Golf Digest Middle East have singled out three of the best that Ireland has to offer, in this once in a lifetime golf trip available for you, the eager golfer!

You might already be looking ahead to that European getaway with your golfing buddies to escape the toasty temperatures in the UAE, so how about a golf tour to Ireland in this failsafe unforgettable experience?

Having lived in Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, I can safely say it’s hard to find a bad golf course anywhere on the island or Ireland! The landscapes, world-famous hospitality and quality of golf planned into this trip is a perfect blend of exceptional golfing with wonderful off-the-course-experiences.

We have you covered with the help of dnata Travel.

After landing into Dublin Airport, yes – your flights are covered. You’ll be met by your VIP private transfer who will whisk you 15 minutes up the coast to The Portmarnock Resort, (your base for the three nights) a hidden gem often described as a high quality 4* hotel, with a 5* feel.

RELATED: Ireland is Treasure Island: Golf Digest Middle East visits the jewels of the Emerald Isle

The Jameson Links

Par 71
Tee blue 6,475 yards
Tee white 6,063 yards
Tee green 5,672 yards
Tee red 5,024 yards

Overlooking Dublin Bay and situated along the ‘Velvet Strand’, this is one of Ireland’s most stunning stretches of uninterrupted coastline. A perfect mix of old-world charm combined with modern facilities. This award-winning links course and spa is the perfect coastal retreat for you.

After you have checked in, there’s time for a quick freshen up before your tee time. And don’t worry you only have about 150 yards to walk to the first tee, as you will be playing the recently rebranded Jameson Golf Links on site at the Portmarnock Resort. Perfect!

This 18-hole championship links course has played host to numerous amateur and professional events including the 2008 and 2009 Ladies Irish Open and the 2021 Irish Challenge, won by now DP World Tour player Daan Huizing.

Overlooked by Irelands Eye, the 203-acre site is on the grounds of the old Jameson Estate of St. Marnocks, hence the new name.

This Bernhard Langer designed course has five new green complexes and four new tee areas which ensures a first-class test while also remaining fair and playable for all levels of golfer.

The Jameson Links makes full use of the dunes and natural terrain to provide a layout that will please even the most experienced of links specialists. With an abundance of elevated tees and greens, blind approaches and doglegs, not to mention the typical links Irish sea breeze, it will keep you thinking throughout the round.

You’re likely to be a touch jaded after the excitement of the opening day on the links, so your first evening is left open to your own devices, but who knows, you are only 15 minutes from Dublin City center, a trip into Temple Bar might be on the cards…

The K Club

Par 72
Tee blue 7,350 yards
Tee white 6,815 yards
Tee green 6,240 yards
Tee red 5,131 yards

Rise and shine it’s time for day two. Time for a quick traditional Irish fry-up for breakfast to set you up for the day and it’s an 8am departure for your next round.

Well, this course oozes in history and is ranked in the top three parkland golf courses in the whole of Ireland, remember there are over 400 in the country! This golfer’s haven is a must-play course that has previously hosted the top golfers in the world, any guesses? It’s The K Club Palmer North. 

After your 45-minute VIP transfer, you’ll arrive at the Arnold Palmer-designed treasure. Previously host to the 2006 Ryder Cup where Team Europe claimed an emotional victory over the USA. This stadium-style resort course, measures over 7,300 yards from the tips, and has many TV commentators describe it as the most difficult inland layout in the country as well as one of the best around Dublin.

You don’t have to look far for even more pedigree on the Palmer North, Rory McIlroy claimed the 2016 DP World Tour Shot of the Year here on the 18th hole on his way to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and it also has been venue to eleven European Opens which affirms the importance of the Palmer North to European Golf.

If you do decide to play from the tips, good luck! But don’t be fooled by its charm as challenges still do lurk as the mature trees and water features force players to bring out the very best in their game.

RELATED: Ireland is Treasure Island: Golf Digest Middle East visits the jewels of the Emerald Isle

Having survived the Palmer North, hopefully without too many lost balls, it’s time to jump back in your transfer and head back towards Dublin, but we aren’t going straight back to the hotel just quite yet. It’s time for a quick pitstop in the capital to try some of the culture that Ireland has to offer and experience the history, heart and soul of Ireland’s most iconic beer – Guinness.

