 There
is an argument that Fota Island Golf Club is the site of the second
oldest golf club in Ireland as records suggest that the golf was
played there as far back as 1886. Regrettably though, the original
nine hole course fell into disrepair following the First World
War and golf at Fota Island was abandoned. It was not until 1993
that a new championship course was developed at Fota Island and
it hosted a number of major tournaments in its early years. Following
an extensive redesign in 1999, Fota is now rated as one of the
finest parkland course in the country and is host to the Murphy's
Irish Open Golf Championships in 2001 and 2002.
Fota Island sits tranquilly in Cork Harbour, just a short drive
from Cork City, which is Ireland's second largest city. Ideally
located in Ireland's southwest, Fota Island's great golfing
neighbours include the likes of Ballybunion, Killarney and Waterville
to name just a few. A traditional parkland golf course, Fota
Island is a sister course to the highly regarded Mount Juliet
Resort in Kilkenny and is kept in immaculate condition year
round. The club is located within a 780 acre estate, which also
houses the Fota Island Wildlife Park and is included in the
"Inventory of Outstanding Landscapes of Ireland",
while the splendid woodland and water features combine to create
a challenging layout.
Following its redesign, Fota Island has won universal praise from
many quarters. It has joined the list of great golf courses that
have hosted to Murphy's Irish Open Golf Championship a list that
includes Ballybunion, Portmarnock, Druids Glen, the Killeen Course
at Killarney and Mount Juliet. According to Golf Monthly "It's
a mark of imaginative design when a new course appears old before
the paint has dried purists will delight at the old fashioned
features you'll stand in wide eyed admiration". Golf Digest
wrote of Fota Island: "Fota eschews the Schwarzenegger like
brutality in favour of guile and subtlety. Depending on how you
see the shot in your mind, you could be playing any of three different
clubs it makes you think. It's real golf." |
