Mother Nature gifted the Emerald Isle with many beautiful features, and course architects have used towering sand hills, its rivers and lakes, its mountains and drumlins, its cliff tops and forests to create one great course after another – playing golf in Ireland has a mystique all of its own, a charm that will beguile and enthrall. A suggestion, trips can be arranged to suit your time frame and abilities. Ask me about exclusive membership in the oldest golf club in the world, and become a part of the new museum. Be a part of a very exclusive (only 100 members) international club and have the chance to have dinner with Prince Andrew every year at Windsor Castle. Other members are all interesting international figures. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club and their Quad-Centenary Club are accepting a few select members.
Day One
On the first day, you will be met at Shannon Airport, Ireland and then chauffeur-driven the 8 miles to Dromoland Castle. Dromoland is one of the few castle hotels that can trace its ownership back through history to Gaelic Irish families of royal heritage. It offers deluxe accommodation and the experience of living like landed-gentry, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, absolute luxury and exceptional service. You will be left to relax and enjoy pre-arranged massages as you seamlessly adapt to the new time zone.
After lunch you will have the opportunity to warm-up on the Castle’s course. Recently renovated and recognized as the second best new course in Europe (2004) by The Golfer Magazine and described by some as “the Augusta of Ireland”, Dromoland appears to have created one of the must- play courses in Ireland. A quiet, casual dinner and an early night is recommended before embarking on the ultimate Irish links test for the rest of the week.
Day Two
On the second day, you will be flown by helicopter to Enniscrone where you will be met by a member of my remote staff. Bags, shoes, stroke savers and caddies will be ready and waiting (as they will each day) for the golfers to enjoy one of Ireland’s great courses. Enniscrone is recognized for its rugged dunes (unchanged since its inception), arguably the most beautiful beach in Ireland, the Moy Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, all encompassed by the backdrop of the Nephin and Ox Mountains as they loom heavily against the sky. After golf you will be flown back to Dromoland where you will be able relax before dinner in the Castle.
Day Three
On the third day, you will be driven to the west coast to Lahinch Links. Lahinch has the distinction of being a MacKenzie course, and was conceived in 1892. The first layout of the course was redesigned by Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews in 1894 and has been the home of the oldest Provincial Championship in Ireland – the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship. Previous winners have gone on to great heights in the professional ranks like John O’Leary, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, and Paul McGinley. After the golf, you will stop en route for a traditional Irish Pub dinner at Dolans, a bustling emporium of fine food and drink. Every night you can hear the finest local and visiting traditional musicians playing in an informal setting in the bar. Many well known Irish and international ‘heads’ make a point of including Dolans Pub in their itinerary for the unequaled atmosphere.
Day Four
On the fourth day, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a pre-arranged, revitalizing massage before you return by road to the west coast to play Doonbeg Links. The course plays along 1.5 miles of beach and dunes and the ocean is visible from the green, fairway, or tee of 16 of the 18 holes. Greg Norman said, “It’s Ireland. It’s Irish golf. It’s links golf. Sand dunes like you’ll never see again, working hand in glove with the environmentalists. I tell everybody about this course.” You will then return to Dromoland to relax before embarking on 36 holes the following day. In order to relax, you could take a boat trip on Lough Derg, the largest lake on the longest river in Ireland (the Shannon). With its wooded isles, rocky bays and tree-lined shores, Lough is an enchanting place. The lake is about thirty miles long and is three miles across at its widest point. Four counties, Galway, Clare, Tipperary and Limerick, border it. Portumna and Killaloe are picturesquely situated at its northern and southern ends, respectively. In between there are lovely villages and towns steeped in history.
Day Five
On the fifth day, after an early start, you will fly by helicopter to Waterville Links. Over 100 years old, Waterville is rated among the top 5 courses in Ireland and the top 20 links courses in the world. The course combines sand dunes, gorse and native grasses, firm fairways, sod-faced bunkers and subtle putting surfaces all intertwined by the ever changing weather. Forget the lob wedge – think bump and run. After a long and full day’s golf, you will return to Dromoland before moving east the next day.
Day Six
On the sixth day, you will leave your luggage in your rooms as you head off by helicopter to one of Ireland’s most picturesque courses, Old Head Links. The course opened for play in June 1997 and is built on a 220-acre diamond of land, jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic; the promontory is almost an island with numerous caves running beneath your feet as you play the course. When you have finished, you will be flown to the K Club where you will already be checked-in and your luggage will be waiting in your respective rooms. The K Club is set amid 550 acres of County Kildare countryside by the river Liffey and despite its recent introduction (1991), its standards of quality and service earned it the right to host the Ryder Cup in 2006.
Day Seven
On the seventh day, you will have the chance to experience the Arnold Palmer (Ryder Cup) course. It is no ordinary golf course and is widely acknowledged as the country’s most challenging inland layout. It is often described as one of Europe’s most spectacular courses. After lunch at the Club, you will be driven the short journey to Dublin where you will have a chance to do some shopping before dining in reputedly, Ireland’s finest restaurant, Les Frères Jacques. After dinner, you will be taken to experience the Temple Bar area – a must for anyone visiting Dublin. For your final day’s golf, you will be driven to the Portmarnock Golf Links. Designed by Bernhard Langer, the championship links at Portmarnock Hotel covers 180 acres of classic terrain. Widely recognized as one of Ireland’s premier golf courses, the links takes full advantage of its spectacular natural setting. You will return to the K Club for a much-needed pre-arranged massage followed by a final dinner prior to departure the following day.