Druid’s Glen
7. Killarney (Mahony’s Point) 18th,
174/167/153 metres.
The most impressive of Ireland’s inland par threes,
Mahony’s Point finishes with this absolute beauty…
and index 7 to boot. You tee off on one edge of
Lough Leane and play across the water into a nest of
towering pine trees. The stark trunks frame the green
perfectly and the four bunkers on the left side make it
clear where most golfers attempt to bail out. For those
golfers who say finishing with a par three is a weak
ending… play Mahony’s Point (or Portumna for that
matter) and you’ll think differently.
8. Co Sligo 4th, 180/164/135 yards.
Another course with iconic par three options but Co
Sligo’s 4th is a perfect risk/reward hole and takes the
gong. It is not that long, there are no bunkers and
the green is so perfectly positioned that the hole has
the feel of eternity to it. The beautiful, endless views
around you only emphasise that. Your tee shot is
about making a choice and committing to it no matter
what you might start thinking halfway through your
swing. The green is perched on a ledge with steep
fall-offs in front and to the right… we’re talking yards
here, not feet. The only bail out is to the left and with
the green also tilting this way you are left with a sweet
uphill recovery shot. You can putt or chip from here.
Factor in the wind… but you’ll be happiest when it’s
blowing into your face as it means the ball will stop
when it lands.
9. Lahinch 5th, 154/148/143 yards.
The ‘Dell’ hole is revered. How often do you play a
blind par three? Today, any designer who suggested
such a thing would be laughed at and yet the Dell is a
masterpiece of intrigue, designed by Old Tom Morris.
The green sits wedged down in a nest of dunes with
only a sliver of putting surface peaking out between
the sentry dunes which guard the front. The white
stone on the back dune indicates the pin position and
then it is all about choosing the club to get the ball
over those front sentries. You can of course play long
and try to bounce the ball off the back bank but unless
you have goat-like abilities you won’t find an easy
stance if your ball stays up in the rough.
8
Ballybunion (Old)
10. Druid’s Glen 8th, 166/152/140 yards.
No doubt about it, shades of Augusta come shining
through on this hole. The flowers, the colourful
trees, the ponds and just the entire setting make this
enchanting. It is set in a deep dell and surrounded by
trees to give the hole a wonderfully isolated feel. The
12th may be singled out as the best par three here,
but for me the 8th is the most beautiful on the island.
It’s not a tough tee shot – or at least it shouldn’t be –
as you play over the ponds, but the green has some
strong slopes to tease you.
11. The Island 13th, 190/197/190 yards.
Another of the immensely tough par threes in this list,
the 13th is a complete menace that could and often
should be played as a par four when the wind is up.
And there’s no shame in that. There are no elevation
changes here but going directly at the green requires
bravery as the threat of the hollow short of the
green and out of bounds (the estuary) to the right is
immense. Favour the left where safety beckons. The
green is a low-lying beauty that flows with the land so
you can putt from well left of the surface. It is a long
hole but don’t force it.
12. Ballybunion (Cashen) 16th, 164/145/137 yards.
Ballybunion’s second course has some fantastic golf
holes. They may not fall into the traditional links
bracket but it matters little on a course that promises
so much adventure. The 16th is the epitome of that
with a tee perched high above the beach and a green
below, also on the edge with the beach and distant
views serving as the backdrop. With dunes squeezing
in on three sides and the very real possibility of your
ball disappearing down to the beach beyond, this is a
sweet, sharp jolt of a par three.
13. Ballybunion Old 15th, 216/206/192 yards.
It seems unfair that so many of Ireland’s best par
threes are extremely tough. Then again, that’s all
part of the experience of a great one-shot hole.
Ballybunion’s brilliant 8th is little more than a wedge
but the 15th pips it. This presents an intimidating tee
shot to a green below, with absolutely no forgiveness
around it, a sweet ocean backdrop and the constant
threat of wind to muddy the waters of club selection.
The dune blocking a small portion of the left hand side
of the green doesn’t help either. There is no tentative
shot here so you have to play a full and confident
swing because you won’t make par from the rough.
Index 4.