Rolling hills and epic views: The holes displaying the best of golf across Ireland

The par 4, 1st hole at Doonbeg Golf Club in Co Clare. Picture: David Cannon/Getty Images

As the end of April inches ever closer, golfers are heading back to the golf course after one of the longest breaks anywhere in the world.

Whether you agree or disagree with the course closures, we can at last breathe a sigh of relief and turn our attention to swinging at golf balls… and not politicians. 

Here, Kevin Markham gives us 26 golf holes to play — one per county — to give you a flavour of what’s on offer. 

Please note, measurements are from the back tees.

Carlow

Carlow, Hole 16, par-4 401m

One of Carlow’s toughest holes is also one of its best. It sums up the challenges and the beauty of this classic course, wrapped around a hill, showing off the course’s strong heathland credentials. The par-4 16th tees off from high in the woods and rumbles ever uphill. The fairway narrows for your second shot as the banks on either side form a valley, and while there are few trees here, you can have a blind (or blocked) approach if your tee shot is offline. The long uphill slope into the green means you have to be ambitious or your ball stalls where it lands… but you don’t want to be long as it’s a fast put downhill.

Cavan

Slieve Russell, Hole 13, par-5 528y

A parkland par-5 beauty wrapped around Lough Rud. From tee to green, water is ever-present on your left and for your tee shot you get to choose how much of that water you take on. There’s
nothing like bombing your drive at a fairway on the far side of a lake… and making it! The hole then continues to curve around the lake with the green well protected on the water’s edge. Three good — and very attractive — shots needed if you’re to set up a birdie chance on a hole that shows off the county’s famous drumlins.

Clare

Doonbeg, Hole 1, par-5 567y

This straight par-5 opener runs parallel to Doughmore beach and its reputation as the best opening hole in the Republic of Ireland is well deserved. It sets the tone for a links of constant variety… but standing on the tee, looking towards the 1st green cocooned in tall dunes, you’ll only be paying attention to the beauty right in front of you.

The high tee in front of the clubhouse promises a big first drive — as well as an expectant audience — but negotiating the bunkers on your next shots is the difference between par and building sand castles while your companions wait.

Cork

Old Head, Hole 4, par-4 423y

Perhaps the 5th at Cork Golf Club sums up the overall charm of golf in the Rebel County, but Old Head’s 4th — Razor’s Edge — is an iconic image recognised around the world… and aptly named.

The fourth green at old head golf course

Clinging to the cliffs, from tee to green, the hole works its way over lush fairway out towards the famous black and white striped lighthouse. The green lies below, in its shadow, threatening to slip off the cliffs and into the sea hundreds of feet below. From the fairway, it looks like a tiny target and while it is one of Ireland’s most beautiful hole, it is terrifying in anything more than a gentle breeze.

Donegal

Portsalon, Hole 2, par-4 390m

One of the most incredible holes on the island of Ireland. It’s a brute, too, but it is so exhilarating to play as you have to cross a river twice, skirt the beach, and not be distracted by the Lough Swilly and Knockalla Mountain views.

A couple walk on the beach alongside the 2nd hole at Portsalon Golf Club, Fanad, Co Donegal. Picture: Kevin Markham

From the high tee box, you get to choose how much of the river to take on as this 390 metre par-4 doglegs left and around it. Given that the same river fronts the green, you’ll want to be as ambitious as possible to shorten your approach. The final flourish is a rocky outcrop looming behind the green.

Dublin

The Island, Hole 15, par-5 515y

In the middle of The Island’s exceptional back nine is this par-5 gem. It offers everything that’s magnificent about links golf: the natural green site offers bump-and-run opportunities; towering dunes rise up steeply on two sides of the green; different strategies can be employed to play the hole; and the view of what awaits from the high tee is inspiring. You drive down into a valley which then narrows at a saddle, with a bunker on the left.

That’s the optimum line as a chute leads towards the green. Your second shot will likely be blind as you hit over the saddle and hope that the rumpled fairway provides a kindly bounce. Two big shots required before your short game finesse comes into play to set up a birdie.

Galway

Connemara, Hole 13, par-3 213y

There is a rugged allure to this par-3 that aptly sums up the beauty of Galway county. On the tee, it is worth looking around you at the bare rock protruding from the earth like random explosions and the wild beauty that runs through Connemara itself.

The green is smartly banked into the slope that rises up from an untamed hollow, and it doesn’t take a genius to realise that if you miss the small, steep green you’ll have a lot of work to do to save par.

On a 200 yard tee shot that’s no easy ask and I guarantee you’ll want to reload after you’ve missed with your first attempt.

Kerry

Ballybunion, Hole 17, par-4 399y

So many remarkable holes to choose from in Kerry — let alone at Ballybunion — that it seems unfair to pick only one. But one it is and it’s the Old course’s 17th… edging out the 11th and 15th.

