South & South West

We think that many great courses have an excellent second course which is not rated highly enough as it is compared always with its “big brother” and the Cashen course might be the ultimate example of that! Designed by Robert Trent Jones in the mid 1970`s and open for play in 1980 the greatness of the architect is shown in that he resisted the temptation to do much with some of the best links land you could find anywhere. He allowed the course to flow naturally through the same dramatic dunes and created a really good golf course to complement the Old Course. William Chalmers and his friend, George Ross, formally opened the links with nine holes on December 26th, 1894. Mungo Park, the 1874 Open Champion, supervised the course design and stayed on for one year as the club’s first professional setting it on its way to the upper echelons of the sport.

In many peoples` opinion the best course in Ireland and rated the 9th best course in the world by Golf Digest. Lord Listowel began the club as first President in 1893 and professional James McKenna laid out, as he did at that other masterpiece Lahinch, a wonderful links along some of the most spectacular dunes anywhere in the world. None other than 5 times Open Champion Tom Watson declared it “the best course in the world” when he played it first in 1981 and was so in love with it that he became Club Captain in 2000.

When golfing around Killarney you must take in the rare treat of Dooks. Dooks was laid out as a nine hole golf course in 1889 by members of the Royal Horse Artillery who were billeted at Wynn’s Folly, Glenbeigh. At that time military units came from all over Ireland for artillery practice close by which included Scottish officers who had earlier established golf courses near the Curragh Military Base in Kildare and at the Phoenix Park in Dublin.In 1900, an additional nine holes were added making Dooks the first 18 hole golf course in Kerry, and in 2020 the renowned architect Dr Martin Hawtree replicated the great work he did at Royal Birkdale and Lahinich to make the most of Dooks with its stunning views of the Atlantic from almost every hole.

Another of the most dramatic courses in the world using the dunes which are so unique to the South West of Ireland, Greg Norman created a wonderful links which opened for play in 2002 and has since, following the purchase by Donald Trump, been improved further by the Dr Martin Hawtree. A great test of golf and wonderful, tranquil spot to enjoy all that is great about the Emerald Isle.

In 1892 a number of Officers of the Black Watch Regiment went looking for links land of the West coast of Ireland on which to build a golf course. They discovered Lahinch and a match took place between one of the officers and a businessman from Limerick. Two years later 4 times Open champion Old Tom Morris was contracted to extend and improve the 9 hole course to make it 18 and he turned it into as he proclaimed “the finest natural course (he) had ever seen.” In the last decade of the 20th century with major advances in golf technology and equipment and the unprecedented increase in golf tourism with people playing the course on a year round basis, Lahinch Golf Club decided to enlist the services of Golf Course Architect, Dr. Martin Hawtree in 1999 who modernised the links golf course providing a top class championship golf course. In the new layout, the sand dunes closer to the Atlantic Ocean were utilised and, in all, 14 greens were redesigned introducing wonderful undulations making putting a fine art. The redesigned course has met with wide acclaim and is consistently ranked in the World Top 50 courses

Many would argue this to be the most dramatic and spectacular links site in world golf. Occupying a stunning and unique headland reaching out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean, the Old Head of Kinsale is home to the most spectacular world-class golf course. The incredible brainchild of the late John O’Connor together with his brother Patrick, the Club has developed into one of the most recognised and sought after golf experiences anywhere on earth. It is a sanctuary for those seeking the finest in personalized service. Not to be missed!

Instituted October 1, 1896, Tralee Golf Club opened its present Arnold Palmer-designed course for play at Barrow in October 1984 after moving from its nine-hole course at Mounthawk near Tralee. It was a great achievement for the Club. Having decided to buy land at Barrow back in 1980, the members dream of seeing the Club attain world-wide status has been realized resulting in architect and all time great Arnold Palmer saying “I have never come across a piece of land so ideally suited for the building of a golf course.”

So many Irish courses owe their formation to influences of the forces of the British Empire but Waterville is unusual in that it was formed by technicians working on the transatlantic cable system relaying messages between North America and Europe. Their basic links was enjoyed by many players but the course really moved forward when Jack Mulcahy bought it and contracted the great Irish architect Eddie Hackett and former Masters champion and professional at Winged Foot Golf Club, Claud Harmon to design the great course it became, opening in 1973. In 1987 a small group of Irish American investors purchased it and improved the fishing at nearby Waterville House fishery and began the process of taking the course into the World top 100 with Tom Fazio opening the present course in 2006. Before the 1998 Open Tiger Woods, Mark O`Meara and former US Open and PGA Champion Payne Stewart (the 1999 Club Captain) came to play along with Open champion David Duval, US Open champion twice Lee Janzen and Stuart Appleby who all joined.