is the backbone of Ireland's attraction as a golf destination?
Nonetheless, the links remain the outstanding courses of Ireland, to a lesser or greater extent putting high spend facilities (e.g. Adare, The Heritage, The K Club and Palmerstown) into the shade. Alongside the ★★★ old favourites, we commend the relatively new courses at Doonbeg, Enniscrone (Dunes), Portmarnock Links and The European (whose benevolent dictatorship also guarantees some quirky moments). For the golf tourist, links golf is still what Ireland is all about.
What has led to our unease? The desire to save money inevitably is part of it, but what is particularly noticeable (especially having had such a feast of wonderful golfing sites to develop) is the absence of the names of some of the world's true artists of golf course design — why no Crenshaw, no Phillips, no Doak (who once thought he'd been given the task at Old Head of Kinsale but was wrong, a turn of events which played its part in what is one of golf design's greatest missed opportunities)? Instead, with the notable exception of Jeff Howes, the list of recent new course designers is top-heavy with well-known players (professional and amateur). We await Nick Faldo's island links course near Enniscrone with interest…
Having said this, as a player turned designer myself, I acknowledge that it is all too easy to be a critic, all too hard to satisfy one. Our reservations are pitched at the higher, more artistic, levels of design and the general standard of Irish courses is very high. (The listing of gold holes below is witness to that: there are approximately twice as many gold holes in Ireland drawn out of a similar number of courses as in our Spain & Portugal volume.) Time will tell which way the design tide will flow.
In closing I would ask you to think of two places: Ballybunion where nature overwhelms designer as Old meets Cashen, East meets West and Old World meets New, and the K Club where, with a few theatrical holes amidst the best facilities in Ireland, Europe meets America — location European, design American. At which course is the art of playing golf best challenged by the art of designing courses? May the best win…
Greg Turner, Tour EditorQueenstown, New Zealand, May 2006
A photograph caption from the book sets the tone: justifiably one of the most photographed holes in Ireland, Ballybunion (Old)'s 11th is not just a pretty picture, not just a fabulous aesthetic experience running down by the sea, but a supreme challenge for the player, with strategic use of land, completely natural hazards and a superb greensite. The fairway spreads down in cascades towards the green, leaving many choices for the player to match the infinite conditions. Kerrygold at its best.
All the "gold-rated" holes in Ireland — those so well designed and integrated into their surroundings that it's difficult to imagine how they could be improved. Click a course name to see it on Browse Courses.
| Course | Hole | Par |
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Holes chosen for their historic or unusual character rather than for outright design quality — under our normal system these would otherwise be green, yellow or red (never gold).
| Course | Hole | Par | Reason |
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We summarise the 13 principles essential to good design set down in 1920 by Dr. Alister Mackenzie in his book Golf Architecture. Mackenzie is arguably the greatest golf designer that ever lived. It was surely no accident that his wartime expertise was camouflage: the best golf design leaves you with a feeling that any alterations to the land are so natural that they have been completely disguised.
Also referenced from How Our Ratings Work, since it underpins the whole design-rating approach.
Although northern European golfers (not least the Irish themselves) generally tend to fly south to play in better weather, Ireland is becoming one of the world's most attractive golf tourist destinations, aided by her recent economic success. This has facilitated a major upgrading of the product over the past 15 years or so — very few clubs seem to sport anything but a new clubhouse (Shandon Park and Rathcore sharing the prize for design) or a recently refurbished one. Less immediately evident is the huge investment that has been made in bringing golf courses up to modern standards, both in maintenance and infrastructure.
As a result it is pleasing to conclude that, ignoring both highs and lows of course design, the top golf destinations of Ireland can easily compete on the world stage (only to mention some near Dublin, e.g. Carton House, Druids Glen & Heath, The Heritage, The K Club and, from 2007, Powerscourt), and nearly all the rest are generally well more than adequate for purpose. At the bottom end of the scale, this has not prevented us from including Castlegregory and Portstewart (Old), which are of interest as courses in their own right.
As both my colleagues say, one of the endearing charms of Ireland is the warmth of the welcome and craic. Indeed, for many people the 19th (and, in Ireland, the successive holes — who mentioned Guinness?!) are as much a reason to go there as are the first 18. Here, though, we must air a concern, which may have arisen partly from Ireland's economic success and the expansion of the EU. Especially around Dublin, we have noticed the increasing employment of staff from other European countries, who (quite understandably) have yet to fully absorb the subtleties of either the Irish spirit or the English language. We would encourage the industry to ensure that appropriate training is implemented, or one of Ireland's greatest assets will be lost to a process of homogenisation similar to the one we have seen in course design.
When to travel? The most obvious period is from May to October, when the average maximum daytime temperature can be expected generally to exceed 60°F (15°C) — more comfortably so in the summer. The most popular courses, especially the famous links of the south west, are particularly busy in September. It can rain often for long periods at any time of the year, yet there is relatively little frost for an island so far north, though "dank" and "raw" are words which apply to many winter months. If you wish to play on the normal greens, we advise avoiding the period between Christmas and Easter, as many clubs use winter greens and/or close parts of their course during this period. Whenever you go, take raingear and warm clothes.
Finally, enjoy the craic and stay slán!
Peter Millhouse, Resort EditorGuaro, Spain, May 2006