Golf courses in Ireland
Golf courses abound in Ireland, both links and parklands, some 410 in total, and this is a good number compared to the population of almost 6 million (4 million people in the Republic of Ireland and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland). Ireland is one of the great places in the world for a dream golf vacation.
Links golf courses are generally found around the coast where they have been carved out of the abundant sand dunes, where the wind often challenges players, especially on the western Atlantic coast side of the island. Its designers have also taken advantage of the proximity of the water to make the game more interesting in these fields. One of the most famous links courses is the Ballybunion Old Course, whose twists and sea breezes challenge all players.
Parkland’s golf courses lie primarily inland amid natural mountainous scenery where forests provide tree-lined fairways, which their designers take advantage of to test the competence of even the best professionals. One notable parkland course is the K Club on the outskirts of Dublin, which has been chosen to host the Ryder Cup in September 2006. The Slieve Russell course in central Ireland is also another good example.
Seven golf courses in Ireland are included in a list of the 100 best golf courses in the world (Golf Digest)
They are:
In Northern Ireland: Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce) and Royal County Down.
In the Republic of Ireland: the “Old” club of Ballybunion (in the world ranking of the top ten), Lahinch, Portmarnock, The European Club and Waterville.
Golf high season: June, July, August.
Average golf season: May, September, October.
Low golf season: from November to April.
Book departure times well in advance of your vacation. Around 20% of the golf courses in Ireland have their own website where you can make a reservation. Visit the author’s website for a list of them.
Take care of the way you dress. You may have difficulty in some places if you do not pay attention to the following clothing tips. Wear appropriate shirts with sleeves and collar, golf shoes and athletic socks, smart tailored pants or shorts. Clothing you MUST NOT WEAR includes: jeans, shorts, sneakers or trainers, tracksuits, shirtless sweaters, clothing with slogans.
Always be in the field well before your departure time. Most courses allow spikes, some encourage their use in wet weather. Many links courses do not allow motorized golf carts due to the hilly terrain.
Take your handicap certificate with you as many golf courses insist on displaying it. The handicap limit is usually 28 for men and 36 for women.
If you are taking your own golf clubs with you, you should purchase a very strong golf bag to protect them during handling by personal luggage. Some find that an easier solution is to rent golf equipment in Ireland, in which case this should be done as soon as possible, when booking tee times.
You will find a warm welcome not only from the Irish golf community, but also from the general population. Ireland has now become a very popular place for an exhilarating golf holiday.