At the Guinness Storehouse you’ll be able to savour the sights, sounds, tastes, and aromas of Guinness as this experience goes beyond the gates at the home of the world’s most popular stout. The tour finishes at the Gravity Bar which has breathtaking views over Dublin city where you will enjoy a pint and a photo opportunity.

After sampling your well-earned creamy Guinness, its back on the bus for the short journey up to the Portmarnock Resort where once again you have the evening to yourself, remember if you feel a bit peckish there’s three top dining outlets available at the resort.

County Louth Golf Club

Par 72
Tee blue 7,031 yards
Tee white 6,716 yards
Tee green 6,338 yards
Tee red 5,873 yards

Don’t worry, you’ve got yourself a slight lie in on Saturday morning, as your transfer doesn’t leave until 10:30am. This time you are heading north up Ireland’s east coast to Louth and County Louth Golf Club.

Founded in 1892, the course was redesigned in 1938 by architects, Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay. Now boasting a par 72 course that measures 7,031 yards from the back tees, this championship links is known for providing one of the purest and fairest tests of links golf in the world.

Surrounded by sand dunes and an unforgettable coastline, along with undulating greens and fairways, professional golfer and former Ryder Cup Europe Captain Paul McGinley remarks on his favourite links course in Ireland, “It’s just a great test. All the holes run in different directions, so you have a different exam paper on each hole”.

Known also as ‘Baltray’ this course is of the highest ranked and previous host to the DP World Tour’s Irish Open in 2004 and 2009, on the latter occasion, the club was etched into Irish golfing history when it famously became the venue where 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry won the Irish Open as an Amateur.

County Louth also holds the East of Ireland championship each year which is considered a “Major” on the elite Irish amateur golf scene.

Upon returning to the Portmarnock Resort the fun-filled weekend doesn’t stop there, we have one more treat for you lined up. The Jameson Experience.

The long association between the Jameson family and Portmarnock Resort began when John Jameson III, moved to St. Marnocks in 1847. Since then, the resort has taken precious care of the history and legacy of the famous family.

You’ll begin this unique experience with a guided tour of the original Jameson family home and grounds including the final resting place of members of the dynasty. Following this, you’ll head into the cosy Jameson Bar to enjoy a stunning three-course meal, curated by the head chef, surrounded by the artwork and historic articles of the Jameson Family.

Then to top off an unforgettable trip, you’ll finish your evening with a tasting of three of the Jameson family’s famous whiskeys.

When you depart from Dublin airport, make sure you have a seat overlooking the ‘Velvet Strand’ and the Portmarnock Resort as you’ll be dreaming of this memorable weekend all the way back to Dubai.

So next time you’re planning to tee off somewhere (that’s a bit more than) special, I think the island of Ireland should be at the top of your list… I just wish I was going!

Itinerary

Thursday, 16 May 2024
Arrive Dublin airport (12:15pm)
Transfer to hotel
Play Jameson Links (3pm)
Free evening

Friday, 17 May 2024
Depart hotel (8am)
Play The K Club, Palmer North (9:30am)
Guinness Storehouse (4pm)
Return transfer to hotel (5:30pm)
Free evening

Saturday, 18 May 2024
Depart hotel (10:30am)
Play Co. Louth (12:20pm)
Return transfer to hotel (6pm)
Jameson Experience at hotel (8pm)
(Dinner + Whiskey tasting)

Sunday, 19 May 2024
Check out and depart hotel (10:30am)
Depart Dublin airport (2:15pm)

Pricing

From AED11,735
3 nights per person
Double occupancy

From AED13,820
3 nights per person
Single occupancy

Note: Price is subject to the exact travel dates, numbers travelling and the final itinerary

WhatsApp 800 DNATA (800 36282) or email sports.leisure@dnata.com to find out more

Images: Supplied by courses

A Week In Ireland
DAY 1: The K Club
DAY 2: Lahinch Golf Club
DAY 3: Dromoland Castle
DAY 4: Mount Juliet Estate
DAY 5: Druids Heath

The post Ireland’s Ancient East Experience appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Bill could not have said it better and it’s no wonder that every year over 240,000 golfers from all over the world come to the island of Ireland for that very reason.

