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| Panoramic vista of Connemara Golf Links |
It
took millions of years for the wind and the waves pounding the west
coast of Ireland to shape it's wondrous beauty but it took just the
stroke of a pen, or rather a squiggle, for someone in Bord Failte to
come up with the iconic symbol that signifies the Wild Atlantic Way
that stretches from Malin Head in the north in Donegal to Kinsale in
the south in Cork....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNjsFzyKJOI#t=96
This is one of a number of WAW videos you can watch on YouTube
courtesy of FailteIrelandTV
I
have driven the Pacific Coast Highway in California and seen Big Sur
and in my opinion there is nothing to compare in terms of scenery
with the Wild Atlantic Way.
We
travelled with North and West Coast Links at the end of April/early
May 2014 and we were blessed with unbelievably good weather which, to
be fair, cannot always be guaranteed when visiting the Emerald Isle! But come on - they wouldn't be able to make the Guinness and the whiskey if it wasn't for the water!
If
you are planning a golf and cultural trip anywhere we believe that
the help of experienced professionals will enable you to make the
most of your time and budget and you can be assured that North and West Coast Links will
provide you with the best of service and value for money.
If
you don't want to be bothered with driving and hiring a car you
should consider the services of Spirit of Ireland Executive Travel who can collect you
from any airport and take care of all your transport needs thereby
allowing you to enjoy your trip to the full.
We
arrived in to Dublin airport where we were met by Frank from Spirit of Ireland and our
journey began through the midlands of Ireland to the first stop in
our journey at the magnificent Harvey's Point Hotel
on the outskirts of Donegal town. This luxurious 74 bedroom hotel
nestles on the shores of Lough Eske and offers the very best in
accommodation, fine dining and hospitality. Family owned, this hotel
would offer the ideal location for those who wished to base
themselves centrally between Donegal and Sligo.
Following
a hearty Irish breakfast, of which there were to be many on our
all-too short stay, our first golfing destination was about an hour
north to Narin and Portnoo.
This delightful and unpretentious club and course is a must for
anyone visiting Donegal and receives a solid 5 Ball top rating from
Top 100 Courses. One thing you must be sure to bring with you is your
camera as the views from the course are possibly unrivalled.
After
a bar snack and a pint or two of Guinness we headed south with enough
time left in the day to fit in 9 holes at Donegal Golf Club,
better known to most as Murvagh, sitting as it does on the peninsula
of the same name just on the outskirts of Donegal town. I had played
this course on a number of occasions in years gone by and remembered
it fondly and I was not to be disappointed on my return. If you are
ever visiting Donegal to play golf this course is a must to add to
your list. As you will become used to when you visit the Emerald
Isle, whilst you can't always depend on the weather, you can always
depend on the welcome that you will receive and our sincere thanks go
to everyone for the reception and fine food after our game.
Our
next destination was the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa in Sligo town and
our journey took us about an hour further south along the Wild
Atlantic Way through Ballyshannon and the popular resort town of
Bundoran being treated the whole way with further stunning scenery as
we departed the County of Donegal and into County Sligo. The Radisson
is a renowned hotel group and definitely one for you to check out
when planning your journey. A quiet night at the bar was the order of
the day as the following morning we had one of the greatest treats
that I had been looking forward to on this trip – the championship
links at Rosses Point!
County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point, set in the heart of Yeats country,
is renowned as one of the finest links courses in Ireland and indeed
the whole of the British Isles and the week prior to our visit had
been the host of the annual West of Ireland Amateur Championship. The
week was a huge success as it always is although the weather this
year was in stark contrast to that of the previous year – so be
prepared when you go!
I
was not to be disappointed with Rosses Point and the course and the
magnificent views of the strand, the Atlantic and the surrounding
mountains exceeded my expectations and simply added to enjoyment of
the day. Needless to say the excellence of the golf course was
matched by the reception in the clubhouse and our sincere thanks go
to David O'Donovan and his staff and Jim Robinson in the Pro shop. I
would be happy to return to Sligo any time if only to play Rosses Point
again!
However,
all good things must pass and all too soon we were heading off to our
next destination, the Mount Falcon Estate
in the county of Mayo, where we were to discover a very different
facet to what is on offer along the Wild Atlantic Way!
The
Mount Falcon Estate
is a top hotel offering a wide range of accommodation from luxury
suites to the Woodland and Lakeside lodges plus a number of
self-catering lodges surrounding a private courtyard. As well as
providing an excellent centre point for golf in this area the centre
is the angling hub of the North West where it can offer a number of
packages including fly fishing for salmon, wild brown trout, pike or
a mix of all three depending on the time of the year. You can also
indulge in some clay pigeon shooting, archery and you mustn't miss
out on the exhibition of falconry (see the Dropbox file of high resolution images at the link) which was a treat in itself.
Mount
Falcon served as our base for a couple of nights as we headed off the
next day to play at Enniscrone.
