A Path Less Travelled

We head to Ireland to discover some of the less-visited layouts in this country’s rich treasure trove of fabulous golf courses

- Kevin Markham

You stand on the 1st tee, bend down and slip the tee into firm turf, position your ball and stand up to eye the fairway ahead. This is a course you’ve never played before and such an adventure always evokes a sense of anticipation.

Playing somewhere new is always a thrill. Across the UK and Ireland there are approximately 3,000 golf courses, so there are many opportunities to renew that thrill time and again. Yes, you could visit the world-famous courses... or you could take a path less travelled and go in search of that needle in a haystack.

Ireland has over 400 courses, and while everybody has heard of Old Head, Ballybunion, The K Club and Portmarnock, few have ventured to the little-known names of Strandhill, Rathcore, Birr and North West. They don’t have the scale and reputation of their world-famous brethren, but golf at the following ten Irish courses is never less than exciting, never less than an adventure and always worth the voyage of discovery.

Into the heartland

One particular voyage is to the town of Tullamore, in Ireland’s heartland of Co. Offaly. It is a 75-minute drive from Dublin airport and around it are three shining examples of the magical, undiscovered golf course.

Tullamore Golf Club is a gently rolling parkland of towering trees and a James Braid design. It is a perfectly conditioned beauty with beech, oak and chestnut trees throwing constant shadows across fairways. Holes curve left and right, asking golfers to shape shots constantly around trees and water. The course is renowned for its tricky greens and dramatic closing holes.