Courses

The Old Head

Two miles in from the Atlantic Ocean, The Old Head of Kinsale is home to the most spectacular golf course. The Old Head Golf Links is built on 220-acre diamond of land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Paul plays Hole 4, a spectacular Par 4 on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Aim for the lighthouse and you might just make a 4!

Carne Golf Links

The Carne Links at Belmullet is designed by famed designer Eddie Hackett and many believe it is his best design. The course sits on the Atlantic edge of County Mayo and lies on the peninsula amidst gigantic sand dunes. The views from the course are spectacular across Blacksod Bay to the islands of Inis Gloire and Inis Gleidhewild.

Paul plays the 10th on the wild Atlantic Dunes. And it was a wild day! It’s a par 3. It is over 200 yards and with the wind blowing in from the Atlantic, this was a tough one.

Royal Belfast

The oldest club on the island of Ireland, this beautiful course is designed by the famed designer Harry Colt. In 1885 the Club became “Royal” after the Prince of Wales (Subsequently King Edward VII) was invited to become its Patron during a visit to Ireland.

Chris plays the 11th. It’s a tough par 3 in the middle of the club’s own “Amen Corner”. The tee shot will take your breath away.

Ardglass Golf Club

Ardglass Golf Club, home of the world’s oldest clubhouse dating back to 1405 AD, is a stunning 18-hole links course in a natural setting hugging the north-east coast of Ireland.

Paul and Chris play the 11th. A stunning par 5 with the “original” Coney Island in the background. Framed by coarse hedges on the left and the Irish Sea on the right. There is little room for error as Chris found out!

K Club

The K Club in Kildare is only 30 minutes from Dublin, set in a beautiful location. It’s the home of the 2006 Ryder Cup, 2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, and 13 European Opens. Both courses were designed by Arnold Palmer, one of golf’s superstars.

Paul turns the clock and plays the 16th, a hole where he took on Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup. A brilliant risk and reward par 5.

The Portstewart Golf Club

The Portstewart Golf Club is three magnificent 18-hole courses in Northern Ireland around one club. Founded in 1984, the club has played host to a number of championships, including the Irish Open in 2017. The courses are set amidst gigantic sand dunes with panoramic views across the Atlantic Mouth of Lough Foyle to the Inishowen peninsula beyond.

Paul and Chris play the 1st. A magnificent par 4. What a way to start your round. It’s a dog-leg, left to right which has tested the best. Don’t get distracted by the views of the beach!

Mount Juliet

Mount Juliet is 7,200 yards set across 180 acres of rolling Irish countryside. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the course includes miles of rushing river and verdant pastures. This stunning course was the host for the 2021 Dubai Duty-Free Irish Open in July 2021.

Chris plays the exquisite 3rd. It’s a short par 3 over a small lake with little streams surrounding the green. Add swans, ducks and the light of a stunning summer’s evening and this is hard to beat!

Glasson Golf Club

Designed by Ryder Cup star, Christy O’Connor Jnr., the Glasson Golf Club is a beautiful course located on the banks of the Lough Ree in Ireland. The lake view is visible from every hole, so it is a charming place to play golf.

Chris plays the 5th. A downhill par three with spectacular views from the tee box. But those views get better as you reach the green and Lough Ree.

Ballycastle Golf Club

Ballycastle Golf Club, founded in 1890, sits yards from the shoreline on the Causeway Coast, a spectacular stretch of golfing coastline of unsurpassed beauty. The golf course is one of the most scenic in Northern Ireland.

Paul and Chris play the 7th which runs alongside the beach. It’s a short par 4 but with the hard links ground and the breeze blowing off the sea it wasn’t easy. But great fun!

Ballyliffin

Ballyliffin is Ireland’s most northerly golf club, located off Tullagh Point on the Atlantic Edge of the Inishowen Peninsula. This wild and wonderful course staged the 2018 Irish Open. The newer Glashedy route is intertwined with the Old course, with their holes weaving their way through the wild sand dunes.

Paul plays the devilishly difficult 14th. A par 3 into the wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean. The views are spectacular, not least the famous Glashedy Island. Who cares if you get par. Well apart from Paul that is!

County Louth

Located in the historic Boyne Valley region on the East coast of Ireland, the County Louth Golf Club was founded in 1892. In 1938, Golf architects Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay redesigned the course. A par 72, measuring 7,031 yards from the back tees, this championship links is known for providing one of the purest and fairest tests of links golf in the world.

Chris plays the 14th at a course Paul describes as the ultimate test of links golf. There are no bunkers on this hole but with the breeze coming off the Irish Sea, and a green with hidden humps and hollows, you have to be at your best to score par.

Holywood

Rory’s back garden! Set high in the Holywood Hills of County Down, Northern Ireland, this picturesque 18-hole parkland course boasts some of the best views of Belfast. The proud home of PGA professional Rory McIlroy, this stunning course has much to offer the keen golfer.

