DESTINATION GOLF 2024
Tullamore
Tullamore
Trees , trees , and more trees … Tullamore is a wonderfully wooded course where the oak , beech and chestnut get very , very friendly . It is an enchanting setting but if you have an unruly draw or fade you will face intimidating shots time and again … especially off the tee . Here you will find sensational greens , smart routing , several knee-jangling doglegs and a superbly maintained course . This is why Tullamore is discussed in such glowing terms . It may not be long ( par 70 , 6,472 yards off the back tees ) but it demands your full respect . And when the course opens up slightly ( the 5th to 8th ) lakes present serious threats , while the Slieve Bloom Mountains provide the backdrop . The final three holes will test the best .
Rathsallagh
Not a single tree was felled in the design of this course , emphasising how beautifully wooded and yet spacious Rathsallagh is . It ’ s like playing through a grand estate , one where tall solitary trees can prove utterly intimidating . And magnetic ! This is sweet , sometimes turbulent , Co . Wicklow countryside and that becomes immediately apparent from the clubhouse when you peer down holes 9 , 10 and 18 , at the back of the clubhouse . As such , it promises plenty of variety with numerous stand-out holes ( 6 , 8 , 10 , 13 , 14 , 17 and 18 ) bringing water , streams , old walls and those trees in to play . The par four 10th ( Index 1 ) is one of the best par fours you ’ ll face .
Esker Hills
If golf courses were rollercoasters , then Esker Hills would be the biggest ride of all . The eskers make this course almost hypnotic with their heaving rhythm through the lilting Co . Offaly countryside . The design was by Christy O ’ Connor Jr ( 1997 ), who must have been in his element shaping holes between all the twists and turns that this landscape has created . Open Champion Shane Lowry ’ s name will forever be associated with Esker Hills , but this is a course bristling with adventure : right from the off you are thrown into the mounds , doglegging through the valleys , and up and over those swinging elevation changes . Trees constantly guide the way around a wonderfully routed course .
Mount Wolseley
One of our big parklands , Mount Wolseley comes with muscle as well as a smart hotel . On this Christy O ’ Connor Jr course choosing the right tee will make all the difference . There is dynamic movement to the landscape as emphasised by the opening three holes routed through big trees and over water . This is as good / tough a start as you will play but it sets the tone for a round of strong driving . The greens are well protected and the big , slick putting surfaces are hard to gauge . Most of the long holes are doglegs and the short 4th may be the biggest risk vs . reward short hole in Ireland .
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