Article by Taylor Hill

Golfing in Ireland offers many choices, here is a find featuring a luxury Ireland golf vacation where you golf the famous courses and hidden gems of the East coast of Ireland. This Ireland golf tour is sure to challenge your game and delight your senses. You can play both links and parkland courses in Dublin, Wicklow, Louth and Kildare, including the world famous K Club – host to the 2006 Ryder Cup, Portmarnock Golf Links, Druids Glen Golf Course, County Louth Golf Links, and Carton House Golf Course. You can also have the opportunity to explore the island of Ireland and soak up its rich culture and heritage with a city tour of Dublin and Drogheda and evenings to spend at your leisure in Ireland’s capital city, with its many bars, restaurants and entertainment options.

The focus of this Ireland golf vacation whether you are a beginner, a scratch golfer, or anything in between, whatever your age, is a guarantee that you will revel in the links and parkland courses while enjoying your game. Wait until you see some of the courses you could be playing, they are all private clubs of a very high standard. This particular luxury golf vacation known as the “golfing jewels” of Ireland’s east coast includes a six-night stay at the Castleknock Hotel and Golf Club for easy access to the links and courses.

Dublin and Castleknock Await Your Arrival

The first day you will be met upon arrival at Dublin airport by a chauffeur and guide and transferred to your hotel after a short orientation sightseeing tour of some of Dublin’s most fascinating places of interest including The National Gallery, Four Courts, Leinster House (the seat of the Irish Parliament), the Georgian Square, Trinity College and O’Connell Street.

Travel to Portmarnock for a Round of Golf Today

Today this Ireland golf tour heads to Portmarnock for a real test of golfing skill on a course the Irish Golf Institute consistently ranks as the best in the country. The course itself snakes its way around the small peninsula jutting out into the sea, and as such, consecutive holes are rarely played in the same direction. The ever-present Irish Sea wind is different for each hole, which offers a thorough test of a players’ judgement skills as they line up each shot. The course is beautiful; sea views in three directions, the gentle sand and of course, the green Irish turf. Portmarnock is a joy not only to behold, but also to play on, with plaudits from Arnold Palmer, Henry Cotton and Harry Bradshaw serving as testament to the superb layout and quality of the course. Portmarnock also boasts some historic trivia to absorb as you play the links; when it was first laid out in 1894, there was no permanent road, and the only way to access the course at high tide was by boat; the bell used to signal the last boat to the mainland can still be seen near the first tee.

Time for a Round at Druids Glen One of Ireland’s Most Beautiful Golf Courses in County Wicklow

The morning of day three, you are on your way south to enjoy a round of golf at Druids Glen. The second course on the Ireland golf vacation is a truly remarkable sight. Set amid the majestic scenery of the glens, Druid’s Glen is filled with scenic forests and streams blessed with an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery. Named for the druidic stone altar unearthed while the course was being built, the course has a Druid Statue to commemorate the area’s history and heritage. The course itself boasts many excellent holes to test your skills, and has drawn favorable comparisons with Augusta, home of the US Masters. The greens and fairways are always perfectly maintained, ensuring nothing can blight your experience of one of the most celebrated courses in the country.

Today Play the Hidden Gem Links Course Co. Louth Golf Club known as Baltray

Today travel north to County Louth Golf Club or “Baltray” as it is known locally. Golf Digest rated Baltray as one of the worlds top 100 courses, describing it as a “hidden gem”. Uncovering this jewel called Baltray, while golfing in Ireland reveals a fantastic Championship Links course, remarkable for its immaculate presentation and the generous hospitality of the members. The course follows two loops, with the 12th and 13th following the line of the sea, and the cunning layout and natural terrain present enough of a challenge that the designer, Tom Simpson, only included fifty bunkers on the entire golf course.

This par 73 course boast stern challenges for even the most experienced golfers, with the signature 14th commonly driving stroke counts up despite being short enough to drive on to the green. The four par 3s also require a great deal of concentration if you hope to remain on par or below. Recent adaptations to the original design of the course have seen the length increased to over 7,000yds and several new tees added to modernise one of the finest stops on any golfing in Ireland tour. After golf, enjoy a panoramic tour of Drogheda, a quaint historic Irish town.

Play a Round at Carton House Montgomerie Course Championship Style Links

The fifth day of this luxury Ireland golf vacation sees participants visit nearby Carton House Golf Club, where British pro Colin Montgomerie’s course won ‘Best New Design’ for 2004. Meandering through the rolling grounds of Carton House and incorporating deep bunkers and firm fast-running fairways, the Montgomerie provides a fast-paced challenge against scenic views of the rolling hills of County Kildare. A firm test of all aspects of a golfer’s game, this course requires thoughtful planning and masterful shot execution to avoid the pot bunkers and remain in play. At a full Championship length of 7300 yards, this course provides an opportunity to test yourself against the greats. After an ambitious day on the golf course, enjoy a quiet drink in the bar at Carton House before returning to your hotel in Dublin.

Saving the Best for Last Golf the K-Club Championship Course Today

Today just might mark the highlight of your Ireland golf vacation with a day at the K-Club in Kildare. You will think you just were just invited by royalty when you get a look at this fabulous five star resort home of the K Club and will see Ireland’s Ryder Cup venue for yourself. Designed by golf icon Arnold Palmer, this course is widely acclaimed as one of Ireland’s top three parkland golf courses. That this course has hosted the Ryder Cup in addition to 11 European Opens is a testament to its significance within Europe and the quality of its design. The intensely challenging nature of the course, which has been called the most difficult inland layout in Ireland, means your scores are unlikely to rival those of the world’s greatest, but simply to have played this course is something all golfers should aspire to. The pinnacle of golfing in Ireland, a round played here will never be forgotten. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner in the City Centre.

Time to leave Dublin or Stay and Golf the West Coast of Ireland

The week comes to an end and it is time to say farewell to the Emerald Isle or is it? You could extend your stay and see more of Ireland’s scenic beauty and golf the west coast of Ireland.

Ireland Golf Vacation Tips: Know that the best travel arrangements for a golf vacation are normally had by working with a reputable tour operator located in Ireland. A company that specializes in golf vacations and has connections with the best courses as it could make the difference between a mediocre vacation and a great Ireland golf vacation you will talk about for years.

More Golf Links Articles