Welcome to Ireland 2024

When Irish eyes are smiling – we are also smiling. And why not?

The PaR nz team have the pleasure of offering you a place on our special tour to the ‘Emerald Isle’ in July 2024. Enjoy the challenge of an extraordinary selection of seven Irish golf courses – Carton House, Old Head, The K Club, Cork, Adare Manor, Lahinch, and Doonbeg. Staying in iconic resorts and hotels including Carton House, Adare Manor, Trump International Doonbeg and Hayfield Manor Hotel. This is 5-star accommodation with 5-star golf all the way!

Our tour package includes eleven nights of luxury accommodation, seven rounds of world-class championship golf and the chance to go on to Scotland to the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, with a special Turnberry add-on bonus package. This is a tour not to be missed.

We start our Ireland ’24 tour on the outskirts of Dublin staying at Carton House, managed by the Fairmont Group. The hotel, a historic mansion with two championship golf courses, is set on 1,100 acres of sweeping Kildare parkland.

As you walk through the doors of this magnificent hotel you step back in time to experience the lives of the Irish aristocracy who once resided here. The original details of the manor house merge harmoniously with the contemporary luxury touches one would expect to find from a leading resort.

The list of celebrities and royalty to grace the grounds of Carton House is endless. Queen Victoria holidayed there enjoying time beside the lakes. Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier enjoyed a visit. Peter Sellers and Marianne Faithfull lived there for years. The 1st Duke of Leinster chose it for his country seat in 1739 keeping the mansion in the FitzGerald family until the mid-20th century.

With all this history and luxury perfectly paired with a warm Irish welcome, Carton House will create an unforgettable guest experience.

We begin our golf adventure with golf on site at Carton House playing the O’Meara Course – one of the two courses on offer. Next, we go to the nearby K Club, playing the Palmer North Course, host of the 2006 Ryder Cup and Irish Opens including 2023.

It’s then off to Hayfield Manor a boutique luxury hotel in County Cork. Since its opening in 1996, the Hayfield Manor 5-star hotel has been consistently recognised for providing exceptional service. This is reflected in the various awards with which Hayfield Manor has been honoured. The estate, in the heart of Cork city, was originally owned by the Musgrave family, famous grocery merchants since 1876. The current owners, the Scally family, purchased the estate from the Musgrave family and established Cork’s first 5-star hotel and have continued the hotel’s high standards.

During our stay in Cork, we play one of the world’s most photographed courses – Old Head. We also enjoy a day playing one of Alister MacKenzie’s original courses – Cork GC. We then head north to Limerick to Adare Manor.

Staying at Adare Manor is a lavish experience. The hotel was recently awarded a five-star rating by Forbes Travel Guide 2023, and voted the #1 Resort in the World by Condé Nast Traveller 2022. Its full reward will come to fruition in 2027 as the European host of the Ryder Cup.

Adare Manor was a labour of love from the very start, created to delight, astonish and impress. That legacy is vividly alive in the manor house itself: sumptuously restored, brimming with gothic splendour, and perfectly appointed in every detail. There are 340 hectares of pristine parkland to roam and a Michelin restaurant to dine in along with a world-class spa to refresh and reflect – and yes, we also have golf to play! Adare Manor – a Tom Fazio masterpiece awaits.

Our final nights of luxury and indulgence will be spent at Trump Doonbeg on the wild Atlantic Coast. The investment the Trump family has made in golf worldwide is extensive and every detail at the hotel and on the course is perfectly executed.

Doonbeg is a favourite place of stay for PaR nz who have hosted many past tours there. In 2024 we play both the Greg Norman Doonbeg Course and the nearby, historical Lahinch private members’ course.

Come join us – see the smiling eyes of the Irish – and enjoy the Craic with us.

It will be our pleasure. Denise

Denise & Kim

PaR

nz Golfing Holidays

Email denise@parnz.co.nz or kim@parnz.co.nz

Carton House O’Meara Course Dublin, County Kildare

Designer: Mark O’Meara

Opened 2002

We start our 2024 Ireland Tour staying and playing on site at Carton House, on the outskirts of Dublin. There is a lot of history in this golf course and our chosen hotel. Two-time Majors Champion Mark O’Meara has created a classic parkland experience, an undulating layout, wandering through ancient woodlands, around the banks of the river Rye.

