“
I may have
designed the
first nine,
but surely
God designed
the back nine.
“
—Arnold Palmer on Tralee Golf Club
TRALEE GOLF CLUB
Founded in 1896, Tralee earned inter-
national acclaim when Arnold Palmer
designed the current layout, located west
of town in Barrow. Tralee was Palmer’s first
European design, and his quote on Tralee’s
website rings true: “I may have designed
the first nine, but surely God designed the
back nine.”
There’s a stark difference between the
two nines. The outward nine is wide open,
with hardly any dunes to protect the course
or your ball from the windy elements.
Instead, look around and enjoy the views of
cliffs, stone walls and castle ruins. Heading
inward, though, is a different experience.
The dunes spring to life, offering players
a true links experience with unmatched
beauty and challenge.
Take the par-3 13th hole, named Brock’s
Hollow. A blind, uphill tee shot to a green
surrounded by tall dunes on the left and
back sides. The only miss is right. Miss
short? May as well hit again, the drop from
the front of the green so precipitous that
it’s inadvisable to try to scramble down to
find your ball.
The scribbles on your scorecard are the
least of your worries here. Take in the view
from the 17th tee, as you spy gentle waves
to your right in the Atlantic Ocean while
finding a way to hit the fairway on the left.
Beauty is as much a part of the experience
as the golf at Tralee.
LAHINCH OLD
The Irish Open is generally featured as an
appetizer to the Open Championship, part
of the run-up to the U.K.’s largest golf spec-
tacle. Golf nerds, however, were pressed to
their television sets in the early morning
hours in 2019, just to get a view of Lahinch’s
venerable Old Course, which turned 125
years old in 2017.
Old Tom Morris was involved in the orig-
inal course design, with world-renowned
architect Alister MacKenzie helping expand
the course to 18 holes in the 1920s. Mar-
tin Hawtree modernized the course in
1999, with the new layout utilizing the sand
dunes closer to the Atlantic Ocean. Green
complexes were rebuilt, featuring more
undulations. An internationally renowned
gem was born.
As is the case in much of southwest Ire-
land, stunning views abound everywhere.
A standout hole is the par-4 6th, which
features a downhill approach to the green
with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.
Pot bunkers and dunes punish stray shots,
but the reward for a green in regulation is
the view you’ll find at the end of the hole.
Accuracy and solid course management
rule the day at Lahinch.
Lahinch Old Course
vsga.org
J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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