| Golf in Wicklow |
Page 1 of 2 Ireland has a long and honorable tradition and is famous in the sport of golf. Wicklow County alone has twenty five golf courses, each with its individual character and sporting challenge. Avid golfers, both professional and amateur, travel from all parts of the world to play world class level golf courses laid out in spectacular scenic locales. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Wicklow golf courses is their rich historical and cultural heritage. Another distinctly Wicklow feature - its temperate climate which is not prone to extremes of cold or heat - is delightfully suited to playing golf.
Internationally famous Druids Glen Golf Course & Resort, is an 18-hole parklands course located just a 30-minute ride south of the capital city of Dublin. It is part of what was once the Woodstock Estate which dates back to the 1600s. The course was designed by architects Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock and was opened in 1995. The clubhouse, Woodstock House, is an historical building dating to 1770. The Druids Glen Golf Course hosted four Irish Opens from 1996-1999, and in 2000, 2001 and again in 2006 it was named the European Golf Course of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). Its international popularity earned it the compliment of being called, “the Augusta of Europe”, an allusion to the Augusta National Golf Club, generally regarded as the most revered golf course in the world and official home of the annual Masters Tournament. The Druids Heath championship golf course, located nearby, opened in 2003 and is another 18-hole course designed by Pat Ruddy, with a contrast in design to the parkland Druids Glen course. The Druids Heath course combines links, heathland and parkland that offer golfing thrills and spectacular views of the Wicklow Mountains, the Irish Sea, and the Irish countryside. The ever present sea breezes create unique and unforgettable physical and playing challenges. Tulfarris Golf Course is another example of a course layout that is rich both in culture and in the challenges it presents to even the most seasoned golfers. Tulfarris House, the estate on which this course was laid out, was built in the mid 1800s on what was once the famous Tulfarris Castle. Relics from that period, including an ancient Christian burial ground, have been incorporated into the course, giving it a somewhat haunting atmosphere. The designer of Tulfarris Golf Course, Patrick Merrigan, stated that, “I think the finished article (Tulfarris) stands alongside the best golf courses to be found anywhere.”. What makes this course so distinct is the use of water as an integral part of its design. The course is actually placed on three different peninsulas surrounded by approximately a dozen small lakes. The combination of water, trees, and well positioned bunkers require true precision and golfing experience to achieve more than an average score. The European Club is the first choice for a golf course that caters to an increasingly popular strain of golfing purists. The course, which was designed by Pat Ruddy, is a classic links course that offers no special privileges (…such as a caddy) but only the simple right of playing on a truly magnificent course. Unlike Tulfarris Golf Course, lakes and trees have given way to a costal layout dotted with numerous dunes, deep bunkers (know as “pot bunkers”) accompanied by refreshing…and sometimes traitorous…sea breezes. |