Paul and Chris play the 13th. It’s a par 4 with incredible views of Belfast as you play your second. But you have to clear a big valley before that!

Lough Erne

As the gateway to North West Ireland, Lough Erne Resort provides the ultimate 36-hole golf experience. Featuring two championship golf courses including the renowned Faldo Course; golfers can also hone their skills at The Golf Academy, or practice at the all-weather driving range.

Chris plays the 10th. A classic risk and reward hole. Play safe with an iron and you will be left with a simple wedge to a green surround by the loch. Or you can go for it with a driver and be putting for an eagle. It’s a big decision!

Adare Manor

Fully redesigned and rebuilt in 2016-2017 to championship-worthy specifications, with the very latest in course technology and construction methods, The Golf Course at Adare Manor offers a spectacular golfing experience amid the breath-taking surroundings of a parkland estate. Legendary golf architect Tom Fazio has created a golf course which thoughtfully explores the true character of the terrain, revealing new levels of discovery at every turn.

Paul plays the dazzling 16th. A par 3 over water. Teeing off in the shadow of the magnificent Manor House and with a small green to hit this is the ultimate test of nerve.

County Sligo

This world-famous golf course in Rosses Point offers an excellent challenge. The traditional links layout, designed by Harry Colt, utilises the natural contours of the dune-covered landscape rather than moving large amounts of earth during its design. The end-result is a course filled with dramatic undulations, elevated tees, and raised plateau greens.

Paul returns to one his favourite courses. He plays the 14th, a really tough par 4. Hitting towards the ocean from an elevated tee, he must cope with the rain, wind and meandering burn before reaching the green. A real test for any golfer.

Galgorm Castle

Host venue of the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the Galgorm Castle championship course is the heart of professional golf tournaments in Northern Ireland. The Par-72 layout is one of Ireland’s finest parklands and was designed by Simon Gidman, opened in 1997. The course is nestled in the heart of the 2020-acre historic Galgorm Castle Estate, and is bordered by the river Maine and Braid which come into play on numerous holes, as well as five lakes and magnificent oxbow lake adjacent to the 14th hole.

The scene of many major tournaments on the European Tour. Chris plays the 18th. A great way to finish a round. A par 5, with a testing tee shot and approach with the green surrounded by water.

Rosapenna

Golfers have been travelling to Rosapenna since the late 19th century when the Old Tom Morris Links was ranked 3rd in the British Isles. In 2003, Rosapenna opened a second course- the Sandy Hill Links designed by Pat Ruddy of The European Club fame. In its relatively short lifetime, the Sandy Hills Links has been met with rave reviews and steadily climbed the rankings as it matures into one of the world’s finest modern links courses. 2021 saw the reimagined St Patrick’s Links by Tom Doak opening to the public in late June.

Paul used to go on holiday here and caddy for his dad around this incredible course. He plays the Par 3, 14th because it has everything he looks for in a hole. Views, a golfing test and great memories. Oh, and a must make birdie.

Portmarnock

Within a picturesque curve of coastline, 10 miles to the north of Dublin City and only a 15-minute drive from Dublin Airport, Portmarnock Golf Club sits majestically on a narrow tongue of shallow dune land. And as a measure of its enduring quality, it remains one of the most respected venues in world golf.

Paul turns the clock back as he takes on the 14th at Portmarnock and remembers playing with the likes of Phil Mickelson in the Walker Cup. It’s a stunning par 4 if you find the fairway, with the tee shot, its a short but testing iron to the green, with the Irish Sea in the background.

Druids Glen

Nestled in 360 acres of countryside between the Wicklow Mountains and the Irish Sea, yet only thirty minutes from Dublin, the mystical Druids Glen Golf Club boasts manicured tree-lined fairways, historical landmarks, spectacular water features and vibrant floral displays. This famous course designed by Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock, opened in 1995. Just a year after opening, Druids Glen hosted the Irish Open for four years in a row.

Chris has to play one of the most dazzling par 4’s in the world. Sadly for him, it’s also very tough. It’s the 13th. With waterfalls, lakes and views which could rival any course it was very easy for him to forget he was playing golf!!

Malone

Malone Golf Club is situated five miles south of Belfast in the lower Lagan Valley at Ballydrain. This spacious beauty, set in 270 acres of mature oaks and sycamores, rolling terrain, the river Lagan to the east and the 27-acre Ballydrain Lake the centrepiece of the second nine, is definitely one to play if you are in Northern Ireland.

Paul and Chris play the wonderful par 3, 15th. It’s like a mini-Augusta with the colours and the water protecting a small green. It’s only a short hole and looks easy but there is danger everywhere!