The wonderful water features and great variety of trees that adorn the O’Meara Course are the legacy of Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster (1731-1814) – also known as the Countess of Kildare (1747-61) and Marchioness of Kildare (1761-66). Lady Emily played a significant role in the development of the Carton House estate in the mid-to-late 1700s, when not attending to the demands of her 23 children.

Over 30,000 rounds are played annually on the O’Meara Course by golfers from around the globe. The signature hole is the 18th which offers a breath-taking view of the historical Palladian Manor House. Many photos have been taken of the Manor and over its reflective lake to the picturesque boathouse, custom built for Queen Victoria.

Another highlight that demands a photo, and a grand tee shot, is from the par-4 10th. The 17th century Tyrconnell watchtower provides a great line and views over the countryside.

Carton House, now managed by the Fairmont Group is an ultra-luxury hotel and is one of Ireland’s award winning golf and hotel destinations. PaR nz Golfing Holidays stayed and played Carton House O’Meara while on tour to The Open in 2022 – and it was a winner with the 2022 team.

The K Club – Palmer North Course Dublin, County Kildare

Designer: Arnold Palmer

Opened 1991

An iconic club and next on tour is The K Club, playing the Ryder Cup Course – Palmer North. This challenging parkland layout became firmly fixed in Irish golfing legend when it hosted the initially very wet, but ultimately hugely successful Ryder Cup matches in 2006 when Europe dominated the scoreboard 18 ½ to 9 ½.

Originally known as the North Course, then the Palmer Course, then the Ryder Cup Course, and now the Palmer North, this wonderfully testing layout has many memorable holes and features that bring the River Liffey into play.

The gently flowing river, which eventually passes through Dublin, weaves its way alongside several holes. At the double-doglegging par-5 7th it hugs the hole’s left side before cutting across in front of the green; a delightful white-painted suspension bridge gives access to the green. The river also induces much knee-trembling at the right-to-left curving 8th – the course’s signature par-4.

More water threatens in front of the clubhouse, with a fountain-adorned lake seriously in play on your approach to the par-5 18th green.

The elegant Straffan House provides a wonderful backdrop to several holes – have your camera ready at this course, also! Recent ratings put The K Club –Palmer North 28th in Ireland (Golf World 2023).

Inspired and created by one of Ireland’s leading businessmen, Dr Michael Smurfit, a packaging and paper mill merchant, The K Club is Ireland’s most famous inland golf venue and home of the European Open.

The Irish Open will return to The K Club as part of a long-term deal with the DP World Tour, which will see the National Open played at the former Ryder Cup venue in 2023, 2025 and 2027.

Old Head Golf Links

Kinsale, County Cork

Collaborative design: Ro Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Lian Higgins, Eddie Hackett and Dr Joe Carr. Opened 1997

This course is a photographers dream! Old Head Golf Links sits atop 300-foot cliffs that plunge into the Atlantic Ocean on all sides. If golf was simply about scenery and location, Old Head would surely top all the rating lists such is its unique and jaw-dropping location.

When opened for play in 1997 it caused quite a stir... not least among the thousands of tourists and local ramblers who were thenceforth barred from visiting this iconic headland on the Cork coastline. Now Old Head is the sole preserve of golfers... not an insignificant green fee – but, oh so worth it!

Beyond great scenery, golf courses need to be playable. And this is where the Old Head lays down its biggest challenge, especially when the wind blows, as is often the case. The layout is necessarily characterised by good-width rolling fairways, complemented by excellent bunkering and large expansive greens.

The par 72 course includes five par-5s and five par-3s, with six teeing options on each hole. Nine of the holes play directly along the cliffs’ edge, with precipitous drops on one side or the other.

Principal among Old Head’s challenge is flighting your ball into the wind, and keeping it from taking a deep plunge into the Atlantic. If you strike lucky, you’ll face a moderate breeze. At other times, it’s likely to be a case of hang on to your hat! Some golf experiences are not about counting your score, but rather marvelling at a unique golfing adventure. Old Head offers one such thrill.

Pick of the holes? What a question! But you will for sure remember the opening stretch of four holes that head up to the lighthouse, unforgettable, while the par-5 12th also presents another jaw-dropping spectacle. The stunning par-4 18th plays from the lighthouse back to the clubhouse, usually with the wind assisting.

