Experts pick the top courses on the Emerald Isle
03-Jun-2009Irish Golf Experience Nov 21, 2008 | Kathleen M. Mangan | TravelAgentCentral
Experts pick the top courses on the Emerald Isle
For golfers headed to Ireland, choosing which course to play can be more challenging than making par on a links course with towering dunes and a stiff sea breeze. Ireland has nearly 450 golf courses, including a third of the world’s seaside links courses (over 50), plus a variety of parkland and heathland courses.
Doonbeg Golf Club
“Ireland is our number-one golf destination,” says Jerry Quinlan, owner of Jerry Quinlan’s Celtic Golf, based in New Jersey. This European golf tour company was launched 19 years ago, and now takes 2,000 golfers a year to the Emerald Isle. It offers chauffeured group tours on customized coaches and self-drive itineraries.
Doonbeg Golf Club is Quinlan’s favorite golf resort in Ireland. This 6,911-yard, par-72 links course was designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2002. It has views of the Atlantic Ocean from 16 of the 18 holes, and dunes over 100 feet high. “The course seems created by God, not machinery,” says Quinlan, adding that sharing jokes with your caddy and pints at the 19th hole are part of the golf experience. There is also a driving range and an excellent caddy program.
The 14th hole, a short par 3, is outstanding, according to Quinlan. “When you step up to the tee, there is a vast drop-off beyond the kidney-shaped green with a view of the ocean and people riding horses on the beach,” he says.
Click here to go to Celtic Golf Vacation in Ireland featuring Doonbeg Golf Club
Click here to read original article
Comment