PGA Slieve Russell

PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell is one of only 8 PGA National designated resorts in the world and its highly acclaimed 18-hole championship course & 9 Hole ‘PGA National’ Academy course forms part of the magnificent 300-acre Slieve Russell Estate. Created by the late highly-regarded Irish golf architect Patrick Merrigan, the layout’s clever design wraps attractively around the lakes and drumlins of the County Cavan landscape.

The home of the legendary Solheim cup star Leona Maguire. Chris plays the stunning Par 5, 13th. Every shot is a tough one, with a lake playing its part for the length of the hole.

Lahinch

Lahinch Golf Club, situated next to the lovely beach of Liscannor Bay, is an enchanting place to play golf. Views across the bay from the 3rd are uplifting, and you need to watch out for the goats on the old course! Lahinch Golf Club staged the Irish Open in 2019 for the first time.

Paul calls Lahinch “the St Andrews of Ireland”. He chooses the short par 4, 13th. He calls it the best risk and reward hole in Ireland. You can just about reach the green with a good drive and that’s the where the fun and the challenge begins!

Carton House

Nestled in the heart of 1,100-acres of private parkland in Maynooth County Kildare, Carton House Golf is a respite from the outside world and yet is just 25 mins from Dublin Airport. Home to two championship courses, you can choose from the classic parkland O’Meara which meanders through ancient woodlands and the banks of the river Rye or play on the soil many a legend has with the challenge of the inland links Montgomerie.

Chris plays the 18th of the Montgomerie course. Monty was famous of this accuracy off the tee and that’s what’s required on this Par 5. It’s reachable in two but don’t let it fade left into the river. Look out for the view of Carton House from the green.

Killarney

Killarney Golf & Fishing Club is one of Ireland’s most prestigious and historic golf clubs. Located in Killarney National Park, surrounded by the lakes of Lough Leane, Killarney Golf & Fishing Club is a Four-Time host to the Irish Open and home to two 18-hole championship courses.

Paul plays the 18th at Mahony’s point. If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this is THE place to play. It may only be 130-yards long, but every inch is golfing paradise. The biggest test is not being distracted by the views.

Enniscrone

Enniscrone is among the finest and most challenging of traditional Irish links golf courses and offers 27 holes on 400 acres of magnificent links land, featuring the par 73 Dunes Championship Links Course. The location of this beautiful course is one to beat! Enniscrone is set on a promontory, which juts out into Killala Bay at the mouth of the Moy Estuary. Scurmore, one of Ireland’s most beautiful beaches borders the links whilst the backdrop is the imposing Ox Mountains.

Paul plays the 15th. He’s not been here before but relishes the challenge of this tough par 4. The Atlantic Ocean to the left and the fairway and green surrounded by enormous sand dunes. The wind is swirling. Can Paul get his par?

Waterville

There are few courses that can boast such a fine collection of unique and great golf holes, Waterville is one of them. The remote location of the Waterville links means that it often gets left out of the championships but its stunning remote location adds to the experience of a wonderful day of golf. Waterville is on a promontory surrounded by the sea with views of the Macgillycuddy Reek’s mountain range.

Chris plays the dramatic par 5, 18th. From the raised tee you can see the Atlantic and the beach to the right. Add crashing waves and wild red hares racing in and out of the dunes and this is truly a magical experience. Can Chris end his round in style in front of the clubhouse?

Royal Portrush

In 2019, Royal Portrush played host to the Open Championship and it was fitting that Irishman Shane Lowry was crowned champion. This beautiful course with its spectacular views of the coast, offers the golfer some stunning and tricky holes.

Paul and Chris play the 5th. It’s driveable for the big hitters. The approach is one of the most dramatic in golf. With the wind behind, can Chris and Paul deliver?

Royal County Down

Royal County Down is located in one of the world’s most naturally beautiful links settings in the Murlough Nature Reserve. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne, the links stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay, zigzagging back and forth to provide a different vista from virtually every hole.

The narrowest ribbons of fairways thread their way through as impressive a set of sand dunes as could be imagined.

Chris plays another course from every golfer’s bucket list. Paul’s chosen the 4th. A tough par 3. The wind blowing in from the left off the Irish Sea makes it a tough tee shot. The green, some 2100 years away, is well guarded by bunkers too. Good luck Chris!

Luttrellstown

Just twenty minutes from Dublin Airport, set on 567 acres of lush private parkland, lies a championship golf course befitting a country in the top tier of global golfing destinations. Masterfully designed down to the last detail by celebrated course architects Donald Steel and Tom MacKenzie, the 18-hole championship Golf Course at Luttrellstown Castle Resort is 7,347 naturally-contoured yards of mature parklands, links-style bunkers, water hazards and a state of the art clubhouse all set within the walls of a centuries-old private estate.

Paul’s goes back to place which means so much to him. He plays the 11th. A pretty par 4 which hugs the river all the way from tee to green. The true magic of the hole is revealed at the approach shot to a tiny green. All of the action is being overlooked by the magnificent castle.