Welcome
Welcome to the second edition of Destination Golf Ireland
The past two years have been interesting for Irish golf . Several resort courses are under new ownership and considerable investments have been made to bring them back to their best … or better , e . g . Castlemartyr , Waterford Castle , Doonbeg , Fota Island , Tulfarris . Meanwhile , some member clubs continue their struggles as golfer numbers continue to languish . It ’ s an interesting disparity but , despite the loss of Fernhill and Delvin Castle in 2016 , optimism seems to be in the ascendancy .
We are certainly optimistic about the Destination Golf Ireland Guide , which is in its second year . It was extremely well received last year and following recent visits to many of Ireland ’ s clubs we can see why golf clubs and golfers are feeling positive . Courses are in excellent shape and greenkeepers across the country should be applauded for their enormous efforts in making these courses so playable and so attractive . Given Ireland ’ s ever-changing weather it is no easy task .
The format we used last year remains unchanged so we continue to promote Ireland ’ s best golfing experiences by combining copy with striking imagery . Our 150 top courses are divided into five regions and rated across Platinum , Gold and Silver , so we hope this steers you towards playing somewhere new or returning to an old favourite .
We are lucky to possess many of the world ’ s best courses but “ best ” isn ’ t always about top quality design , perfectly manicured fairways or fancy clubhouses : the best golf experiences come from having fun and discovering courses that make you want to go straight back to the 1st tee after walking off the 18th . So please , do not ignore the absolute gems which stretch right across the country . They give you a very special flavour of Ireland .
The golf club at the Adare resort is still not included as the course will be closed for much of 2017 , while Fazio works his magic . Skellig Bay – now Hog ’ s Head – is in a similar position and we have removed my beloved Rathcore as its future is uncertain . I hope it will be in next year ’ s guide .
Kevin Markham Editor Destination Golf Media Ltd .
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