Ireland’s golf courses have been receiving many accolades in the past year and have even been regarded as one of the five best countries to golf in. Offering a variety of parkland and traditional link courses, you can pick blindly among the courses that dot the whole country and still get a great course to play in.

Many of these amazing golf courses have been the venue of international professional tournaments with its championship courses and great accommodations. The warm Irish welcome alone would make you feel right at home.

Its heritage in golf is unquestioned as a number of golf courses are “mature” dating back to the late 1800’s. One of these is the Cork Golf Club in Little Island, Co. Cork. Established in 1888, the Cork Golf Club was redesigned in 1927 by the renowned golf course designer Dr. Alexander Mackenzie, who designed also other famous golf courses like the Augusta National, Royal Melbourne and the Cypress point to name a few.

Throughout the course you will see many mature trees and various patches of gorse growing and making the course look more natural. The estuary of the River Lee, Lough Mahon provides the scenic Background that stretches on almost the entire course. Cork’s limestone quarry affects the course and provides a play that is similar links courses with its crisp heath like playing surface.

Like wine, the age of the Cork Golf Club has made it more palatable and more enticing to golfers. With finely manicured greens carpeting the par 72, 6,731 championship course, the Cork Golf Club course can offer the same if not better game play as any other premier golf course in Ireland and even the world.

But it’s not only the golf course that makes the Cork Golf Club a success and a favorite. Its clubhouse and other facilities as well are world class and have been handed with accolades by many golf enthusiasts and experts.

In 2004 alone, the prestigious All Ireland Award for Clubhouse presentation was given to the Cork Golf Club. Its deluxe and top quality service restaurant has a full bar and top notch dining facilities with fantastic food as well. It is open seven days a week and offers a great way to end a day of playing golf. In the clubhouse you will also find their roomy and well-designed changing rooms that have fantastic facilities for both members and visitors.

A bit of stretching, practice and warm up before the game? The Cork Golf Club also has practice facilities like a perfectly maintained and manicured putting green as well as a practice ground for your swings. There you will also have the chance to rent some clubs and, caddy and golf carts as well.

Then you can just go their Pro shop if you want to buy some souvenir shirts, caps, bags that have the clubs logo on it. You may also purchase any equipment you need to play your game. There you may also be able to get the chance to talk to the club pro for some pointers or enroll in some short classes to get some tips to improve your game.

Many people have grown a passion for golf. This has led them to grow the need to play challenging games to test themselves. Make a vacation out of that need, golf vacation spots in Ireland are abound and one of this is the Cork Golf Club.

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Play the Game of your Life in Waterville Golf Club, An Irish Luxury Every Golfer should Experience

Earning a well-deserved 92nd rank in the 2005 edition of Gold Digests top 100 golf courses outside of the United States of America, the Waterville Golf Club represents clearly what golf links should be. Its not only a golf course, it’s a mystical retreat where one can rediscover the passion for golf and play the game with pure enjoyment, plus having the beauty of nature surround you in each and every hole.

Rated as one of Irelands longest links courses, the Waterville Golf Club has a total of 7,311 yards of pure golf heaven. You will find many scenic views as you play the game allowing you to have peace of mind and a deep appreciation for its design and culture. Located in Ireland’s famous and amazingly beautiful Ring of Kerry, the Waterville Golf Club is surrounded by hills sprinkled with cottages and the Atlantic Ocean and the Ballinskelligs Bay in its sides.

Playing golf at the Waterville Golf Club would expose you to strong gusts of winds that can provide a very challenging game. The course also is a combination native grasses, sand dune gores, sod faced bunkers, firm fairways, and fine putting surfaces that is made even more difficult by unpredictable and constantly changing weather. A link course that is already a hundred years old, the Waterville Golf Club is in the top 5 golf courses in Ireland and is also in the top 20 golf link courses all over the world.

But aside from its world-class course, Waterville Golf Club also offers a lot of amenities and services that could make every golfer feel like royalty.

