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I t can be said with some justification that Ireland is different. The place exudes a warmth and hospitality that is unusual, but its disregard of time must make it unique. As an antidote to a stressful working life, golf in Ireland can be recommended.  Coastal golf in Ireland
 This is golf as it used to be played and, in this one refuge, still is. With clubs over the shoulder and few other golfers in sight, a comfortable round can be had in three hours, followed of course by a pint or two of Guinness - Ireland's world famous black beer. Not for the Irish the five hour frustration of resort golf elsewhere in the world.
The long rivers and lush countryside of Ireland offer much more than golf. The fishing is probably the best in Europe, the riding, walking and boating in a clean, beautiful landscape are unforgettable experiences.  Coastal golf in Ireland Accommodation is enormously varied from cottages to castles, bed and breakfast in typical family homes, whether in town or country, allow sight of the local way of life and offer exceptional value. It will be clean and comfortable. Hotels of all grades abound; some are rustic and charming, others efficiently modern. Food reflects the quality of the unpolluted rivers and lush pastures with outstanding meat and fish. It is served with charm and generosity.  The 9th at Rotyal County Down Some thirty miles south of Belfast on the coast at Newcastle is sited what is generally thought to be the best links course in Britain and one of the world's top 100 courses, Royal County Down. This is not a course for beginners. It is prodigiously bunkered, the fairways are narrow, the rough severe and the carries more often than not impressive , but the rewards are equally dramatic. There is not a bad hole on the course and many are great by any standard and, incidentally, Tom Morris was awarded £4 for his design in 1889! The fairways are all private, some by the sea and all against a backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne. It pays to book.
The easiest point of access to the Republic is the Georgian gem of the city of Dublin and even the keenest golfer is urged to spare a day to sample the cultural, culinary and alcoholic delights on offer. The golfing choices are many and varied, from the historic to the modern, the links to the park, the challenging to the heartbreaking.
On a selective survey of the Dublin area to the North of the city is Royal Dublin, a links of 6.244m, par 73, of which Lee Trevino said, "The finish here from the 13th onwards is as tough as you will find in golf". Another links a little further North, bordered on three sides by the sea is Portmarnock, historic and magnificent, where the golfer pits himself against the turf, the wind, sea and sky. Although not in the business of league tables, this is one of the world's great courses, a complete examination of technique and temperament. The course record of 66 is held jointly by Christy O'Connor and Gary Player. It has stood for over thirty years. Visitors are welcome only on three days a week and should book.
 Ballybunion In the South West, County Kerry is blessed with Ballybunnion, that remote giant of a links which now has a second course. When the wind blows it comes non-stop from New York. It is a favourite with many Americans, not least Tom Watson, who says of it, "It is a course you will always enjoy and never tire of playing". A little further South is Tralee which, with Waterville, complete the country's exceptional collection of world class links courses. Inland on the banks of Lough Leane sits Killarney, two courses which combine of their best to produce the championship challenge in most beautiful surroundings. Although unusually the Mahoney's Point course finishes with a par 3 by the lake-side, the setting is of such magnificence that Henry Longhurst said of it, "What a lovely place to die".  Lahingh golf course
The cost of golf is normally priced by the day and compares very favourably with anywhere else in Europe. Green fees range from Irish Punt 10 to 30 per day with a very few as high as Irish Punt 60. Charging per day is the normal convention in Ireland.  Carne Links
Moving around Ireland is a pleasant, almost old-fashioned exercise. The signposts are pretty reliable but it is almost as if the nation has rejected motorways as being unsympathetic to the pace of Irish life. Getting lost must be treated as an opportunity to meet the locals and sample their hospitality.
 The famous Dublin Castle End |
Ireland 