The brainchild of John and Patrick O’Connor, Old Head has developed into one of the most recognised and sought after golf experiences anywhere in the worlda sanctuary for those seeking the finest in personalised service. The Old Head Caddie Programme is one of the most extensive and professional worldwide, with approximately 160 caddies working at the Club during the season.

Latest rankings include Ireland, 16th best in Ireland ( Golf World , 2023); GB&I: 74th best course in Britain & Ireland ( Golf World, 2022). World: formerly ranked 96th best course in the world.

Adare Manor County Limerick Designer: Robert Trent Jones Snr (1995), revamped by Tom Fazio (2017) Opened 1995

The Golf Course at Adare Manor is the centrepiece at one of Ireland’s most luxurious Stay & Play locations... the stunning 840-acre Adare Manor estate. And PaR nz Golfing Holidays will be there in 2024!

Together with the sumptuous manor house itself, and all its top-quality facilities, Adare Manor offers an unforgettable golf experience. Following Tom Fazio’s redesign of the golf course in 2017, the green fee for resident guests has been pitched at a weighty level... opportunities for non-resident visiting golfers are few and far between.

Like most Robert Trent Jones Snr layouts, Adare Manor features an array of testing challenges, with copious bunkering and many large ‘lunar landscape’ greens. The course contains plenty of variety, with many pleasantly tree-lined holes, and others laid out in more open settings.

A large lake brings water into play on the front-nine, while several back-nine holes make excellent use of the attractive River Maigue. The river flows through the entire length of the course, passing directly in front of the manor house along the way.

The long par-5 9th and slightly shorter 18th provide a fitting end to each of the excellent nine-hole loops. The manor house serves as a magnificent backdrop to the straight 9th hole. The signature 18th hole is flanked on its left side by the river. For brave heart big-hitters, there’s the chance to cross the river and reach the green in two. For mere mortals, it’s better to play it safe and savour the spectacle of the final green, which is overlooked by a historic cedar of Lebanon, the beautiful manor house also dominating the picturesque backdrop.

In 2019, Adare Manor owner JP McManus proudly announced that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland at Adare Manor in 2027. “It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane’s momentous 2019 Open win in Portrush.” He stated he was confident that the people of Ireland will get behind The Ryder Cup and take the opportunity to showcase Ireland on the world stage and ensure that the 2027 Ryder Cup will be an outstanding success for the Irish economy and across the south west community.

A course to be played and enjoyed – great rankings include Ireland: 10th best course in Ireland (Golf World, 2023) and in GB&I: 55th best course in Britain & Ireland (Golf World, 2022).

Cork Golf Club County Cork

Opened 1888 with a complete renovation by Alister MacKenzie in 1925. A major upgrade by Hawtree Ltd 2010

Originally founded in 1888 as a club by local businessmen, the game of golf was played on the rough surface of working stone quarries owned by the Cantillon Family.

In 1925, the great Alistair MacKenzie was invited by the club to build a championship layout on the quarry site and the rest is a long and prestigious history. Cork Golf Club has hosted many major amateur and professional championships over the years including the Irish Open. Its free-draining limestone base creates a crisp heath-like playing surface similar to links courses. Its views over the Cork inner harbour are spectacular.

The club did not rest on its laurels as a MacKenzie course, but continually upgraded and modernised, using prominent golf architects such as Frank Pennick, well known for his work in Portugal and Dave Thomas associated with the Belfry in England. Even the renowned American architect

Over the years, new greens, bunkers and tees were established and the course was considerably lengthened. However the planting of a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees drastically altered the course appearance, leading to the attractive original features of rock, gorse and water becoming less obvious.

Recognising this and the progression in golf technology, in 2010 an upgrading proposal presented by the well-regarded architects Hawtree Ltd, was sanctioned. This included re-modeling all tees to American PGA standards, re-landscaping and more significantly re-bunkering to more faithfully reflect the original MacKenzie design concept. The ambitious program was successfully completed in 2013.

The revamped course is now a worthy challenge for players of all standards.

