Destination Golf Ireland 2021
Castlemartyr
Castlemartyr
There are no more than a few courses in Ireland which were designed as inland ‘ links ’… and Castlemartyr is the last of them . It has that low rhythmic flow that makes links golf so enjoyable , but the wind will be far less of a burden here as you target generous fairways and silken greens . It is elegant golf . The boundary of the course is deep woodland which highlights the stark openness of the fairways . Your draw or fade will rarely be threatened so you can open the shoulders and drive to your heart ’ s content . But , a word of warning , the bumps and ridges bordering fairways are home to deep rough … they are not to be trifled with .
Douglas
Set on gentle slopes in Cork city ’ s suburbia , Douglas is well over
100 years old . More recently it has acquired a reputation for two things : the social activities of the members which emphasise how important clubs can be to a community ; and the quality of the greens . Douglas slides gently down a hillside so holes can leave you with tilted lies or downhill / uphill shots … but it ’ s never severe and when the flags come in to view they make delicious targets . It is a shortish par 72 , but you need to avoid the trees , putt extremely well and overcome the excellent late charge of holes from 13 to 17 . The clubhouse has recieved a major renovation .
Trump Doonbeg
The 2015 upgrades by Martin Hawtree have enhanced Greg
Norman ’ s original design . Norman was restricted in what he could do and where he could go ( the rare snail ), but Doonbeg still flashed with genius . He let the natural terrain of big , chaotic dunes shape the holes , resulting in some stunning shots and remarkable green settings … the 1st , 5th , 13th and 15th come to mind . Holes weave in a vague figure of eight in and out of the dunes , brushing up to Doughmore Bay on several occasions . Hawtree upgraded Norman ’ s work and refined the routing to play better in the wind , while the new greens are beautiful creations .
Mallow
Established in 1947 , Mallow is a gentle hillside parkland poised above the town . Trees dominate , many of them ancient and majestic , and it is these that help to define the course . But beware the many sloping and often narrow fairways which will lure your ball towards the rough . It will also leave challenging approach shots to greens in enchanting settings . The Galty Mountains provide the backdrop on a curvaceous , surprisingly challenging course which calls for accuracy off the tee .
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