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UK & Ireland: Ireland I ANRISHWELCOME


Playing golf in Ireland is all about epic views and a hearty welcome says Lisa Gerard-Sharp


“You’re treated like a king,” Hollywood legend Bill Murray has said of golfing in Ireland. The Irish Republic boasts more than 400 courses, from true links to championship resorts. But be careful, for a round of golf here can swiftly lead to a singalong over rounds of Guinness. The three brilliant resorts, below, combine must-play courses with compelling reasons to visit. discoverireland.com


Best for coastal fans TRUMP INTERNATIONAL DOONBEG, COUNTY CLARE Why go? It’s hard to beat the West Coast of Ireland for wild romance. The Clare coastline is made for cliffside walks, canters on the beach, surfing, seal- watching, kayaking and deep-sea fishing. Further north are the Cliffs of Moher, the most visited fee-paying atraction outside Dublin and a popular backdrop for films. Just south is dolphin-watching territory off the remote Loophead Peninsula. Stay: Trump International Doonbeg is a luxury beach, spa and golf resort. Expect swooping seabirds, humpback whales and windswept beaches. Despite its controversial owner, the décor is restrained: Old Ireland meets New England. Play: Doonbeg, the Greg Norman-designed championship golf links course spans a beach and sand dunes along Doughmore Bay. Play to the sound of breaking waves and then hole up in the clubby Trump’s Bar, overlooking the 18th hole. Green fee: From £42-£126. trumphotelcollection.com/ireland


Best for traditionalists CARTON HOUSE, COUNTY KILDARE Why go? This championship resort to the west of Dublin is a springboard for exploring the capital’s vibrant bars and Georgian squares as well as the grand mansions and ancient abbeys of the East Coast. Both the Palladian Castletown House and monastic Glendalough, a ruggedly romantic pilgrimage centre in the Wicklow hills, are within easy reach. The less monastic can stagger around immensely popular Guinness Storehouse. Stay: Carton House is a Palladian pile with formal gardens and a folly; lakeside walks and a luxury spa. The mansion, a popular location for period dramas, has also welcomed such real historical figures as Queen Victoria and Princess Grace. Play: Carton is home to two championship courses, the O’Meara parkland course and the


216 ABTA Golf 2017


Trump International Doonbeg


immaculate links-style Montgomery Course, designed by Colin Montgomery, and prized by rugby and football stars. This is Ireland’s first club to launch the Golf Skate Caddy, a cross between a buggy and a skateboard. Green fee: From £37-£42. cartonhouse.com


Best for gourmets MOUNT JULIET ESTATE, COUNTY KILKENNY Why go? Set in ‘the sunny south-east’, this acclaimed Georgian estate is an indulgent retreat south of Kilkenny, Ireland’s pretiest inland town. Tempting walking tours take in the medieval castle, a ghost trail and Smithwick’s brewery for a taste of Ireland’s medieval brewing heritage. Stay: Mount Juliet is a swish, fine-art studded country estate with sumptuous suites and secluded lodges. Retreat to the spa or setle for aſternoon tea or wine-tasting in the clubby, fire-lit Major’s Bar; it offers views of the River Nore amid rolling pastures. Play: The Jack Nicklaus-designed Mount Juliet Golf Course is a leading parkland gem, highly rated by golfing greats, and supported by golf packages with neighbouring parkland estates. Green fee: From £42-£80. mountjuliet.ie


IMAGE: TRUMP INTERNATIONAL DOONBEG


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