DESTINATION GOLF 2023
Charleville
Charleville
The trees wrap around you all day long at Charleville . Hundreds were lost during the 2014 storms but that has only improved this Co . Cork parkland . Holes now have more air without losing any of the challenges . And of those there are plenty , with gently sliding doglegs greeting you on many tee boxes and fairways that put a premium on positioning off the tee . It is not a long course ( par 71 , 6,467 yards , back tees ) with half the holes falling between 350 and 380 yards , but the doglegs come in different sizes , calling for smart golf . Peaceful , embracing and rewarding .
Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is tucked away in west Cork , perched on a high rolling landscape above the sea and the charming fishing village of Bantry . The setting is glorious , with views spilling across the bay to mountains and peninsulas . The course has an unexpectedly muscular feel , no doubt due to Christy O ’ Connor Jr ’ s influence which uses the big rolls of the landscape to full effect , including several blind shots . This is no place for the faint of heart so get out the driver and swing hard . The greens are correspondingly big with tiers and slopes that will test you all day long .
Killarney ( Mahony ’ s Point )
“ The doglegs come in different sizes , calling for smart golf .”
Mahony ’ s Point is a sweet foil to the muscularity of its Killeen sibling . They brush up against each other a couple of times , sharing the same terrain and the same stunning scenery . Indeed , a combination of their holes once formed the original 1930s course . But Mahony ’ s Point is a gentler , quieter affair , with more accessible fairways and greens , as well as a more relaxed pace . This is old school parkland and the course has undergone some recent upgrades ( under Ken Kearney ). The old school charm is set to remain , with striped fairways and chequered flags embellishing that feeling .
98