This is one of those courses that tends to be overlooked in
comparison to some of the better known courses but omit this at your
peril! This was definitely one of the most challenging courses played
during our trip and the closing stretch from 12 to the final hole
will remain in the memory for a long time.
 |
| Gone Fishin' |
Our
next destination was Carne Golf Links
the home of Belmullet Golf Club. Renowned course designer Eddie
Hackett was quoted a saying, 'It's difficult to believe the course
only opened for play in 1993. It feels as though it's been here
forever!' However, it was suggested that we play the new 9-hole
Kilmore course at the expense of the original front nine. This nine still has way to go in my opinion before it can be held in the same regard as the original layout as the back nine were far superior in terms of their condition. The closing hole in particular is a feast for the eyes and your game and will have you wanting to return before long.
Our evening stop for the night was the Station House Hotel in Clifden, a modern hotel set around the old station. An excellent stop off on your journey with a great welcome to be had in the Station Bar just across the road from the hotel entrance. An early night was had with a few pints before heading for our final day's golf at Connemara Golf Club.
Connemara Golf Links are yet another great testament to the work of renowned course designer Eddie Hackett. This was a fitting end to our journey as it is a course where you can really open your shoulders and the back nine has been referred to by as some as 'equal to any in the world'. A big claim some would say but for sheer enjoyment this course was right up there. As in all the clubs we played we recieved a great welcome and it was with a certain sadness that the clubs were loaded into the bus for the final time.
However, if we thought our excitement was over for the trip we had one final surprise awaiting us at our final stop - Glenlo Abbey on the outskirts of Galway city. If you want to finish off a trip of a lifetime in 5-Star luxury then you need look no further. Between the wildness of Connemara and the vibrancy of Galway City just minutes away, you have the opportunity to finish off your journey with a touch of the Orient Express - literally! The Pullman Restaurant consists of a number of carriages from the original train, having been positioned on an original section of the old Clifden to Galway railway line in the grounds of the hotel. You can read more of its history and association with the movie, 'Murder on the Orient Express' and its part in Winston Churchill's final journey here.
I've talked about the golf, the scenery, the welcome but I have only really touched on the cuisine. I can tell you that everything from a beautiful piece of batterered cod and chips to the finest Michelin Star cuisine is available throughout your trip and it would be unfair to single out any of our destinations at the expense of any others. All I can say is that, if you are a bit of a 'foody' like me you are not going to be disappointed. My sincere thanks go to all of the caterers at each of the golf clubs and the hotels and restaurants that we visited - it makes me hungry just thinking about it!
And so our journey came to an all to sudden end. Mere words are insufficient to describe what a superb place this is to visit and so I would encourage to click on all of the links to the various destinations we visited.
I have a selected list of photographs you can view on this DropBox Folder.
If you are considering a trip to the Wild Atlantic Way, for golf or any other reason, you should contact John McLaughlin at North and West Coast Links and please use the reference Golf Links Spain 2014.
For more information on the actual golf courses I am indebted to Top 100 Golf Courses of the World for their permission to include these links. They will tell you all you need to know about the courses covered in this article;
For Narin and Portnoo, click here
For Donegal Golf Club at Murvagh, click here
For County Sligo Championship Links at Rosses Point, click here
For Enniscrone Golf Club, click here
For Carne Golf Links, click here
For Connemara Golf Links, click here
Written by GMacSpain
Why not follow me on Twitter @gmacespanya
Our evening stop for the night was the Station House Hotel in Clifden, a modern hotel set around the old station. An excellent stop off on your journey with a great welcome to be had in the Station Bar just across the road from the hotel entrance. An early night was had with a few pints before heading for our final day's golf at Connemara Golf Club.
Connemara Golf Links are yet another great testament to the work of renowned course designer Eddie Hackett. This was a fitting end to our journey as it is a course where you can really open your shoulders and the back nine has been referred to by as some as 'equal to any in the world'. A big claim some would say but for sheer enjoyment this course was right up there. As in all the clubs we played we recieved a great welcome and it was with a certain sadness that the clubs were loaded into the bus for the final time.
I've talked about the golf, the scenery, the welcome but I have only really touched on the cuisine. I can tell you that everything from a beautiful piece of batterered cod and chips to the finest Michelin Star cuisine is available throughout your trip and it would be unfair to single out any of our destinations at the expense of any others. All I can say is that, if you are a bit of a 'foody' like me you are not going to be disappointed. My sincere thanks go to all of the caterers at each of the golf clubs and the hotels and restaurants that we visited - it makes me hungry just thinking about it!
And so our journey came to an all to sudden end. Mere words are insufficient to describe what a superb place this is to visit and so I would encourage to click on all of the links to the various destinations we visited.
I have a selected list of photographs you can view on this DropBox Folder.
If you are considering a trip to the Wild Atlantic Way, for golf or any other reason, you should contact John McLaughlin at North and West Coast Links and please use the reference Golf Links Spain 2014.
For more information on the actual golf courses I am indebted to Top 100 Golf Courses of the World for their permission to include these links. They will tell you all you need to know about the courses covered in this article;
For Narin and Portnoo, click here
For Donegal Golf Club at Murvagh, click here
For County Sligo Championship Links at Rosses Point, click here
For Enniscrone Golf Club, click here
For Carne Golf Links, click here
For Connemara Golf Links, click here
Written by GMacSpain
Why not follow me on Twitter @gmacespanya
As well as providing an excellent centre point for golf in this area the centre is the angling hub of the North West where it can offer a number of packages including fly fishing for salmon, wild brown trout, pike or a mix of all three depending on the time of the year. Yo can find he best rangefinder by checking the reviews.
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