And yes, we have got your next trip planned down to a tee. This all-in golfing experience will see you not only play the world-class Jameson Golf Links (pictured), The K Club and County Louth Golf Club, but there’s even still time for some of the cultural and historical spots Ireland has to offer at the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Experience.

You’ll be staying at the Portmarnock Resort for the entirety of the stay, during this trip to the Emerald Isle which is without doubt a once in a lifetime experience.

Thanks to dnata Travel we can assure you that this four-day golfing extravaganza will be mighty craic! 

Main image: Jameson Golf Links

The post QUICKSHOT: Ireland’s Ultimate Golf Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Louis, who won the 2010 Open at St Andrews designed what is the Indian Ocean’s first and only contemporary links course alongside acclaimed course architect, Peter Matkovich. Using the natural landscape and dramatic elevations to define each hole, he said: “My love of links, the purest form of golf, will be experienced on every hole at La Réserve Golf Links. 

“I have a genuine passion for links golf and the way in which you have to strategically work your way around a golf course using a multitude of different shots. Links golf challenges your mind, and your game and that is why La Réserve Golf Links is such a wonderful project to be at the heart of.”

La Réserve Golf Links at Heritage Golf Club, Mauritius

Inspired by the wild open spaces of the great seaside links, La Réserve Golf Links, a GEO-Certified development, plays hand-in-hand with nature, nestling alongside a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve.

This will be Oosthuizen’s second appearance in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open following his seventh-place finish in 2017.

Image Credit: La Réserve Golf Links

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Hong Kong Golf Club will welcome some of the game’s biggest names with the likes of Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Graeme McDowell, Harold Varner III, Thomas Pieters and LIV Golf ‘s 2023 Individual Champion Talor Gooch confirmed to compete alongside the Asian Tour’s finest from November 9-12.

The Fanling course will await the field, and it is no easy feat to get around safely.

The set-up is steeped in history, with three courses, the clubhouse itself dating back to 1918, the Open is now in its 62nd iteration and it will be the first time the golfers are back since the pandemic halted things in 2020. 

The New Course will be the challenge for the $2 million International Series event hopefuls, and itself was opened in 1931 as its ‘composite course’ measures 6,520 yards and, with the best of both the New and Old courses, it will certainly be a tough test! 

Main image: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

The post Hong Kong set to host the best from the Asian and LIV Golf tours in November appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

>>>

Viya have been operating in Abu Dhabi for 12 months now at three marvellous golf courses. How has the journey been — personally and for the company — over the past year and how was such a move made possible to further help promote the UAE capital as a global destination for both tourists and sports?

The expansion of our business into Abu Dhabi, under the brand of Viya Golf (a subsidiary of Dubai Golf), was an instrumental move that sets out the future direction of our growth strategy, which is to expand management operations of leading world-class golf and leisure facilities, as well as our proprietary Viya application, to support these operations commercially. It is also the first time we have operated outside of Dubai, within the UAE, and to have the opportunity to partner with Aldar and manage some of the most iconic golf facilities in the region, was a true privilege.

Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Image supplied

As the capital’s leadership continues to accelerate its Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, our move to Abu Dhabi clearly came at an exciting time. We had an opportunity to not only work alongside key government stakeholders to contribute to their collective goals, but we also played a key role in driving new golfers and tourism into the capital.

For me personally, I am loving life in Abu Dhabi. After spending 25 years in Dubai, it came at a great time in my career and I feel that with my experience and the support of our great team, we can really make a difference to the overall golf proposition. We are grateful that Abu Dhabi had a great base to build on, and our mission over the next few years is to raise the bar in terms of facilities, which takes investment in infrastructure, and in customer service, which is an investment in people.

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There was the major, and exciting, news recently that the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will move from its traditional January slot after 17 years to form part of a season-ending playoff with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. What does this move mean?

This announcement was incredible for Abu Dhabi and for Yas Links, as it means that the best of the best on the DP World Tour will now participate in the penultimate event on the season long Race To Dubai order of merit. This will undoubtedly get more eyeballs on Abu Dhabi and attract greater numbers of tourists to the capital, not only for the event, but also to play the Abu Dhabi courses through the popular winter months. It was also great recognition to our agronomy team, ably led by Corey Finn, who continues to deliver a masterpiece of a Kyle Philips-designed golf course. 

