Ireland's Golfing Augusta

The par three 8th at Druid's Glen

For golfers, the word 'Augusta' evokes visions of lush, sweeping greens, greener jackets, perfect water features, blazes of colour and instantly recognisable golf holes. And so many great golfing memories.

Perhaps that is why golf courses around the world are so eager to boast their own Amen Corner. Ireland has several* and

Open Weeks Ireland: Batch 1

Malone's par three 15th

We’re back to that time of year… Open Weeks… your opportunity to play a new or a favourite or a different course, for a great value entrance fee and the chance to win… well… often ‘interesting’ prizes. Maybe you’ll win wine or crystal, maybe you can upgrade your golf gear, maybe you’ll leave with a lamp.

Here is the first batch of seven courses, fees, formats and dates. Dig out your diary and get planning. [Listed in Date Order. Click on blue link to go to course website.]

‘Festival of Golf’ at the Ballsbridge Hotel. A Recap.

Approach to the 1st on Carne's Kilmore nine

 Two interesting things happened during the ‘Festival of Golf’ at the Ballsbridge Hotel, on Tuesday night. There were two holes-in-one on the famous 17th at Sawgrass, and I encountered a woman whose claim to fame was that Padraig Harrington had slept in her bed. I also learned that – quite possibly – the apple pie for which Mrs Ruddy of The European Golf Club is renowned, might… just might… be improved through the inclusion of cheddar cheese.

It was an entertaining evening, for sure.

Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 Courses

The Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 annual rankings are out... let the arguments, debates and fisticuffs begin. You can look at rankings in one of two ways: ignore them as playful nonsense; or take them with a pinch of salt and go play the courses that catch your eye. They're there as a guide. As always, I have my quibbles - some big, some small - but when you have so many people involved in the ranking process it's impossible to get a consensus that everybody is happy with.

Needs no introduction - the view of the 9th hole (post blind drive) at Royal County Down

For example, if you took 100 people and asked them to rank 100 courses, 50 of them could come back and say Royal County Down (RCD) is number 1; the other 50 might put RCD at number 100. The median puts RCD at number 50... and not one person out of that 100 is happy.

I shall not make any comments this year... other than to say Esker Hills is the highest New Entry at 82, and, as always, a few of my favourites are not on the list (Coollattin, The Curragh, Macreddin, Rathcore - all listed under 'Worthy Mentions' at the end of Golf Digest's list - and Portarlington and Scrabo).

Rathcore's impressive par three 16th

The rankings are based on seven criteria:

Shot making/variety 20 pointsDesign variety 10 points

Memorability 10 points

Wow factor 10 points

Condition 10 points

Playability 10 points

Degree of difficulty/fairness 10 points

So here it is and please feel free to leave your comments below:

1. Royal County Down (=)

2. Portmarnock (=)

3. Royal Portrush (=)

4. Waterville (=)

5. Lahinch (Up 1)

6. Ballybunion (Old) (down 1)

7. The European Club (up 1)

8. Tralee (Down 1)

9. County Louth (Baltray) (=)

10. Adare (=)

11. County Sligo (Rosses Point) (=)

12. Ballyliffin, Glashedy (Up 1)

13. Enniscrone (Up 1)

14. The Island (Down 2)

15. Portstewart, Strand (Up 2)

16. Mount Juliet (Down 1)

17. Killeen Castle (up 1)

18. Donegal (down 2)

19. The K-Club, Palmer (up 1)

20. Belmullet, Carne (Up 1)

Mount Juliet's superb 4th hole - a lethal par four (Down 1)

21. Ballyliffin, Old Links (Up 1)

22. The Old Head of Kinsale (Up 2)

23. Portmarnock Links (Up 8)

24. Royal Dublin (Down 5)

25. Portsalon (Up 2)

26. Doonbeg (Down 3)

27. Carlow (Up 2)

28. Rosapenna, Sandy Hills (Down 3) (Dropped 7 places in last 2 years)

29. Lough Erne (Up 3)

30. Carton House, Montgomerie (Down 2)

31. Cork (Down 1)

32. Dooks (Up 1)

33. Killarney, Killeen (Down 7) (Dropped 10 places in last 2 years)

34. Rosapenna, Old Tom Morris (=)

35. Castlerock (=)

36. Headfort, New (=)

37. Fota Island, Deerpark (Up 3)

38. Narin And Portnoo (Up 5) (Up 13 places in last 2 years)

39. Druids Glen (Down 2)

40. Concra Wood (Down 2)

The 3rd hole at Portsalon (Up 2)

41. Slieve Russell (Up 4)

42. The K-Club, Smurfit Course (Down 1)

43. Seapoint (Down 1)

44. Connemara (Up 4) (Up 12 places in last 2 years)

45. Luttrellstown Castle (Down 6)

46. Carton House, O’Meara (Up 3)

47. Tramore (=)

48. Heritage (Down 4)

49. Dun Laoghaire (Up 6)  

50. Palmerstown House Estate (Down 4)

51. Belvoir Park (=)

52. Malone (=)

53. Powerscourt, West Course (Down 3) (Dropped 15 places in last 2 years)

54. Portumna (Down 1)

55. Portrush, Valley (Up 3)

56. Glasson (Up 6)

57. Bunclody (Up 2)

58. Hermitage (Down 1)

59. Castletroy (Up 4) (Up 26 places in last 2 years)

60. Farnham Estate (Down 6) (Dropped 12 places in last 2 years)

The 9th Hole at Dun Laoghaire (Up 6)

