Favourite Hole: The par four 16th is a dogleg right, out of the dunes onto flatter terrain. You can attack the dogleg, making this a terrific risk vs. reward hole.
What’ s in the Bag? An appreciation of how the wind affects the well routed course and finesse around perfect greens.
Co. Louth
Co. Louth( aka Baltray) is one of Ireland’ s great links, 45 minutes north of Dublin. It has graced this coastline since 1892, but it will forever be known for more recent events: Shane Lowry winning the Irish Open in 2009. It does, however, have a long and distinguished history, with its impeccable design embracing old school strategy and finesse. This is especially true with the slopes around the greens, and on the four excellent par threes. The putting surfaces are sublime and are forever mentioned when Co Louth is appraised. Today, raised tee boxes help to show off the beauty of the course’ s holes which typically fall into two types: the subtle and the dramatic. The biggest dunes are pressed up against the sea and this is where the most dramatic holes exist, with the renowned run from the 12th to the 16th promising some outstanding thrills. The more subtle holes are no less dramatic for the challenges they present, and with two loops of nine across a spacious landscape the wind will hit you from every angle. Smart, tactical golf is required. Excellent facilities and onsite accommodation is available.
www. countylouthgolfclub. com
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