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Image supplied

>>>

And a collective $19 million prize fund for the two-event finale is pretty helpful too!

I know right! They say in life that it’s never too late. I’m really enjoying playing amateur golf again after nearly 30 years as a PGA Professional, however with this kind of money, I may have to think about turning pro again and having a crack at the Seniors Tour! Joking aside, the prize purses of the last two play-off events of the 2024 season will undoubtedly attract the best golfers in the world, which can only be positive for the growth of golf in the UAE.

>>>

So the future is looking bright. Where does Viya go from here to sustain and enhance this success to ensure maintained growth and engagement with golfers of all ages?

For the future sustainability of golf in Abu Dhabi, it’s essential that we grow the number of golfers. This can only come from expatriate residents and UAE nationals. We are working closely with the Emirates Golf Federation and the R&A to initiate exciting programmes that will attract new golfers to this incredible sport, from five-year-olds all the way to retirement age. Golf is a sport for all ages and I’ll highly recommend anyone to give it a try.

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club. Image supplied

>>>

The three clubs in Abu Dhabi, how will they take it from here — both on and off the course — to stay at the top of the game?

The next few years is all about reinvestment into the facilities and our people, to continue to raise the bar on these amazing facilities and to improve the overall customer experience. We want to position Abu Dhabi as a truly inspiring place to come to play and learn golf, and with the support of our partner Aldar, and key government stakeholders, we believe we can achieve amazing things. 

>>>

Do you take personal pride in how far Viya Golf and its partners have taken the game or, like on the course in some places these days, is this a team success?

Viya Golf is a subsidiary of Dubai Golf, and we are essentially one company. Dubai Golf have led the development of golf, leisure and hospitality in the region for decades and I feel incredibly proud to be a part of such a dynamic and diverse team. Since the first Dubai Desert Classic back in 1988, we now proudly host three Rolex Series events and a new DP World Tour event inaugurating at Dubai Creek in 2024. The future looks bright and I’m excited to see where it will lead.

Main image: supplied

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Having staged two successful editions at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah, the ATS is sharing its joy even further with a stop in Riyadh this time around. 

Not far from the Saudi Arabian capital’s city centre, Riyadh Golf Club opened in 2005 and has built up quite a reputation as one of the finest courses in the Middle East. 

While lush and expansive, this par 72 Golf Saudi course is no pushover, with plenty of water in play and its challenging greens (with a few cunning pin positions) it is sure to test the finest of the women’s game when they come to town.

The monster par 5-second hole has been an early scorecard-wrecker, so players need to be on their game from the outset. Be warned ladies!

The post Saudi capital course a stunning setting for 2023 Aramco Team Series finale  appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Those who pay attention to new golf course openings have had Trout National on their radars since March when it was announced baseball legend Mike Trout was backing a new private club outside of Philadelphia — with a layout designed by Tiger Woods and his design team.

The TGR design team released its planned routing for Trout National’s The Reserve on Friday in addition to a social-media hype video that’s building up more excitement for this collaboration.

Trout, who grew up in South Jersey near Vineland, New Jersey, where Trout National is located, is seen on-site in the video with Woods and Woods’ chief design director Beau Welling.

Routed on an old silica sand mine and rambling farmland, Trout National appears to utilise sandy waste areas on most holes, including heroic carries over these hazards, plus water in play on five of the holes. Plans are for the private club to tip out at 7,455 yards as a traditional par 72 with four par 3s and four par 5s.

Here’s the routing courtesy of Trout National – The Reserve:

Trout National

Officials say construction is slated to be completed in 2025, so we’ll see if we get any preview play in 2024. A short course will also be constructed. As you can see from the below video, it looks like there’s some nice elevation change, which can be a rarity in this flatter part of New Jersey.

The wait is over. Excited to share the latest from Trout National – The Reserve. We've finalized course routing and are continuing to make progress on this unique and exciting project with @TigerWoods and @tgrdesignbytw. pic.twitter.com/rpu2on1KUg

— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) August 25, 2023

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The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland rests on sand, not rock, but it might as well have been chiselled from rock, as little as the layout has changed in the course of the past 150 years. That would seem especially true of its 17th hole, the Road Hole, the long par 4 with a blind tee shot over buildings and an awkward approach to a diagonal perched green guarded by a piece of Tarmac and a wall on one side and a black-hole-looking bunker on the other.

