Ballyliffin (Glashedy)
The Pat Ruddy-designed Glashedy links opened to great acclaim
in 1995, bringing a whole new golfing allure to Donegal’s Inishowen
peninsula. These are the most northern golf courses on the island,
a landscape of raw beauty, rock, sand and the clean coarse smell of
ocean. Many believe it is heaven. What is most remarkable is how
different the course is compared to the Old links, which shares
the same piece of land. Indeed, they brush up against each other
constantly. The difference lies in the terrain, with the Glashedy
hogging the highest terrain and the biggest dunes. Fairways slide so
smoothly between them. It creates such an elegant rhythm that you
could almost forget how testing this course can be… but only briefly.
Fairways may seem more generous, greens more visible, but the
bunkers are dangerous and those gentle doglegs make positioning
off the tee all the more important. Fail to hit greens and you’ll be
struggling. Home to the Irish Close and Boys Home Internationals, in
August.
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