It plays towards the sea below and down around a dune, doglegging left like there’s no tomorrow. You can drive too far, through the dogleg and onto the beach, so a solid but cautious drive is required from the high tee.

The 17th green at Ballybunion Golf Club.

If you hit a draw, use it as the fairway slopes and shape will work to your advantage. Your approach shot can be through the air or lower, along the ground, but the new green will still confound you. You get a fabulous look back over the hole and along the coast from the 18th tee.

Kildare

K Club (North), Hole 18, par-5 537y

After one of the greatest shots you’ll ever see, Rory McIlroy won the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

Rory McIlroy hits his second shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation at The K Club on May 22, 2016. Picture: Andrew Redington

Now the par-5 18th is the site of golfers attempting to emulate that same shot. A few succeed… most do not. From the tee, the beauty that lies ahead is not visible, not even the lake, but once you walk over the crest it all comes in to view. The fountain, the green nestled up to the water and the sea of bunkers around it form a dramatic and daunting sight. The magnificent clubhouse lies beyond.

Kilkenny

Mount Juliet, Hole 3, par-3 182 yards

A par-3 of sublime beauty. So pretty, in fact, that you don’t notice how dangerous it is… not until you have to choose a club and things start to sink in. And if they don’t you can be sure your ball and your score will sink instead. Your tee shot must fly the pond which fronts the green and the left hand side.

The 3rd Green at Mount Juliet Golf Club, Co. Kilkenny. Golf. Picture: Matt Browne

There’s a lone bunker, back right, but that only leaves another terrifying shot as you play towards the water with the green sloping away from you. It’s a sheer drop off the putting surface so it’s a very real possibility that you can get wet with your recovery shot. Avoid going at the flag if it’s front left… or anywhere left.

Laois

Portarlington, Hole 14, par-4 356m

This little known course has some big holes. The par-4 14th is a sharp left to right dogleg, weaving through the woods and demanding a strong, confident drive.

Things are compounded by an old tree standing defiantly and alone in the middle of the fairway, at the elbow.

Stay left of it and you leave a long approach to a green pinched by bunkers at the front; go right of it and you risk encountering the woods… from where par is impossible.

This is the start of Portarlington’s best stretch of holes.

Leitrim

Carrick-on-Shannon, Hole 13, par-3 189m

The golf club is actually in Roscommon, but let’s not split hairs in a county that has not one 18-hole course. The new nine (designed by Martin Hawtree) were added in 2003, with the holes laid out on a beautiful piece of terrain bordered by Drumharlow Lake and the Boyle River.

The 13th is Index 4 (146m from the forward tee) and comes after the drama of the waterside holes. It has a long, narrow green running away from you and wedged into a steep bank that falls to the right. Three bunkers wait below the green so always favour the bank above which may at least deflect your ball back towards the pin.

Limerick

The Golf Course at Adare Manor, Hole 18, par-5 585y

It won’t be long before Adare’s par-5 18th becomes one of the most recognisable holes in world golf. The Ryder Cup will do that and the 18th (the old or the new) was and is revered by all who play it. That dramatic backdrop of the Gothic manor just makes it all the more memorable. The River Maigue splits the hole, running parallel to the fairway and it threatens every shot en route to the vast swirling green.

The breathtaking 18th hole at Adare Manor Golf resort, which opens in the spring

For those with big shots and the bravery to be bold, you can cross the river on your second shot, laying up short of the green. The rest of us play ‘safe’ and cross the wide river on our third shot. Which tee you choose will make all the difference.

Longford

Co Longford, Hole 6, par-4 337m

Proving the potency of a tree positioned slap bang in the middle of the fairway, this par-4 has a slow, steady rise to the green. Trees in front of the tee — left and right — certainly force a straight drive while that fairway tree will always influence your thinking on the approach. And if by some chance it doesn’t then the water nestled tightly to the green’s right hand side most definitely will.

Louth

Co Louth, Hole 14, par 4 332y

A mere 332 yards, but this bunkerless par-4 shows how brilliantly links terrain can be employed to test and thrill in equal measure. A high tee shows off the hole and things look straightforward enough from up here. But once you’ve teed off and you’re on the fairway, the green is protected by what feels like a magic carpet of dunes floating just above you and that flag hovering tantalisingly out of reach.

You can’t afford to miss because if you do your ball is swept away leaving a tricky recovery shot to get back into position. Reading the green from distance will leave you frazzled.

Mayo

Carne (Wild Atlantic Dunes), Hole 2, Par-4 332m

Many will know this as Carne’s original 11th hole, a short par-4 that can be played in a number of ways. That’s the beauty of such a towering links: play conservatively, play strategically or let it rip.

The hole is a dogleg cutting hard right around an enormous dune which hides the green. Don’t be surprised to see someone ahead of you standing atop that dune, searching fruitlessly for their ball. The high tee box is on the same level as the green, which only comes into view when you round the dune.

