Co. Sligo
Co. Sligo
An old and timeless links which sits out at the end of Rosses Point,
commanding sensational views over Drumcliff and Sligo bays, distant
mountains and, most dominant of all, Benbulbin – the flat-topped
mountain creates a daunting backdrop to the 9th and 10th holes.
And if the seting is majestic, then so too is the golf course. Laid
out over a dunescape of contrasting rhythms, this is where the
acclaimed Harry Colt created 18 intriguingly individual holes.
Indeed, there are almost three courses in one, such are the changing
landscapes: in places it is flat, in others it is bumpy and unpredictable
and in still more it is steep, even mountainous. But they all combine
beautifully and it is all on show from the tee. And then there are the
perfect greens and four tantalising par threes.
Connemara
Eddie Hackett’s name sits in the design column of many Irish golf
courses and the links at Connemara is yet one more. The course also
boasts a fascinating evolution thanks to a local priest. There are 27
holes here, tucked away in the remotest spot south of Clifden. The
drive across the barren beauty of Connemara, however, is just one of
the joys of playing here. The course matches that barren beauty, its
holes wrapped around an impressive clubhouse which sits up high
and allows visitors to take in so much of the course. Flags flutter in
every direction, towards the Twelve Bens, beneath rocky hillocks
and in front of raw seascapes. The fairways - like the views - are
generous, which they need to be when the wind whips in over the
often exposed course.
Strandhill
The sea squeezes this stunning links on two sides. Surfers ride the
waves to the west, while horseback riders favour the south. You’ll
see them from a course that hugs the water but also rises up in the
centre, sending holes scattering down the bumpy slopes to some
severely undulating, natural greens. There’s no magic design formula
(the members did most of it), which works in Strandhill’s favour
because holes like the 5th, 13th and 15th are off the charts. The smart
clubhouse sits at the top, too, showing off much of the course.
Appreciate it for what it is… an absolute gem.
122
There are 27 holes here,
tucked away in the remotest
spot south of Clifden.