Ireland golf: Is This Golf’s greatest Travel Destination?
Scotland will always be golf’s spiritual home but when you travel around Ireland, golf clubs on your back, it’s hard to shake the feeling that somehow you’ve come home. Full disclosure: I’m a proud Scot, one who has travelled the world in search enriching experiences in golf. I have been fortunate to explore many of the great Ireland golf adventures, from the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way, to the stunning Ancient East. I’ve felt the buzz of Dublin and played its many wonderful links courses, explored the hidden heartlands and each trip has been better than the last; the memories, the…
Why Mount Juliet is one of Ireland’s grandest golf escapes
It’s early on a crisp spring morning and my eyes are sweeping across Mount Juliet golf course taking it all in – it’s hard to imagine a more tranquil, elegant place to spend time. From the moment you drive through the gates of this sprawling country estate in County Kilkenny, Ireland, there is a sense of idyllic seclusion from the outside world. As we came through the gates, we drove past the 2nd tee, the 9th green, the 1st tee and then the final green on our way to the opulent Hunter’s Yard, which is our base for the next…
Argentario Golf Resort: beautiful Tuscan retreat perfect for Ryder Cup
In 2023, Italy will host its first Ryder Cup. The Marco Simone Golf Club, just outside Rome, is staging the biennial contest between Europe and the United States, and while most fans will base themselves in the Eternal City for the contest, those looking to lengthen their trip would do well to consider the Argentario Golf and Wellness Resort. A two-hour drive north, into south-western Tuscany, takes you to the stunning Monte Argentario – once an island but now a promontory, tethered to the mainland by three causeways that frame two lagoons. The serenity is a welcome contrast to the…
The European Club: unique, mesmeric – a golf masterpiece
Hidden away on the County Wicklow coast, just south of Brittas Bay, you’ll The European Club – a links like no other. It’s a true one-off, a place where the rules of how to design and run a golf club haven’t applied since Pat Ruddy, the effervescent owner and designer, circled over this stretch of coast in a helicopter in the 1980s and first spotted the place where his golfing dreams would be realised. Ever since, this has been as a place of adventure and discovery for those looking for a test of skill and patience on a links designed…