You don’t need a big tee shot to find the best position — 200 yards is as much as you need — and from the fairway floor there are two big ledges up to the green. Fly it on or use the banks for bump and run artistry.

Meath

Headfort (New), Hole 10, par-4 378m

After being challenged constantly with water features on the front nine, the 10th offers no respite on this big, modern parkland. A wide lake demands a big carry to reach the fairway.

It is a pretty but daunting tee shot, compounded by the shape of the par-4 which quickly curves to the right through dense trees and out of sight.

The green lies nestled in more trees and you have ample time to think about your next shot as you walk over a long bridge to reach the other side. One of many lovely holes at this Christy O’Connor designed course.

Monaghan

Concra Wood, Hole 10, par-4 433m

The drama of Concra Wood is relentless and while you have already enjoyed the charms of Lake Muckno on earlier holes, the par-4 10th is a different story entirely. It starts flat and high above the lake and then drops like a stone to a green far below.

You can play safe for the top of the ridge and then watch your approach shot soar across Co Monaghan’s landscape… or you can go full Bryson and see how far down the hill you get… avoiding the trees and bunkers along the way.

Offaly

Esker Hills, Hole 14, par-4 356y

Eskers promise remarkable shapes and those at the aptly named Esker Hills are as shapely as they come. This rollercoaster adventure can be summed up in one hole: the 339 yard par-4 14th. The hole curls gently left through a deep valley, the sides offering an occasional, if unlikely, reprieve to the errant tee shot. The eskers squeeze you in on the approach, the narrow fairway feeling little wider than a path.

The green is perched atop a long upward slope and because the putting surface is out of sight you won’t be able to see the sneaky steep tier across the middle.

Roscommon

Athlone, Hole 13, par-4 396m

Despite the name, this under-rated parkland lies in Roscommon. There are many excellent holes here — the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 15th spring to mind — but the 13th is in a world of its own. Not far from the clubhouse, this dogleg par-4 measures 396 metres and takes on a rollercoaster of eskers in a valley-like setting.

When you walk over them, it feels like an angry sea. You are faced with a blind drive over a crest and, potentially a blind approach depending on where your ball stops on these tumbling slopes. The fairway bends sharp left and downhill towards the distant green.

Sligo

Enniscrone, Hole 16, par-5 538y

The most photographed hole in this part of the world and with good reason. Stand high on the 17th tee and look back down the 16th, with the green below you and the fairway rumbling into the distance. The sea ripples to your right and tall dunes tower to the left. At sunset, it’s epic.

Enniscrone Golf Club, looking from the 16th green back the fairway

It is a par-5 with a tricky final approach as the green sits on a short sharp ledge with thick rough behind. I was once challenged to play the hole using only a 7-iron: I made bogey but wanted to go back to the tee and try again.

Tipperary

Clonmel, Hole 14, par-3 185y

The wild mountainside which cavorts up behind the 14th creates such a dramatic backdrop that it puts the hole in its own world of isolation. Trees surround the green which rests in a dell below you, promising a towering tee shot. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear the mountain stream winding its way through the trees.

It’s picture perfect stuff and such a strong hole. If you don’t hit the green, reload.

Waterford

Waterford Castle, Hole 2, par-3 176m

This is such a charming par-3, beside the River Suir. It is not complicated or difficult, and it’s not even the river you need to worry about because there’s a small lake that separates tee from green. It also wraps around the left side but there’s plenty of room to the right. 

A pretty stone bridge takes you across the lake which just enhances the attractiveness of a hole that sums up the charms of Waterford Castle.

Westmeath

Glasson, Hole 15, par-3 185y

The closing holes at Glasson have been receiving a major makeover by David Jones (due to open in the next few months) over the past year… but the famous par-3 15th will still demand you head across a boardwalk above Lough Ree, to play a long tee shot back across the water.

The green has a stone-faced front that drops straight down into the lough. This is no place for the faint of heart.

Wexford

Rosslare, Hole 6, par-4 330y

You’re in the heart of Rosslare’s most thrilling run of holes (4-7) and this short par four has a tee placed tight into the dunes, next to the sea. It’s your first blind shot (there are only two) as you play around the edge of the dune and down to a hidden fairway.

It is a short par-4 but it’s all about finding the fairway and level ground between the flowing dunes.

The green and surrounds reflect those shapes and two bunkers pinch the front, making any approach a tricky proposition.

Wicklow

Druids Glen, Hole 8, par-3 166m

In a county known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’, what better hole than the par-3 8th to reflect those garden qualities. The green waits beyond enchanting pools, a weir and weeping willow, while colourful flowers and shrubs rise up through the trees which embrace the green site so attractively.

A swan is usually on hand to complete the picture. It is not much more than a wedge but the green tilts strongly from back to front so you want to be below the pin… but beyond the water!