Lahinch Old Course Lahinch, County Clare

Designed by Old Tom Morris, with later modifications by Dr Alister MacKenzie (1920’s) and more by Martin Hawtree (2003) Open 1892

Lahinch will be one of those special courses that is an honour to play because of its history and difficulty in gaining access to the private member course. But yes, PaR nz will be there in 2024.

Located on the edge of Lahinch Bay, Lahinch is simply one of Ireland’s best known and best loved links golf courses.

The Old Course at Lahinch is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Inagh River, the town of Lahinch and a small local road. Inside these bounds, you’ll discover towering dunes, fabulous ocean views and a thoroughly absorbing layout; first conceived by Old Tom Morris, and then perfected by the great Alistair MacKenzie. Though it is worth noting that Dr MacKenzie did not touch the original par-5 4th nor the par-3 5th because they were already perfect!

The Old Course occupies as perfect an environment for seaside golf as can be found anywhere. Threading through the impressive sandhills, are crisp-turf rolling fairways and an abundance of links-style pot bunkers, all with more ‘gathering’ ability than their size suggests. Nestling amongst the dunes are fast-paced greens, full of mesmerising slopes.

From almost every part of this most memorable course, and not just from its higher elevations, there are spectacular views to enjoy. Across the road is the club’s Castle Course, not as highly- rated or as long as the Old Course, but also worth playing if you have time.

PaR nz’s pick of the holes: much revered (and maybe feared) at Lahinch are its two infamous ‘blind’ holes. The short par-5 4th (Klondyke) requires a good length drive, before going up and over a 35-foot dune that straddles the fairway; the hope is that your second shot gets you close to the blind green somewhere in the distance.

Old Tom has you guessing again at the 5th (Dell). At this world-famous, short par-3, a long shallow green sits snuggly between two 30-foot-high sand dunes, completely out of sight from the tee.

Historic notes record that in March 1892 Alexander Shaw, Richard Plummer and a number of officers from the British Army’s Black Watch Regiment went in search of sand dunes suitable for the creation of a golf course. They discovered Lahinch. The first game of golf was played on Good Friday 1892 between Lt William McFarlane of the Black Watch and William F. McDonnell, a Limerick businessman. Feathers and sticks were used to mark out the course.

In 1894 Lahinch Golf Club’s founder Alexander Shaw invited Old Tom Morris to design a new links golf course. Old Tom commented that Lahinch was “the finest natural course he had ever seen”. Lahinch is the anglicised form of Leath Inse, which means peninsula.

Lahinch is the annual venue for the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, among whose illustrious past winners are: Darren Clarke (1990), Paul McGinley (1991) and Graeme McDowell (2000). Padraig Harrington was twice the runner-up (1994, 1995).

Significant rankings include recognition by Golf World 2023, 5th best course in Ireland, with regular top billings in Great Britain & Ireland ratings, and as best as 36th in the world (Golf Magazine 2021 & 2022).

Trump Doonbeg Doonbeg, County Clare

Designer Greg Norman

Opened 2002

Once you get past the grandeur of the fabulous Doonbeg luxury resort, head out to one of Ireland’s truly great golf masterpieces – reminiscent of many historical links challenges but one which is only 21 years old!

Originally known as Doonbeg Golf Club, then as Doonbeg Resort, this luxury hotel and golf links development is now part of the expanding Trump Golf collection. Although not quite as revered as its older ‘siblings’ Ballybunion and Lahinch, Doonbeg still offers a wonderful links golf outing, and some of Ireland’s most memorable oceanside holes.

Greg Norman’s design captures all the natural splendour of an impressive line of sand dunes. From the tops of the sandhills, you are afforded wonderful views of Shanahan’s Strand (beach) and Doughmore Bay.

The classic links layout incorporates many revetted (sodfaced) bunkers, complementing others that were shaped by nature itself. One of the more mischievous sand traps makes an appearance in the middle of the 12th green. The dangers lurking at three relatively short par-3s are clear enough to see, but that doesn’t make these tricky holes any easier to play.

Doonbeg (Dún Beag in Irish) means “small fort.” As you enter the village, you’ll see the remains of Doonbeg Castle, standing alongside the bridge over the Doonbeg River.

The challenge of Trump’s Doonbeg has received top billings with 14th best ranking in Golf World’s 2023 Irish rankings, and 58th best course in Golf World (2022) for call courses in Great Britain and Ireland.