Doonbeg
24. Portmarnock 12th, 177/148/129/112 yards.
Given the brilliance of the 15th it is little surprise that
the 12th fails to get the recognition it deserves… yet it
is a superb hole. You will be hitting to a hidden putting
surface wedged up on a dune with steep fall-offs on
the front and right side. Bunkers pocket those sides.
The green has some serious slopes and if you end up
over the back it is a vicious little shot to keep the ball
on the green as you aim for the pin. 28. Druids Glen 12th, 174/168/148/120 yards.
So often touted as the Glen’s signature hole, thanks
to the Irish Cross of flowers planted in the steep hill
below the tee, this par three plays from up high to a
green set low in a deep dell (quite similar to the 8th
above). A wide stream curves around the front and
along the right hand side, under the druid’s altar, and it
is an enchanting tee shot. Expect one of your fourball
to find the water.
25. Tralee 13th, 159/152/130/103 yards.
As at Portmarnock, another par three takes the
plaudits but the 13th is a hole of epic proportions. It
quite literally sits on the side of a giant dune with a
steep climb behind and an equally steep drop in front.
Play short and you could be 40 feet below the green
with no hope of finding the putting surface. The green
is wide but shallow, and after the traumas you’ll have
endured on the 12th the 13th comes as a short sharp
slap in the face. 29. Cruit Island 6th, 149/137/134 yards.
Of the six 9-hole courses in Co. Donegal, Cruit Island
is the one that people rave about. Huge rolling dunes,
endless views and as remote as remote can be. The
course is exhilarating from start to finish but it is the
6th that golfers remember most. This short par three
has sea to the right and sea stacks poking up behind
the green, but it is what awaits in front of the green
that proves so memorable: a chasm drops 40 feet,
straight down to a tiny rocky beach and the sea itself,
but from the tee it is almost invisible… but once you
know it’s there your club selection becomes all the
more daunting. You cannot afford to be short because
everything slopes back towards this chasm. Now
factor in the wind and hope you hit a crisp, clean shot.
26. Doonbeg 14th, 138/126/121/95 yards.
When Doonbeg lost its iconic 14th to storms it was
hard to see how Hawtree would be able to match Greg
Norman’s masterpiece. But he did and while it may
not be as iconic it is still a beauty playing along the
coastline. There are no bunkers to interrupt what is a
mesmerising green set hypnotically in the dunes with
low run-offs. You play from up high and hit towards
the resort across Doughmore Strand. It is such an
attractive shot.
27. Ballyliffin (Glashedy) 14th,
200/158/122/109 yards.
The views out to sea and Glashedy Rock may be
something you wax lyrical about long into the future
(they’re even better than the par three 5th) but this
is a downhill par three that requires your undivided
attention. The first question you must ask yourself is: if
I miss the wide, shallow green where do I want the ball
to end up? The green looks like it has been perched
on the crest of a wave, with troughs and swells all
around it. There are two bunkers (one front, one back)
and you do not want to be in the back one because
the slopes on the green are lethal. In answer to the
original question, miss right: it should leave a relatively
easy shot up the green – you might even be protected
from the wind.
10
Cruit Island
30. Waterville 17th, 194/168/120 yards.
Everything about Mulcahy’s Peak is picture-perfect.
The high tee delivers the best views of the day with
Ireland displayed in a 360 degree kaleidoscope of
mountains and ocean. This is a par three where wind
will always prove a factor but at least the green makes
a good sized target and as long as you don’t miss by
too much, you should be fine.