Five Of The Best

IRELAND

The Mountains of Mourne provide the backdrop at Royal County Down

Hole 7 County Sligo: 421 yards, par 4 Rosses Point has a great run of holes from the 6th to the 8th, with this the pick. A challenge from the tee and a great green complex.

Hole 8 Royal County Down (Championship): 424 yards, par 4 This is a hole just waiting to trap and punish an off-line shot. Subtle, natural design at its best.

Hole 9 Doonbeg: 138 yards, par 3 A spectacular beachside location that rewards the brave!

Classic risk-reward at Ballybunion

Hole 10 Killarney (Killeen): 149 yards, par 3 The spectacular backdrop makes this hole, but then you realise there is water everywhere and the green is a really tough target.

Hole 11 Ballybunion (Old): 398 yards, par 4 This is a classic, with as good a view from the tee as you will find anywhere on the planet. It requires a brave line to make sure you get a good approach to the green. Classic risk-reward.

The 15th at Enniscrone

Hole 12 Lahinch: 514 yards, par 5 A simply delightful hole with choices to make on all shots. The pro’s advice to aim your drive ten yards right of the castle says it all!

Hole 13 Connemara: 206 yards, par 3 A testing signature short hole with great views across the course and a tricky green that is fast from the back.

Hole 14 Carne (Kilmore): 471 yards, par 5 An excellent par 5 that is a huge dogleg requiring decisions all the way. The enormous dunes provide penal hazards for all shots.

Hole 15 Enniscrone: 421 yards, par 4 A tough par 4 that requires an accurate tee shot to the right side of the fairway in order to have a good line to a green defended by natural dunes. Hole 16 Royal Portrush (Dunluce): 202 yards, par 3 The name Calamity Corner says it all. This tough one-shotter has a huge drop waiting for anything coming up short or right.

Hole 17 Carne (Hackett): 392 yards, par 4 A must-hit fairway that runs along the spine of a dune. Play too safe and it leaves a very challenging second shot.

Hole 18 Old Head: 399 yards, par 4 The best view in golf from an 18th tee? The hole is spectacular, with a boundary to the right that builds fear and a very tough approach.

The superb new 8th on the Dunluce at Royal Portrush

KEVINÕS TOP TRACKS

● Royal County Down (Championship) The Mountains of Mourne are a breathtaking setting and the front nine has to be one of the best in the world, providing a natural test of golf with a fantastic variety of holes. The course continues to improve in a subtle way and it has to be one of the fairest but toughest challenges on the planet. A real bonus is the work that Martin Ebert has carried out on the Annesley. The new holes around the huge dune behind the 4th tee on the Championship course make this a must play. It was one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I’ve played in the last ten years and I would happily play it for the rest of my life!

● Royal Portrush (Dunluce) The changes for The Open have greatly improved this course. There are two superb new holes down in the dunes at 7 and 8 and improvements everywhere else, including new tees and bunkers.

● Waterville This classic course through the dunes continues to improve. The modernisation of the clubhouse is an architectural masterpiece, making golfers feel they are a part of the landscape.

● Trump International Golf Links, Doonbeg Doonbeg continues to improve, despite the loss of the signature 14th hole to the Atlantic. The course has been given the Trump treatment, with larger paths and quality touches everywhere. One of the best opening holes in golf.

● Portmarnock One of the best and most subtle tests of golf, with a relatively flat terrain but fantastic run-off areas that challenge scoring.

● Old Head I feel there should be a ‘once in a lifetime’ category for Old Head. It is the most wow-factor course anybody could play. If you were buying a best friend a bucket-list green fee, this would have to be at the top of the list.

Courses with panoramic views

This collection of inland beauties all offer up some sensational vistas that will keep you coming back for more

Concra Wood

This thrilling parkland course is the result of forward thinking by the members of Castleblayney to relocate just down the shore of Lough Muckno. They commissioned not one but two Christy O’Connors to create something special: a championship test that has several holes that would be the signature design at most other courses. There are elevation changes, holes bordering the lough, ponds and eye-catching vistas in every direction. GF: round: €65-€85

Goodwood – Downs

This James Braid design in West Sussex is one of the finest downland courses in the country. The round begins down in the valley but soon runs up into the hills, where it offers far-reaching views over to Chichester and out to sea, as well as plenty of entertaining golf. Benefiting from a Tom Mackenzie upgrade a few years ago, the course is full of character, undeniably memorable, and offers golf that is genuinely quite different. GF: day membership: £125

Pitlochry

Arguably the longest 5,700 yards in British golf, the course at Pitlochry is a fine test which works its way up and down the foothills of the glorious Grampian Mountains. The opening few holes will really get the blood pumping, but the reward for your efforts is a non-stop rollercoaster round packed with idyllic views, near and far. There are no par 5s and just three short holes, but tricky greens and plenty of risk and reward all the way. GF: round/day: £55

PANORAMIC VIEWS

Kington

Golf is supposed to be fun, and this is exactly what golf at Kington is all about. Despite its hilltop setting, the walking is surprisingly easy at this totally natural design that is situated very happily in the middle of nowhere. There are far-reaching and very pastoral views of England and Wales in every direction, and the modest green fee represents remarkable value. Making the pilgrimage will reward anyone with an eye for natural beauty. GF: round: £30-£37

Llanymynech

The truly international course at Llanymynech boasts 15 holes in Wales, while the 4th, 5th and 6th are in England. They are separated by the ancient earthwork that is Offa’s Dyke, and from the 12th tee there are wonderful 360⁰ views over the course, the surrounding countryside, the Welsh mountains in the distance and seemingly the rest of the world. The constant variations in elevation mean a workout for your golf, your legs and your camera. GF: round: £23-£40

STAY & PLAY

l Mar Hall Par 70, 6,507 yards

This Dave Thomas parkland creation, set over gentle slopes by Erskine Bridge above the Clyde, is now ten years old. The Earl of Mar course, which belies its youth, offers fine views down to the river and across to the Kilpatrick Hills, with several holes flanking the banks, perhaps most memorably the par-5 15th as you play towards the bridge.

There may be some challenging climbs at Pitlochry, but what goes up must come down and the internal undulations and external views serve up a constant visual treat. The hotel is a grand, gothic affair looking out over the course. The building was restored to its former glory in 2004, with many original features retained in its conversion to a five-star hotel boasting 52 rooms and suites. Chandeliers and elegance abound in the highceilinged Cristal restaurant, where local Scottish produce is the order of the day. Perhaps best of all, Mar Hall lies just 10 minutes from Glasgow airport. Words: Rob Smith Photography: Mark Alexander