There you will find the elegant Waterville Golf Club clubhouse filled with everything a golfer would ever need. Showcasing a collection of impressive classic golf memorabilia and golf photographs and arts that makes up the ambience and the aura that is unmistakably a golfer’s paradise. There is also a restaurant that offers great Irish dishes and fresh seafood that can captivate even the most discriminating and picky eater. There is also a bar that offers the best pints in all of Kerry.

Adjacent to the clubhouse is a pro-shop where you can find all the golfing equipment that you may need. There is also a golf school nearby with golf pro’s that can teach you the basics and the different secrets to playing golf.

Looking for accommodations? You don’t even have to go far. You can spend your entire golfing vacation right in Waterville Golf Club. The Waterville house is an 18th century manor rated 4-stars for its excellent service and features. Situated in a forty-acre property beside the Atlantic, the Waterville house has 12 suite bedrooms, a steam room and sauna, health facilities with a gym and massage room, a billiard room and even a golf practicing area. There are also private rivers and lakes for those who want to have a little down time fishing for salmon and sea trout.

Ireland has always been known for its great golf courses, many pros flock to their ocean side golf links not only because of the great games they would be able to play, but also, the warm welcome they receive and the great services and accommodations they will get.

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When a vacation is coming up, golfers eagerly anticipate the time where they can load their gear and race to the courses. But for some who have worked the daily grind, this precious time will be spent on something truly worthwhile that would be the stuff memories are truly made off. Some of them save up and go to Ireland.

Why Ireland?

Simple, they have got some of the best golf courses, whether it be links or parkland courses, that the world have ever seen. Many golfers have discussed the fabulous games they have played and this has made the popularity of Ireland with regards to their golf even grow so much more.

Situated 8 kilometers northwest of the town of Sligo, you will find a century old golf course that has tested many seasoned golfers and have continually to do so. Founded at Rosses Point, the County Sligo Golf Club started in 1894 as a nine-hole links course and was soon developed as a full 18-hole course a dozen years later. Today, this mature golf course has been the site for many prestigious events such as the West of Ireland Championship, which calls the course its home. The club has also been chosen as the host for the Irish Close Championship, the Interprovincial Championships, and the Home International Championships, cementing its stature as a world-class golf course.

One of five beautiful golf courses found in Sligo, the County Sligo Golf Club golf course is a natural beauty that is encompassed by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a range of mountains on the other. The fresh breeze from the ocean is a welcome accompaniment as you play along the course, but this same wind could get treacherous as strong gusts can greatly affect the game play. This has been a great challenge for many skilled and seasoned golfers and also a great teacher for the novice.

And since it’s a vacation, you’re family can tag along as well. Sligo town offers a wide variety of attractions and activities for the whole family. The kids can be taken to the biggest birds of prey sanctuary in the whole of Ireland and watch these predators swoop down and soar in their homes. You can also take them to the Woodville farm where rare animal breeds and historic farms can be visited.

You may also take your family in a horse ride whether it is a run in the beaches or a slow ride through the scenic views of this side of Ireland. True family fun for adults and kids are assured and you get to enjoy nature’s best.

But what would an Ireland vacation be if you don’t get a chance to savor a true Irish meal. A number of restaurants are just waiting to serve you the finest that this side of Ireland has to offer. Choose from a wide array of specialties and get a chance to be a witness to great Irish cuisines.

A golf vacation doesn’t have to mean that you need to leave your family behind. No vacation would be fun without them. Going to Sligo would be the best choice as you get to play golf in some of the greatest courses in the world and have the chance to do a host of activities as well with your family.

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Proudly standing up as Irelands newest link course amidst the many century old courses, the Doonbeg Golf Club was opened in 2002 and was designed by Greg Norman himself. With just four years of experience tucked under its belt, Doonbeg has made itself a world-class golf course combining luxury and links golf.

Set on the cliffs high along the coast, Doonbeg Golf Club has found a treasure of a land to place its course and have instilled luxurious accommodations to cater to every golfer’s whims.

Greg Norman himself was rendered speechless with the beauty of the landscape and has deemed it incomparable to all the golf courses he has been to all over the world. Tucked into one of Ireland’s coasts, the Doonbeg Golf Club has found a treasure in its property.

