Moyvalley XXXX
Tullamore
Trees , trees , and more trees … Tullamore is a wonderfully wooded course where the oak , beech and chestnut get very , very friendly . It is an enchanting setting but if you have an unruly draw or fade you will face intimidating shots time and again … especially off the tee . Here you will find sensational greens , smart routing , several knee-jangling doglegs and a superbly maintained course . This is why Tullamore is discussed in such glowing terms . It may not be long ( par 70 , 6,472 yards off the back tees ) but it demands your full respect . And when the course opens up slightly ( the 5th to 8th ) lakes present serious threats , while the Slieve Bloom Mountains provide the backdrop . The final three holes will test the best .
Moyvalley
The flowing , easy , almost hypnotic rhythm of Moyvalley is something you experience when you drive into the resort . It ’ s a long driveway and you get a good idea of what lies ahead . The occasional giant tree , standing alone beside fairways , the splashes of gorse on the rolling mounds and the golden grasses flashing in the sunshine . Moyvalley is a course that divides opinions but this is elegant , pleasurable golf from start to finish . The fairways are generous and the greens big and inviting . Playing here is more about settling into that rhythm than playing one dramatic hole after another … that said , the closing three holes promise a big finish , with water threatening on two of them . The 18th is a beauty .
Dun Laoghaire
The Curtis Cup was held at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club in June , 2016 , reflecting the club ’ s size , quality and facilities . Certainly the clubhouse is one of the plushest you will find . Set on a gentle hillside , facing the Great Sugarloaf , there are three distinctive nine hole loops . They combine different shapes and challenges . The Lower nine drop away from the clubhouse onto mostly level terrain with big water features ; the Middle nine are the most colourful and shapely with a combination of trees and water ; and the Upper nine offer the biggest changes in elevation and more exposure to the wind . The views , however , are always on show .
Knightsbrook
Knightsbrook is the full resort package and one of Ireland ’ s newest parkland additions . The clubhouse is part of a hotel , and they both watch over the 1st hole which slides alongside . It is a Christy O ’ Connor Jr design and it is a muscular beast , measuring 6,600 yards ( par 72 ) from the forward green tees … you ’ ll need to be driving well to take Knightsbrook on . But the doglegs are plentiful and the water features magnetic so length is only one of the requirements Trees are infrequent so you definitely have lots of room to play on an open , mounded landscape , and hitting into such quality greens is always a thrill .
50