North West

This world famous golf course in Rosses Point offers an excellent challenge. The traditional links layout, designed by the legendary Harry Colt, utilizes the natural contours of the dune-covered landscape rather than moving large amounts of earth during its design. The end result is a course filled with dramatic undulations, elevated tees, and raised plateau greens which are a joy not to be missed on a trip to the Emerald Isle.

Not just Old Tom worked on this great course, it also has influences by 5 times Open champion, James Braid and 6 times Open champion, Harry Vardon. To complete the set of great architects in 1911 the renowned Harry S. Colt refined the course. In September 2009 the new Strand Nine opened at Rosapenna to replace the original back nine which played across the main road on a number of holes. These new links holes which are now played as the front nine are routed through the low lying dunes to the east of the Sandy Hills Links and are fashioned much like the original Old Tom Morris Valley nine that runs along the beautiful Tramore beach overlooking Sheephaven Bay which have now become the back nine. Laid out by Pat Ruddy of the European Club these new links holes, which have striking views across Mulroy Bay, have matured to a condition that has seen them settle into the Old Tom Morris Links layout to provide a seamless connection between each nine.

The Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna opened for play in June 2003 and has matured into one of Ireland’s finest modern links courses. Where Old Tom settled for a course alongside the dunes, Pat Ruddy has gone straight through them from start to finish and created an awesome course that will test any golfer, yet somehow still seduce those that cannot live with it. Each hole is spectacular and the views across the Old Tom Morris Links toward the beautiful Sheephaven Bay will salve any wounds inflicted by this incredible golf course. Sandy Hills is in many ways the ideal of a modern links.

The Rosapenna Golf Resort acquired the St Patrick’s Links in late 2012, a former 36-hole facility developed by the Walsh Family of Carrigart. Discussions ensued with Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design, with Tom finalizing his lay-out with lead associate Eric Iverson in March 2013. The St Patrick’s Links is routed in the adjoining dune system just south of the existing two courses at Rosapenna. A sprawling links that is destined to become a modern great. It sits on the most magnificent piece of links land – huge scale, west coast of Ireland scenery, the course is unlike anything in the UK & Ireland.

The largest appeal of Narin and Portnoo is its remote location which meant that only true golf aficionados found it for many years. However, since the designer of the Olympic course in Brazil and Castle Stuart, Ghil Hanse, along with Jim Wagner, refined this magnificent layout that may change! The Club began in 1930 as a 9 hole layout and Jim McCole who held the post of greenkeeper from 1934 – 77 oversaw the extension to 18 holes and some great holes had emerged over the years, none better than the signature 7th hole playing into wonderful, dramatic dunes. This has since been used to fashion a new 6th hole and then Hanse and Sawyer came in and tweaked the course to make the layout one every golfer should seek out along with so many other great courses in the area. A little known fact is that the County in Ireland with most courses is Donegal so not just quality which is great but quantity aswell!