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Killarney ( Killeen )

As parkland settings go , Killarney ’ s Killeen course is hard to beat . Nestling under the imposing MacGillycuddy ’ s Reeks , and clinging to the edges of Lough Leane , you will bask in Ireland ’ s beauty , regardless of whether you ’ re playing golf . With the second course , Mahony ’ s Point , alongside , Killarney Golf & Fishing Club is a vibrant , popular and essential addition to Co . Kerry ’ s world famous links golf offering . The town of Killarney also happens to be buzzing with bars , restaurants and accommodation .

Castlemartyr

There are no more than a few courses in Ireland which were designed as inland ‘ links ’… and Castlemartyr is the last of them . It has that low rhythmic flow that makes links golf so enjoyable , but the wind will be far less of a burden here as you target generous fairways and silken greens . It is elegant golf . The boundary of the course is deep woodland which highlights the stark openness of the fairways . Your draw or fade will rarely be threatened so you can open the shoulders and drive to your heart ’ s content . But , a word of warning , the bumps and ridges bordering fairways are home to deep rough … they are not to be trifled with .

Ballybunion ( Cashen )

Many believe the Cashen was blessed with dunes even more spectacular than the Old course . You ’ ll need to play both to decide for yourself but the wonderful Co . Kerry setting remains the same . The Old has been left relatively untouched , embracing classic links traditions , but the Cashen is a more revolutionary beast . Opened in 1984 , it was designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior , who set greens in positions which demand target golf and not classic bump-andrun approach shots . It matters little … the Cashen is thrill-a-minute golf where you get tossed around as dunes get ever more dramatic . There are blind shots and deep hollows everywhere . The back nine promises epic approach shots and holes 14 to 17 are the pick of the bunch as they find the coastline .

Doonbeg

The 2015 upgrades by Martin Hawtree have enhanced Greg Norman ’ s original design . Norman was restricted in what he could do and where he could go ( the rare snail ), but Doonbeg still flashed with genius . He let the natural terrain of big , chaotic dunes shape the holes , resulting in some stunning shots and remarkable green settings … the 1st , 5th , 13th and 15th come to mind . Holes weave in a vague figure of eight in and out of the dunes , brushing up to Doughmore Bay on several occasions . Hawtree upgraded Norman ’ s work and refined the routing to play better in the wind , while the new greens are beautiful creations .