61. Arklow (Up 4)

62. Mount Wolseley (Up 2) (Up 14 places in last 2 years)

63. Royal Belfast (Up 8)

64. Westport (Down 8) (Dropped 19 places in last 2 years)

65. Dromoland Castle (Up 4)

66. Clandeboye Dufferin (=)

67. Druids Heath (Up 3)

68. Powerscourt, East Course (Up 7)

69. Rathsallagh (Down 2)

70. Tullamore (Down 9) (Dropped 17 places in last 2 years)

71. Dundalk (Down 11) (Dropped 21 places in last 2 years)

72. Castlemartyr (Up 4)

73. Shannon (=)

74. Strandhill (Up 4) (Up 9 places in last 2 years)

75. Ardglass (Down 4)

76. Rosslare (Up 5) (Up 22 places in last 2 years)

77. Laytown and Bettystown (=)

78. Grange (Down 4)

79. Ballybunion, Cashen (Up 2) (Up 14 places in last 2 years)

80. Ballinrobe (Up 10)

Ballybunion Cashen's drop-dead gorgeous par three 16th (up 2)

81. Dingle, Ceann Sibeal (Up 17)

82. Esker Hills (New Entry)

83. Castle (Down 4)

84. St. Annes (Down 2)

85. Mullingar (Down 5)

86. Galgorm Castle (Up 2)

87. Galway Bay (Up 9)

88. Galway (Down 1)

89. Balbriggan (Up 3)

90. Courtown (Down 1)

91. Tulfarris (Up 3)

92. Knightsbrook (Down 7) (Dropped 13 places in last 2 years)

93. Bantry Bay (Down 7) (Dropped 23 places in last 2 years)

94. Kirkistown Castle (Down 1)

95. Killarney, (Mahony’s Point) (New Entry)

96. St. Margaret’s (New Entry)

97. Kilkenny (Down 14) (Dropped 31 places in last 2 years)

98. Skellig Bay (Down 14)

99. Athlone (New Entry)

100. Woodenbridge (=)

The sweet par three 8th at Woodenbridge

Out of the Top 100 this year are: New Forest, Moyvalley, Castleknock and Killarney Lackabane (due to closure).

As I said above, any thought you have on the Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 2013, let's be having them.

Wonderful Wicklow - 3 rounds of golf & 2 nights B&B

[Photo: the intimidating 4th at Arklow. Bunkers and railway line make this a tough driving hole]

We are still basking in the glow of two Major winners this year and there has never been a better time to get out and explore Ireland's golf courses. And Ireland's golf courses are making it easier and easier with reduced green fees, golfing 'passports' and combined promotions with local hotels.

I'll start with something close to home in Co. Wicklow. It's an excellent offer based at the Woodenbridge Hotel on the River Aughrim - indeed, 20 of the new rooms added by the hotel in 2004 have balconies overlooking the river, and it's a mere one minute's walk to reach the golf club. The offer is for two nights' B&B with three rounds of golf for a mere €145 per person. And if you thought it couldn't get better than that, your golf is at three of Wicklow's best-kept-secret courses.

[Photo: a pretty par three crosses the river in Woodenbridge]

Woodenbridge Golf Club rests quietly in a beautifully wooded valley, with two rivers (Aughrim & Avoca) slipping between holes and converging at one end of the course. Here you'll find Woodenbridge's signature hole - the short par four 14th - where the green sits above the two rivers' meeting. The course is flat and gentle and so relaxing that you can forget the challenges of hitting over water or tackling big, swinging greens. It's a big clubhouse and you enter the club by walking across a railway line and a bridge... it's a good way to start.

[Photo: the par five 16th (Index 7) at Arklow calls for two great shots to open up the green]

Arklow Golf Club is a links course that rarely gets talked about. It's a low-running links that slowly slips into parkland mode for the late holes, but you have to get there first. Like Woodenbridge, it sits alongside a railway line. At Arklow, it separates course from sea, and it makes the par four 4th one of the toughest holes as the railway line waits on your right. The early holes are perfect links where keeping the ball low and out of the rough will reap rich rewards, and the twisting greens are things of beauty. It's a 'hidden links gem' and well worth a visit although it's not the easiest to find in the maze that is Arklow town.

[Photo: the approach to Coollattin's par four 15th]

Coollattin Golf Club complements Woodenbridge and Arklow perfectly. It is a parkland track with the most diverse range of trees imaginable. Big and colourful, they accompany you everywhere on a course that is as challenging as it is attractive. Believe me, the trees get in the way on plenty of occasions. Gentle doglegs abound and the course is known for its pretty par three in a walled garden. Like Arklow, it is not given the respect it deserves and it is one of the most enjoyable parkland courses you can play.

VALUE

In terms of the money, €145 is an excellent price. The golf alone would cost you as little as €95 and as much as €135. So throw in two nights of B&B and you get a good idea of the value on offer. The hotel has an excellent restaurant and a popular bar with live music on Thursday nights. Avoca - home to Ballykissangel - is a few minutes' drive away and has friendly pubs of its own, or you could try Arklow town. There's also Aughrim, some 20 minutes away, where you'll find the excellent Strawberry Tree restaurant at the Brooklodge Hotel in Macreddin Village, where all the food is locally sourced and organic, and they have more awards than you can shake a 7 iron at. There's also an excellent golf course here, Macreddin, designed by Paul McGinley, so you could easily stay an extra day and play here.

Regular Green Fees:

Woodenbridge Green Fees: €30 to €50

Arklow Green Fees: €30 to €40

Coollattin Green Fees: €35 to €45

Woodenbridge is about an hour south of Dublin city, and most easily reached by driving down the N11/M11 to Arklow, before heading inland. The distance between Woodenbridge and Arklow is only 10 km, and from Woodenbridge to Coollattin is 30 km and about 40 minutes away.

There are lots of great offers around at the moment and this is just one of them.

Official Offer Website/Details.