DESTINATION GOLF 2022
of the green ’ s surrounding bunker . It will make an already intimidating tee shot all the more terrifying … and thrilling . Think Sawgrass . All the greens will be remodelled , with several being relocated slightly . The 7th and 13th , for example , will be moved even closer to the water . Overall , the average green size will increase by 20 per cent . All bunkering will be rebuilt , using Sportsbond .
These are a handful of the changes on the Druids Glen course and we , at Destination Golf , will update you with progress during the year . It ’ s a multi-million euro project so we are eager to see it evolve . The course is due to re-open early 2023 , so there ’ s a long way to go , a lot of news to bring you … and some eager golfers queuing up to play .
A New Druids Heath
Druids Heath is the resort ’ s second course . It was designed with heathland and links traits and it was a challenging day ’ s golf . It was not kind to high handicappers , short hitters or those of a gentler age . It was punishing , long , dressed with 97 large bunkers and big – very big ! – fast greens . When the gorse shone bright it set off fire alarms in a golfer ’ s head .
For a resort course that was not ideal … but that has now changed . The resort ’ s new owners pumped € 1 million into the Heath . The redevelopment by Peter McEvoy , ( re ) Golf , and Turfgrass , started in April 2021 .
“ We are re-landscaping the existing bunker footprint ( over 30,000m2 ), adopting a more handcrafted bunker and landform layout , each with their own individual function and character , while maintaining diverse strategic values ,” the resort told Destination Golf at the time .
That ’ s easy to say , but until you see what has been done it ’ s impossible to visualise what has been achieved . The holes and routing are the same but there is a very different feel to the place thanks to new bunkering and a new approach to fescue grasses .
The key here is visual appeal and impact . The 97 big bunkers have been reduced to 36 . Many of the greenside bunkers have been removed entirely which makes the greens more accessible targets . These putting surfaces are ,
after all , an essential highlight here … and they have always been one of the most testing aspects of the course .
The change to the bunkering is massive . The big , open bunkers have been replaced with smaller , deeper and sharply shaped bunkers , with high sides and a high penalty tariff for hitting your ball in one . With fewer bunkers protecting the greens it also means that low shots , of a bump-and-run nature , present themselves on several occasions . That ’ s an entirely new aspect to the course and yet one that matches the course ’ s original intent .
On top of that , bunkers use Sportsbond , all sand has been replaced , and Ecobunker has been used in several places where bunkers are cut tight to the greens . The brows of these bunkers will be blanketed with golden fescue grasses , adding to the difficulty and , undoubtedly , drawing the eye . As one example , the famous par-3 14th now has a bunker tucked in hard to the green which leaves you five feet below the pin – and you may find some awkward stances .
This is the most obvious change but not the only one : the Blue tees have all gone , making the course some 400 yards shorter ; certain fairways have been widened ; some fairway shoulders have been removed to enhance hole visibility – on the 9th and 10th most noticeably ; small fescue-covered mounds appear on some holes , blending with the blazes of fescue chaperoning fairways elsewhere ; and much gorse has been removed .
Finally , grasses on greens have all been swapped for Krystal Blue Bent grass … which looks and plays every bit as good as it reads .
Work finished in late summer 2021 ( a new clubhouse is scheduled for late 2023 ), and Druids Heath is now a more friendly course . It is no longer overwhelmed with sand , it offers different strategies for golfers of all abilities and the efforts to give it a more links-like appearance have given it extra bite .
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