The journey to Donegal Golf Club feels like you’ve stepped straight into a Robert Frost poem.įor over a kilometer, a single lane path offers an uncommon welcome for links golf, as it winds its way through dense forest.Įventually, the path reveals the Murvagh peninsula and tranquil ground that was clearly made for golf. The course offers a stern but fair test for elite and average players alike, in a setting that helped inspire its favorite son to a Nobel Prize. The list of former winners includes Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington.Īll of which speaks to the quality of the experience offered at County Sligo. What the course lacks in monumental dunes like those found at nearby Carne an Enniscrone, it more than makes up for with the stunning scenery of Yeats Country.įor nearly a century, Rosses Point has hosted the West of Ireland Amateur Championship. Sligo is perhaps best known as the home and final resting place of acclaimed poet W.B. Just like his work at Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, Colt used the terrain of Rosses Point to his advantage in crafting an exceptional test of links golf. The championship course was redesigned by the great Harry Colt in 1927 and plays through the formidable shadow of Benbulben, Ireland’s table mountain. Situated on a finger of land known as Rosses Point, the County Sligo Golf Club dates to 1894. It’s simply golf the way it was meant to be played. In short, Enniscrone is a thrilling reward for your journey off Ireland’s well worn path. The blind shots, tabletop greens, risk-reward drives, and spellbinding views are found in equal measure.īe sure to pack your imagination and your camera, because you’ll need them both almost every step of the way. With your first approach of the day, there’s a sense that Enniscrone may hold something special.īy the time you reach the towering dunes at the heart of the course, there is never any doubt. The aptly named Dunes course carves its way through some of the wildest sandhills on the planet. But when architect Donald Steel arrived in the early 2000s, the club and the game of golf both received an incredible gift. The club began its life with a rudimentary 9-hole course. To be sure, Carne is several miles past the middle of nowhere.īut in the end, it’s worth every minute of the journey.įounded in 1918, the Enniscrone Golf Club is located along the enchanting shores of Scurmore Beach. The experience may not include a battalion of caddies or resort-style facilities, but you’ll find the warmest of Irish welcomes and a staff that’s grateful that you’ve ventured off the well worn path. In recent years, Carne added an additional nine holes on terrain that somehow surpasses the original eighteen in terms of drama.Īnd while the golf is the main attraction, the hospitality at Carne is what many remember the most. The golf is thrilling, the views are spellbinding, and as the round unfolds, it’s almost impossible to believe that the course is just a few decades old. The holes twist and turn their way through some of the tallest dunes in Ireland. There’s no denying, however, that the canvas on which Hackett laid the links is simply spectacular. Some say that he saved his very best for last. Since its debut in the early 1990’s, Carne Golf Links has attracted a loyal and steadily growing group of fans.įrom the moment you arrive at the club, it’s easy to understand why.Ĭarne was the final course designed by prolific Irish architect, Eddie Hackett. For more insight on the courses below, listen to our two-part podcast on golf in Northwest Ireland. The courses are organized geographically from south to north. If you’re planning a golf trip to Northwest Ireland, here are some of the best courses to consider for your itinerary. One of the most interesting developments in golf travel of late has been the steady rise in demand for Northwest Ireland golf trips.Īlthough one course in particular has inspired much of the interest in the area, the region is no one hit wonder.īut for most golfers, the courses in this corner of Ireland remain largely unknown.
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