Just opening its fabulous lodge this year, the Doonbeg Golf Club lodge is Ireland’s newest premier luxury destination not only for golfers, but also for those who want a luxurious vacation. A mere 45-minute drive from Shannon, the lodge offers a golf shop, fine dining, a pub, a spa and luxury suites.

Convincing your wife and family to join you in your dream golf vacation in Ireland would not be a problem when you show them the brochure to the fabulous lodge that houses the guests. More than just simple accommodations, each guest gets a private residence that could be a person’s home away from home.

Experience a unique experience as each suite is individually designed to cater to every needs of a discriminating golfer. But each and every suite has its own fireplace designed living room, kitchen that is fully equipped, and is designed to cater to every family needs.

There are also cottages that vacationers can rent to achieve full isolation and serenity, truly the Doonbeg Golf Club provides a chance to escape and live life to the fullest.

Being a member in the Doonbeg Golf Club also opens a lot of benefits and opportunities, you don’t only get to play golf but you also get to enjoy:

· The chance to be an owner of cottages and club suites at The Lodge that can be used for personal travels or as a home when in Ireland.
· Being provided with use of members only amenities such as the members clubhouse, living room, locker room, pub and dining room.
· The privilege of nominating other potential members to the club.
· Discounted rates at the suites and cottages and you get priority in bookings at the golf course.
· Members only tournaments.
· Storage of bags.
· Advanced reservations and members-only tee times.
· And so much more.

There comes a time when a seasoned golfer would look far beyond his area. Playing golf has always been known as the gentleman’s game and was enjoyed at its early days only by the aristocrats of Europe. If you still want to experience the luxury and the heydays of golf, Doonbeg Golf Club is the place to go for your golf vacation trip in Ireland.

Check out their website or call your local travel agencies. This could be the best golf travel spot in Ireland that you can spend your much-earned money and vacation time in.

Debra McDonough
Pirates Of The Green

Ranked No 16 in the world as one of the best golf courses, No. 8 in the top 10 courses for welcome, No. 6 in the worlds 10 most difficult courses and No.1 in the world in the 10 best value courses, indeed, the Dooks Golf Club is one of Ireland’s best attractions and it has continued to draw in tourists to its vast and rolling greens.

Found along the Dingle bay with mountains bordering its three sides, the Dooks Golf Club offers a course that combines flat and wide greens on some holes and highly elevated greens on the others. Its length of 6500 yards is filled with blind shots and trees and contradictory flat and easily visible holes.

Established in 1889, the Dooks Golf Club was promoted by the Royal Horse Artillery to the nearby aristocratic golfers while being stationed and training in the area. It is now one of the oldest golf links in Ireland. Its location itself has provided many of its members and visitors a chance to experience true Irish traditional culture and the famed traditions. For every golfer that has been looking for a golf course that can offer a tranquil environment, the Dooks Golf Club epitomizes this concept.

Starting out as a nine hole course, it has evolved into an 18 hole course almost a century after in 1970 when its members decided to add some holes.

This golf club has never failed to leave a good impression in every golfer that has played a round in its course and has left a lasting mark with its habitat, amazing wildlife, and features of its lands. There you will see the vast number of flora that dots its courses and captures the imagination and appreciation of those that have walked its greens.

For those who love bird watching as much as they do golf, this is a nesting ground for many beautiful birds like the Skylark, Pennyroyal and the Whimbrel among a host of others.

Aside from its natural beauty, the Dooks Golf Club also offers modern state of the art amenities that are affixed with traditional designs that showcase the history of Dooks Golf Club and its evolution to a world-class link golf course.

Its clubhouse alone has been the recipient of extensive remodeling in the past years but still is able to retain its rustic and friendly ambience and atmosphere. You can get superb Irish and other meals in their restaurant or have a relaxing drink at the end of the day in their bar.

Many golfers have neglected this course and have set their sights to the more popular golf courses in Waterville. But to those who have decided to slow down and check out Dooks, they have made one of the best decisions they could ever make.

