Destination Golf Ireland 2020 * | Page 90

Old Head Golf Links © Larry Lambrecht
Lahinch
Take Old Tom Morris, add plenty of Alister MacKenzie and stir
with some Martin Hawtree… spread liberally over a boisterous Co.
Clare dunescape and leave for generations to come. MacKenzie
is the chief architect, with Hawtree working hard to restore
MacKenzie traits which had been lost – around greens most
notably. Today, even with Old Tom Morris’s Klondyke and Dell
holes left untouched, there is a rhythm that drives you into and
through what feels like a ridge of dunes clinging to the coastline.
And yet the variety is captivating with blind shots, long and short
par fours and utterly deceptive approaches.
Old Head
Bold and dramatic, Old Head is undoubtedly one of the world’s
greatest golfing experiences. The peninsula south of Kinsale
blossoms like a pearl earring, dropping into the Atlantic Ocean.
It promises tees and greens perched on 300 foot cliffs. Half of the
holes here sit tantalisingly above a raging sea as you head out to
a lighthouse on the front nine and then back again. For the back
nine, press ‘repeat’. The back tee on the 18th is one of the scariest
places you will ever hit a shot from, tucked above cliffs and
below the lighthouse. It may be surprising to find that golf here
is of the generous variety. On such an exclusive, plush course the
objective is not to punish you but to let you play. If you don’t
knock it into the ocean then you’re unlikely to lose it.
Waterville
Golfers from around the world flock to Waterville, and the drive
along the Ring of Kerry, above the sea, builds the expectation
no end. This is something special, something idyllic, and the
setting only makes the course all the more alluring. It is far too
easy to fall in love with it. Few courses can boast such picture-
perfect holes and such a sensuous rhythm. You can thank Eddie
Hackett and, later, Tom Fazio for this links work-of-art. The dunes
start low but build quickly into more dramatic and wonderfully
pristine shapes. Raised tee boxes ensure you can see much of the
hole and, with wide fairways, it will make you want to swing hard.
It’s a long course so go right ahead. The front nine are excellent;
the back nine are spectacular.
88
The back tee on the 18th is
one of the scariest places you
will ever hit a shot from.