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Irish Clubs are more inclined to undertake radical work on their classic
layouts, mainly because competition is so fierce in attracting the travelling
golfer. We have been entrusted with work on some of the very best.
At Enniscrone, six new holes have been laid out over dramatic dunes,
a huge reconstruction project completed at Tralee, a new 16th hole built
and a major revision made to the 18th at Royal County Down as well as
a wide ranging update of County Louth that culminated in it hosting the
Irish Open in 2004.
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14th
Green at Enniscrone |
Enniscrone
Enniscrone’s mighty links now boasts holes lapped by the Atlantic
Ocean, the result of one of the most dramatic changes any course has undergone.
To an Irish course that already had its admirers has been added a series
of glorious holes threading a path through mountainous dunes. With such
a true flavour of links, it will have few peers.
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| 15th Hole |
A further project was a major facelift in 2003 to the final
hole which had always been seen as a weakness in the layout.
Regularly voted in the Top 5 in the world,it was hard to
consider how to improve Royal County Down but a new 16th hole and a major
change to the 18th have received almost unanimous approval. A number of
prominent golfing figures had described the first 15 holes as being as
good as any anywhere but the recent work to the closing stretch now gives
this classic links a deserved completeness. Many of the other holes have
been adjusted in readiness for the Walker Cup in 2007 and the popular
Annesley Course was the subject of a major redesign including the construction
of several new holes in 1995.
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| 18th Drive |
County Louth
A sympathetic renovation of this classic links layout was carried out
between 2001 and 2003. Originally laid out by Tom Simpson, one of the
game’s most under-rated architects, the course had stood the test
of time reasonably well but its formidable reputation was being lost as
bunkers slipped out of play. In all, 10 tees were extended or added and
significant amendments made to 8 holes.
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| Aerial View of 18th |
Tralee
In 2001, Tralee embarked upon a project to rebuild all of its greens.
Many suffered from limited pin positions and poor drainage. Over the next
four years, the project expanded hugely with major reshaping of nine fairways
that finally laid to rest its most notorious holes, turning some of the
worst into some of the best.
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| 4th Green |
The Killeen Course at Killarney
Killarney, one of Ireland’s most popular clubs, is not a links but
lies on the shores of one of the country’s beautiful lakes, Lough
Leane. The Killeen Course has hosted numerous Irish Opens as well as the
Solheim Cup, but time had caught up with it and its reputation was weakening.
In 2005, a complete reconstruction was undertaken that should
re-establish it amongst Ireland’s top inland courses.
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