Ballybunion Golf Club (Old) *****

Sandhill Road, Ballybunion, County Kerry

Nearest main town: Limerick

 

Ballybunion, literally translated as 'town of the sapling', is a small resort village on the southern side of the Shannon estuary. It is rightly on the itinerary for those megariah Americans who come on short golfing tours to these islands. They take in Turnberry, Gleneagles, St Andrews and then Ballybunion Old. Not surprisingly, the price of playing here has gone through the roof, and anyone wanting to pick up some commemorative merchandise of their visit to Ballybunion will have to dig deep to afford the prices in the pro shop.

Ballybunion's remoteness and the sheer size of its dunes make it a honeypot for all golfers. The dunes at Turnberry and St Andrews are bumps by comparison. Unlike, say, Royal Birkdale, where the dunes tend to flank the fairways, at Ballybunion they often run perpendicular to the line of play. You are driving over them, into them, up them, and onto them. In the words of Christy O'Connor Snr, 'When the wind blows, anyone who breaks 70 here is playing better than he is able to play.'

It is difficult to score well at Ballybunion, simply because the distractions (shiny beaches, crumbling cliffs and so forth) are so engaging. As early as the 1st tee you stand looking straight at a graveyard, hardly the uplifting encouragement you need at the start of the round.

By comparison with many other great links, it is a modest opening after the 1st, but things start to get better at the 7th, a par-4 laid out along the shore with a small plateau green clinging to the dunes above the Atlantic. The 10th, another par-4, doglegs its way left, back to the very edge of the ocean, and the 11th has the twin threat of sandhills on the left and the Atlantic to the right.

Some talk of playing Ballybunion as if their life has been changed completely by the experience. Don't listen to the hype: take the course for what it's really worth - an excellent links but one that is surely bettered elsewhere.

 

Secretary: Mr J. McKenna

Tel: 068 27146 Fax: 068 27387

Professional: Mr B. O' Callaghan

Tel: 068 27842 Fax: 068 27387

Playing: Midweek: round €125; day €160. Weekend: round €125; day €160.

Facilities: Bar: 1 0.30am-11 pm. Food: Lunch and dinner from 10am-9pm. Bar snacks.

Comments: Day fee is round on each course. .. Spectacularly beautiful, very enjoyable... What an experience... Super course when the wind blows... Absolute must for all golfers with stunning views and unique holes... An absolute masterpiece.

 

Doonbeg Golf Club ****

Doonbeg, County Clare

Nearest main town: Kilkee

 

Doonbeg, spectacularly located on the west coast of County Clare, opened to great acclaim in July 2002 and has since fully lived up to its sky-high expectations. Its designer, Greg Norman, has created a links masterpiece worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as other Irish links legends such as Ballybunion and Portmarnock. The Great White Shark summed up his work of art by saying: 'It may be under 7000 yards [6885 yards, par-n to be precise] but it will test any player in the world under any conditions.'

He's not kidding. The layout dramatically weaves its way through huge sand dunes, and the rough is, well, extremely rough. If you miss the fairways you can forget it, although to be fair you get what you deserve as the fairways are fairly generous.

First-timers will need to pull out all the stops and turn up with their A-game to register a decent score. Either that or book yourself a caddiel. As with all links courses, good course management is essential; there are so many potential pitfalls waiting to trip you up, such as the 15-foot-deep bunker guarding the 11 th green and some elevated, so­difficult-to-hit greens.

The round gets off to a flying start with a superb par-5 opening hole, the green nestling in a natural amphitheatre and setting the tone for a memorable round of golf. You'll also be blown away by the stunning views: a third of the holes play directly against Doughmore Bay, and you can see the Atlantic from 16 holes. Breathtaking.

 

Secretary: Ms C. Browne              

Tel: 065 905 5246 Fax: 065 905 5247

Professional: Mr B. Shaw              

Tel: 065 905 5246

Playing: Midweek: round €185 (all week); day n/a. Weekend: round n/a; day n/a.

Facilities: Bar: 7am-6pm. Food: 7am-6pm. Snacks.

Comments: Simply one of the best courses I've ever played... Does golf get any better than this? I doubt it ... Some fantastic golf holes interspersed with one or two plain ones. . . It lived up to all my expectations... Greg Norman has worked wonders.