The Old Links, Ballyliffin Golf Club
More than a decade after falling in love with this piece of wild, rolling linksland, Nick Faldo returned to give it a polish
Portmarnock Golf Club, Ireland
Apparently they couldn’t wait for Christmas. But who could blame them, given the sporting potential of the grounds that beckoned W.C. Pickeman and George Ross to the peninsula of Portmarnock, northeast of Dublin? On Christmas Eve 1893, Pickeman and Ross left the tiny village of Sutton, manned a rowboat and skulled across Howth Bay […]
Set Sail on a Golf Cruise
When my wife, Ewa, and I were offered the chance to fill in as co-hosts aboard an 11-day Crystal Cruise golf-themed journey around the British Isles (good friend and PGA Tour TV essayist Jim Huber couldn’t make the trip and graciously suggested us), we jumped at the chance. It’s easy to see why. At […]
Ballybunion Golf Club, Ireland
The speech and rhythms of the west country of Ireland are far different from the majestic lilt of Dublin, where English is spoken perhaps more beautifully than anywhere on earth. But the speech of western Ireland reflects the nature of the harsh and terrible land, which that gives off a beauty more memorable than […]
Where to Stay, Eat and Play Golf in Dublin, Ireland
Steeped in culture, history, and good cheer, the Irish capital has now become a cosmopolitan city, the center of the country’s torrid economic growth over the last 15 years. As a golf destination, there are courses old and new for visitors to enjoy while exploring this charming city. Golf Located on an island nature […]
Cork Golf Club, Ireland
In the spring of 1897, Maudsley and Sharmon Crawford were sailing the Lee Estuary on their way to the Cork City Regatta. At the time (and to this day), men of means in Cork were yachtsmen. Ireland’s second-largest city is a seafaring town, and the Cork Yacht Club, founded in 1720, is the world’s […]
Scotland vs. Ireland: Which is the Best Golf Destination?
Imagine awakening one morning and being told that a Maserati and a Ferrari were parked in your driveway, ready to roll. Or that 10 cases each of Dom Perignon and Roederer Cristal were on ice in your rec room, or that Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox were perched provocatively on the arms of your […]
The European Club, Ireland
If playing a links is an experience to be cherished, what must it be like to actually develop, own and operate such a course? Pat Ruddy’s demeanor indicates it is a pleasant experience indeed. A bear of a man who always has a warm smile, a welcoming hand and a flash of wit, Ruddy […]
Mount Juliet Estate, Ireland
Measuring no larger than South Carolina in square miles, Ireland certainly seems like a compact golf destination. But its roads are ribbony and its top courses recede to the country’s perimeter like numbers on a clock face. For less-experienced visitors to the Emerald Isle, the question can be daunting: Where to start? For a […]
Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ireland
The Second Coming of Ballybunion? Years ago I subscribed to the New Yorker and it was then that I first became familiar with the name Herbert Warren Wind, the sportswriter. I was attracted not only by the clarity of his writing but by the mellifluosity of his name, which had as good a ring […]
