Designed
by a combination of Ireland's golfing heroes and design experts,
the Old Head Golf Links is quite simply one of the most remarkable
developments ever conceived in the history of golf; an Atlantic
promontory that will never be rivaled in terms of drama and beauty.
The course rises hundreds of feet above dramatic cliffs, surrounded
by the Atlantic Ocean on all sides and commanding the most spectacular
views from almost every part.
The Old Head of Kinsale is an area rich in
historical, archaeological and scientific interest. It is a national
monument and an ancient royal site, fortified by a castle at the
narrowest part of the promontory, with history traceable back
to several centuries before Christ. Scenically awesome and rugged,
it is the only place known by historians that can be directly
linked with the Eireann Celtic tribe, from whom it is assumed
that the country got its name (Eireann being a Gaelic term for
Ireland). The Old Head has seen much change during its past and
the golf links provides yet another chapter in the history of
this remarkable place.
You may have walked the fairways of Augusta,
manoeuvred around the cliffs of Pebble Beach or witnessed the
history of the Old Course at St. Andrews but rest assured that
you have never seen a golf course as overwhelmingly striking as
the Old Head of Kinsale. The 220 acre site of five par 3's, five
par 5's and eight par 4's is configured as two returning loops
of nine holes. Eight of the holes play directly along the cliff
tops, providing an exhilarating test of golf and concentration.
On a fine day, the Old Head can actually accommodate a fairly
low return but the vagaries of the Atlantic winds ensure that
the course offers a different challenge every day.
For a golf course of this magnitude, it is
fitting to conclude with the thoughts of one of Ireland's greatest
golfing sons, three times British Amateur Champion and former
captain of the Royal and Ancient, Joe Carr. Speaking about the
course, he commented: "The Old Head will in my estimation
rate with the great golf courses of the world. Its location, its
scenic reality and spectacular terrain remind me of Cypress Point
and Pebble Beach I see the Old Head as a golfer's paradise and
it has the potential of being the eighth wonder of the world,
in golfing terms." Strong words but accurate indeed.
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