Links Challenge Tour of ireland

Course 1 - Lahinch

Course 2 - Doonbeg

Next in the list of the Clare-Kerry links trail is the Greg Norman designed Doonbeg which derived its name from the Irish ‘Dun Beag’ which roughly means small fort. This course was officially opened on July 9, 2002 by an exhibition between Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Norman himself, which Norman won by 2 and 1.
The layout is unusual in that it has five par 3’s and five par 5’s – it measures 6,885 yards and is a par 72. There is a magnificent clubhouse and also the development has a five star accommodation hotel and lodges and also first class restaurant and golf-bar restaurant.
The Doonbeg project is believed to be the largest single investment in this part of Ireland and this amazing golf course has a magnetic appeal for thousands of golfers. Doonbeg is a priceless jewel between Lahinch and Ballybunion and one that simply must be played.

Course 3 - Ballybunion

Moving on to the county that is called the Kingdom (Kerry) and our stop takes us to the seaside town of Ballybunion, located on the estuary of the Shannon river where it sweeps into the Atlantic. In this seaside town is the world renowned 18-hole par 71 championship golf course. In fact this complex also hosts a tremendous 72 par Robert Trent Jones golf course called the Robert Trent Jones Cashen Course.
Ballybunion Old Course was made famous by a visit from Tom Watson in the seventies and he was so taken by its splendour that he visited many more times and in fact was made captain of this famous club in 2000. He spread the gospel in America when he returned and  since then the famous Old Course has seen many high profile golfers and dignitaries such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Ernie Els, Payne Stewart, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods and President Bill Clinton to name but a few.
The Old Course exudes a majestic feel that simply cannot be compared to any other course on earth. With beautifully contoured fairways that tumble down through a blanket of grassy dunes, it’s no wonder these challenging holes have been consistently rated among the top courses in the world.

Course 4 - Tralee Golf Club

Twenty odd miles down south from Ballybunion and we come to the majestic Tralee Golf Course. Designed by Arnold Palmer in 1984, this course has some magnificent scenery which includes the Maharees to the left and the beach and bays of Banna Strand and Ballyheigue.
On the 1st and 2nd holes is the spectacular view of the beach and was the location of beach scenes of the 1970 epic movie Ryan’s Daughter, which won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
The tower at the back of the 3rd green dates back to the 1190s, while legend has it that the sandstone rock at the end of the wall running diagonally between the 4th and 5th fairways was hurled by the mythical Cuchulainn from the top of Sliabh Mish.
The beach behind the 16th green was where many ships ran aground, including one from the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Tralee Golf Club hosts a magnificent clubhouse where one can sit and relax and view the fantastic variation of scenery on offer and dine in comfortable surroundings. Well worth a visit.

Course 5 - Waterville Golf Club

Moving further down south from Tralee and where one can enjoy a most spectacular drive through the renowned Ring of Kerry trail, we arrive at Waterville Golf Course, the last but by no means least of our five courses on the Clare-Kerry Links Trail. Here one comes across a majestic piece of dunesland which is home to Waterville, most recently (2006) redesigned by Tom Fazio who said that the setting was one of the best he had seen for golf.

The course stretches over 7,300 yards but players should not be intimidated as several tees come into play on every hole so all standards of golfers can be catered for. Numerous professional tournaments were played in Waterville and Charlie Chaplin was an esteemed member. Other members included Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, Stuart Appleby, David Duval and David Jansen and most importantly Payne Stewart accepted the captaincy of Waterville in 1999 – the last honour he would receive before his tragic death. There is a life sized bronze statue which pays tribute to the captaincy and his special relationship to Waterville.