Hole 8 - The K Club
West of Dublin is the K Club’s Palmer Course and the dramatic scenes of
that famous European victory over the USA in the 2006 Ryder Cup. One of
Ireland’s finest parkland courses, the closing stretch is a classic. The 16th is an
all-or-nothing two-shotter, where an accurate drive must be followed by a
long and precise approach over water to an island green. The 18th dares the
golfer to drive over the top of a bunker-strewn hill and then tempts you to
fire straight at the flag in search of that heroic Ryder Cup finish. The K Club’s
other course the Smurfit, would best be described as an inland links, with
dune-type mounding throughout.
Hole 9 - Portmarnock Golf Links
Widely recognised as one of Ireland’s premier golf resorts with a golf course
that combines all the charms of a traditional links layout with the challenge
of the modern game. Gently undulating luxuriously sprung fairways leading
to large fast greens must be negotiated through 98 strategically placed
bunkers, while hillocks, wild grasses and gorse await wayward shots. The
1st tee and 18th green are conveniently situated just a wedge shot from the
hotel and clubhouse.
BACK NINE – THE PUBS
Hole 10 - Palace Bar
A short stroll from Temple Bar’s cobbled streets, the Palace Bar is often said
to be the perfect example of an old Dublin pub. Step into the beautiful snug
with its mirrors and wooden niches in which many a historic meeting has
taken place, or the back room with its high ceiling and ornate stained glass,
where literary stock used to gather. Flann O’Brien and Harry Kernoff were
regulars, and the Palace Bar became one of Dublin’s great literary pubs. An
advertisement published in the “Where to drink Guide 1958” adorns the wall
and says: “Internationally famous also for its intellectual refreshment.”
Hole 11 - John Mulligan’s
Once a working-class drinking man’s pub, this brilliant old boozer is another
virtually unchanged over the years. Established in 1782, its main claim to fame
is a perfectly poured pint of Guinness and the colourful crew of regulars who
are considered experts on the subject. Over the years Mulligan’s has attracted a
mixed bag including former US President John F Kennedy and it also featured as
the local in the film My Left Foot starring Daniel Day Lewis as Christy Brown.
Hole 12 - Grogan’s Castle Lounge
Lovely day for a Guinness
Known among regulars simply as Grogan’s, this city centre institution is a
favourite haunt among painters, writers, bohemians and alternatives. From
the street, not much can be seen through the lace curtains, but once you go
through the door it’s like stepping into someone’s living room. The actor Brad
Pitt became a local here to help him soak up the Irish atmosphere, while working
on the movie Snatch.
Volume 3 • Issue 26
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