Destination Golf Ireland 2017 * | Page 14

A golfer tees off at Castlerock ’ s first hole watched on by his caddie .
The Bushmills Inn is an excellent base for golfers .

“ Golfing The Wild Atlantic Way ”

( Ireland )

Golfing brothers Andrew & Paul Marshall take a wild ride in a magical corner of the Emerald Isle to play six classic links ...
It ’ s the end of April in Ireland ’ s north-west and the start of our week-long golf trip from Donegal to Galway along a 550 km section of the Wild Atlantic Way - a scenic coastal touring route ( with a total length of 2,500 km ), dotted with beaches , harbours , headlands , stunning viewing points and some of the world ’ s best golf courses . In addition to unspoilt coastal and moorland landscapes , other highlights along the journey include Sieve League ( the highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe ), salmon fishing on the River Moy , enjoying a pint of Guinness by a turf fire , staying in splendid accommodation and meeting the locals who have a tremendous gift of making you feel welcome .
And when it comes to the golf , there ’ s a half-dozen collection of pure links courses from Narin & Portnoo in County Donegal to Connemara in County Galway that taken as a whole , has no rival . Some are old classics from the late 1800s , whilst others are more recent creations that look as though they have been part of the environment since then . Unlike the honey pots further south , golf in the north-west is more affordable with near-guaranteed tee times and all the ingredients that makes links golf so special are here in abundance : spectacular coastal views , towering dunes , hidden greens , deep pot bunkers , tumbling fairways , undulating putting surfaces and ever-present sea breezes .
PEAT FIRES AND SKYLARKS
Hidden in the hills of Donegal on the tranquil shores of Lough Eske is Harvey ’ s Point , a luxurious 74 bedroom hotel featuring the very best in accommodation , award-winning cuisine and traditional Irish hospitality . As we check in for one night , the distinctive aroma of burning peat hits our nostrils before the welcoming fire , tucked in an alcove by the reception desk comes into view . There ’ s no question of roughing it at Ireland ’ s ‘ number 1 rated hotel by Trip Advisor ’, with suites so sumptuous and spacious , they can double up for some long range putting practise .
It ’ s 9.30am the following morning at Narin & Portnoo Golf Club , etched into sand dunes in stunning Gweebarra Bay on County Donegal ’ s west coast , about an hour ’ s drive from Harvey ’ s Point . Golf bags and carts are neatly lined up in rows outside the clubhouse , a group of golfers enjoy pre-round coffees while others loosen up in the practice nets near the first tee . There ’ s a palpable buzz in the air on this crisp , sunny morning .
Opened in 1930 , Narin & Portnoo is engagingly oldfashioned , with a meandering routing over and around the dunes . We join club professional Daragh Lyons to tackle the recently re-developed par-73 layout , who gets proceedings underway by expertly splitting the fairway with a hybrid on the short par-4 first . All manner of shots are required here - crisp irons to par threes over cavernous terrain , draws around sharp dog-legs , chip and run shots over mounds and dips , accurate tee shots down snake-like fairways and low trajectory shots into the Atlantic breezes . “ My favourite holes are the par-3 7th , par-4 8th and especially the stunning par-5 15th played from an elevated tee that epitomises the beauty of the course ,” says Daragh , as
12