Rarely would those golfers who have had a taste of Dooks have a bad thing to say about the course. Many of them have been returning since then and have regarded the place as one of the best golf vacation spots in Ireland.

Found in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, this Irish golf gem should always be on top of a golfer’s vacation wish list. The next time you have the time to experience golf at its finest, check out Dooks Golf Club and play golf the way it should be played.

Debra McDonough
Pirates Of The Green

We’ve all the seen the long accurate drives of Tiger Woods. The ball flies through the air and lands in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards away.

The green-eyed monster of envy consumes us as we wonder if we could ever hope to drive like that. Fortunately, long drives are not the be-all-end-all game of golf.

Enter the short game. Without good short game skills, all the long drives are for naught.

The short game is those shots that get us onto the green from about one hundred feet out, be it from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone and includes chips, sand shots and pitches.

This is where your higher numbered clubs would be used, as well as your pitching iron, sand wedge or lob wedge.

Most golf courses have practice areas as well as a driving range. Spend some time working on hitting your ball onto the green from different distances. Aim for a ten-foot circle in the center of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges; what works for someone else, might not work for you and your particular swing.

After you get accustomed to doing this drill consistently, it’s time to spend some time in a sand trap. Knowing how to get the ball out of a trap will cut your score.

Plant your feet firmly into the sand, with your left foot turned toward the hole. Imagine a 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the edge of the circle that is away from the ball.

Take lots of sand with your ball and swing completely. Don’t decelerate at all when or after you hit the ball. It should pop up onto the green and stop. This doesn’t work unless the sand is very soft and powdery. On hard surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand.

As in all aspects of the game, only practice will help you to improve.

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The long game refers to your drives (shots off the tee) and fairway shots; everything short of the shots
you make to get onto the green.

Each hole has a different difficulty level, different par and distinctive hazards, so instructing you to use
your Driver on every tee would be blatantly wrong.

This is something you will learn over time as you learn the various shots you make according to the club, the placement of the ball and your personal swing.

Generally speaking, the lower the club number, the longer and lower your ball will go. A 4-iron shot will
travel long and low and will most likely roll, whereas a 9-iron shot will have much more loft and go less
distance both in the air and on the ground.

The professionals on television make it look so easy, they consistently hit the ball long and straight and never miss-hit the ball making it dribble ten feet, or completely miss the ball.

Driving is very important to the game, and many hours spent at the driving range will help improve your
distance. Experiment with the same club to see what works for you if you move the ball forward or backward in your stance. Take a lesson, if possible, and learn
the proper swing from the beginning.

Mastering the long game helps you get to the green in fewer strokes, keeping your score and frustration
level down. Remember that it takes a long time to learn consistency and remember to have fun!

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Proper stance and posture in golf is extremely important, not only in the mechanics of the game but to protect you from injury. Posture is defined in the Golf Biodynamics Manual, (Check 1999) as “the position from which movement begins and ends”. Correct posture also reduces golfing injuries, promotes the ability to actually strike the ball, and enhances your power and stability. Anyone can work on achieving a correct posture; you don’t need to be a top athlete, or even a top golfer, but your golfing game will improve a great deal if you start with the correct posture and stance.

Good posture is where your shoulders are directly above your feet, and your head and spine are aligned. Your arms should be rotated outwards to keep shoulders and head back. You should not be standing with your back hunched over because this is what allows your head and shoulders to come too far forward. You can check that your spine is correctly straight by touching your golf club to it. Both butt and upper back should be touching the club.

The correct stance is one in which your heels are about the same width apart as your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, bend from the hips and let your hands hang down. Keep the ball in the bottom half of your vision to stop your chin from tucking in too far. Your knees should be slightly bent. Try and keep your body free from tension. If your muscles are tense, you could well suffer an injury that may take weeks to recover from. Many back and shoulder injuries come from poor posture and stance.