Visually, there’s virtually no change between the hole as it existed in 1910 and as it exists today. But as we point out, subtle but significant changes to the Road Hole have occurred in the past century. Par dropped from 5 to 4 while its length increased. The blind tee shot was eliminated, then restored. Out of bounds stakes were established, but none anywhere near the road.

Watch the video below for all the facts.

Keep in mind a curious fact not mentioned. In 1948, the St Andrews Town Council passed a resolution to plant a row of Douglas firs along the 17th hole to obscure what they felt was an unsightly entrance to the railway yards. After a vigorous protest from local golfers, the idea was dropped, but just imagine how different the Road Hole would look today with a row of pine trees along its perimeter.

The post Course expert reveals little-known facts about the famous Road Hole at St Andrews’ Old Course appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The construction of new golf holes is not a common sight in Scotland, but it’s happening in the Highlands just north of the town of Inverness where Tom Doak and his team have begun the construction of his original course at Cabot Highlands.

Located on Moray Firth just five minutes from Inverness airport, the expanded Cabot Highlands development includes the Castle Stuart course, designed by Gil Hanse and the late Mark Parsinen in 2009, the yet-to-be-named Doak course, a new clubhouse and upscale residences.

After working recently on true links sites at St Patrick’s in County Donegal, Ireland, and Te Arai in New Zealand, as well as in the malleable sandy soils of central Wisconsin at Sand Valley (building The Lido, opened this summer, and Sedge Valley, opening next summer), the Cabot Highland project poses a different type of challenge for Doak. Namely, creating a course that matches the splendour of the seaside site, and one that looks and plays like a links despite not having the links soils and undulations.

The Doak course will have many of the same views and perspectives at the neighbouring Castle Stuart course.

The Doak course will have many of the same views and perpectives at the neighboring Castle Stuart course

It might be assumed that natural links (defined basically as non-arable oceanside land with sandy soils, rumpled, dunelike movements and native fescues and other grasses and plants, sometimes gorse) occur around the coast of Scotland. Actually, only about 300 miles of the country’s 7,500-mile coast is considered links, or about 4 per cent. Links are rare and specific, and while the Inverness region possesses timeless links such as Nairn, Royal Dornoch and Brora, the section of land for the Doak course doesn’t fit the category.

The golf features at the new course will need to be imagined and constructed, like those at Castle Stuart were. The site, located on a bay just east and south of the existing courses, has its advantages, including lovely water views, holes that jump and play along a tidal estuary, brush past the Old Petty burial ground and cross to and fro over Rough Burn.

The holes are laid out like a grand prix course with parallel runs that chicane back and forth (one through four; 16 though 18), make a series of left-hand turns, switch back, then make a series of right-hand turns before hitting the homestretch along the edge of land, all illustrated gorgeously above by Don Placek of Renaissance Golf.

The specific details and nuance of the holes and their shaping will be developed in the field this autumn and next, with the opening of the course expected in 2025. Cabot Highlands and the Doak course adds another magnetic force that should not just attract players to the north of Scotland, but also keep them there longer.

The post Tom Doak breaks ground on new course in Inverness, Scotland appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Nestled in the countryside in the northeast of England is a true gem of a course — Close House, the venue for the fifth stop on the Asian Tour’s International Series. The $2 million tournament will be played from August 17-20, with a strong field including Lee Westwood looking to emulate Scott Vincent’s triumph in this event last year just down the road at Slaley Hall. 

Situated just outside Newcastle on the banks of the River Tyne, Close House’s Colt Course was opened in 2011 by then world No. 1 Lee Westwood (he is the club’s Attached Touring Professional) and it will be used for the International Series event. 

The Scott Macpherson-designed track is a par-71 layout that measures just under 7,000 yards and incorporates historical features, including sunken ha-ha walls and ancient woodland. It is one of two courses at Close House, with the other being the Lee Westwood Filly course. It features plenty of undulations to provide challenging uphill and downhill lies, while also testing players’ fitness levels. “I am sure that the players will relish the challenge of the Lee Westwood Colt Course along with enjoying a very warm welcome from the members and guests,” said Close House owner, Sir Graham Wylie.

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