Skellig Bay
Ceann Sibeal
The Three Sisters watch over this links at that farthest end of the
Dingle Peninsula. The hillside that falls away from these three cliff
top peaks is home to a low, subtle and very deceptive links, designed
by Eddie Hackett (the back nine) and Christy O’Connor Jr (the front).
The views may be open, raw and beautiful, but this is a course that
demands your full attention. The rough is unforgiving and the burn
which slips across eleven holes proves magnetic more often than
not. Meticulous course management is required on a crafty links
which glides over natural, often unpredictable terrain.
Killarney (Mahony’s Point)
Mahony’s Point is a sweet foil to the muscularity of its Killeen sibling.
They brush up against each other a couple of times, sharing the
same terrain and the same stunning scenery. Indeed, a combination
of their holes once formed the original 1930s’ course. But Mahony’s
Point is a gentler affair, with more accessible fairways and greens,
as well as a more relaxed pace. While Killeen was being adorned
with impressive modern design flourishes (completed in 2006),
Mahony’s Point was left well alone. What it does have, however, is
a stunning closing stretch including Ireland’s most remarkable and
unforgettable 18th hole, a par three over the edge of Lough Leane to
a green in a dell of Scots Pines.
Skellig Bay
Skellig Bay hovers above the ocean, drifting along the edges of
the bay as a stereotypical, beautiful Irish headland provides a
sweet landscape for this seaside course. It is new and bold and
interesting, with old stone walls and cairns shepherding hole
after hole. Fairways are generous, almost resplendent, as are the
greens. The rhythm may prove hypnotic especially with such
vistas scattered all around. The club is under new ownership, so
change is in the air but whatever happens here, Skellig Bay is a
perfect foil for Waterville on the other side of the village.
East Clare
As peaceful and pastoral a setting as you could ask for, East Clare
relies on the beauty of its surroundings and its simple golfing
charms to impress visitors. And it does exactly that. No fuss,
no frills, just fun golf as holes wander freely around an open,
tree-scattered and lake-laced landscape. It is well routed and the
golfing test grows progressively stronger as the round progresses.
There is a spring to fairways that will soon find its way into your
step as you take on a course that boasts five par threes… four
of them with carries over water. A lovely course where golf and
nature intertwine.
99