If you are right-handed, your right side should tilt slightly further down than your left, but your weight should be evenly distributed on, and more to the front of your feet. Your left foot should be flared about 20 degrees if you are a right-handed player. If you have good flexibility, you may also want to flare your right foot. You should practice all this in front of the mirror until it becomes automatic. Once you have achieved the correct posture and stance, the accuracy of your actual golf swing will be greatly enhanced.

When using a driver your feet should be slightly wider, with the inside of them in line with the outside of your shoulders. A good rule to remember is that the shorter the club you use, the less width there should be in your stance.

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Playing golf should be an enjoyable experience, so if you find yourself losing your temper when you make a bad shot, what can you do about it? One thing that might help is to practice acceptance.

The first thing you need to accept is your own limitations. All players vary in their playing ability and this is not always due to experience. Physical ability has a lot to do with it. If you suffer from arthritis it will affect your game, no matter if you have the best teachers. If your body is simply not flexible enough for a good swing, it will affect your game. Find out what you can do about this – if anything - and do it. For instance, if you are simply not very limber, take off-course lessons in exercises and stretches to make you more fit. Your golf game will improve and your temper will have less reason to spark up.

Accept the game. A perfect game of golf is rarely if ever played by anyone. Even the pros have bad golf days. Why should yours be any different? Accept that bad shot as a challenge and concentrate on what you will do about recovering instead of wasting energy jumping up and down and shouting. It’s much smarter to get that ball back into play as quickly as possible. Once you’ve done that congratulate yourself on meeting the challenge.

Work out a game plan before you arrive at the course and stick to it. Decide you will choose a safer shot and use an easier club to manage it. This may take a bit of discipline, but you’ll thank yourself in the long run. Remember high blood pressure is a killer!

Accept the bad, but focus on the good. When you make a bad shot, immediately tell yourself what you liked about that good shot you played just before it. Say it out loud to trick your subconscious mind into feeling pleased. In your mind’s eye, see your ball rolling straight down the center of the green and into the hole. If it doesn’t happen, shrug and tell yourself it will next time.

Forget about being embarrassed at bad play. Heck, who’s perfect? Not you and certainly not your golfing friends. Remember that negative emotions make you tense and tension is likely to spoil your game and could even cause injury, so do yourself a favour and lighten up.

Breathe deeply and enjoy the day apart from the golf. Feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, listen to the birdsong, and breathe in the aroma of the green. It’s all great - enjoy it.

When you go for a game of golf you are expecting to enjoy yourself, right? But you know that since you are in reality ‘playing the course’ and hitting a still object (okay, trying to!) rather than one lobbed at you by an opponent, the blame for any mistakes you make sit squarely on your own shoulders. But don’t attach blame - to yourself or anyone else. Blaming is a pointless pursuit, and not only in golf. It simply happened, so deal with it and get on with the game.

So what happens when you end up in the rough or that water hazard? Sure it’s frustrating when every ball you hit goes bad, but don’t spit the dummy and pump up your blood pressure! For a start, if you become tense and angry you are more likely to suffer some kind of injury like a muscle strain or tear. Hey, you use up lots less energy when you remain calm. This means you’ll have more energy to use on improving your golf. Everyone suffers from frustration during a bad golf day, but it’s how you control it that is the key to winning out in the end.

Practice acceptance – you’ll probably have lots of chances to practice. One good way to remain positive when you hit a shot into that bunker is to immediately think of something great about the last shot you played. You have to speak this positive comment out loud. Listening to positive self–talk will cheer you up more than you thought possible.

If your ball is in an unfavorable lie, accept it as a challenge, not a threat. Don’t worry about past mistakes or future problems. The game you are playing is in the immediate present. That is all that matters.

Only count up the number of strokes for each hole. Leave the total calculation until you’ve finished the course. This saves a lot of stress. Remember that life wasn’t meant to be easy and the game of golf has no perfect players. Breathe deep and slowly. Be kind to yourself.

If you truly and totally suck at the game, go take professional lessons for a while. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. It will be worth every dime.

So you’ve thrown all your balls into the water and jumped on your golf clubs until they are bent. What should you do? Either give up golf or go take an anger management course. You choose.