Situated in what is known as Ireland's "Sunny South East", St. Helen's Bay Golf & Country Club captures the essence of a bygone era, covering 150 acres of sweeping terrain and incorporating features dating back to Norman times. The architectural debut of Ryder Cup player Philip Walton, St. Helens Bay is largely a links course with a decidedly parkland flavour. The layout gives variety to each hole and makes the most of the prevailing southwesterly wind, while the water features and some 5,000 trees are employed to strategic effect.

Given the links like turf and location of St. Helen's Bay nearby the Tuskar Lighthouse, there is an awareness that the sea cannot be far away. The fact that it is not revealed in a golfing context until the last two holes, rather than detract from the experience, seems to give St. Helen's Bay one of the most dramatic finishes in Irish Golf. There are many appealing features on the course, not least being the stone walls dating back to the days of the Great Famine; an area of the nearby beach known as Pirate's Cove, which was once a haven for 19th century smugglers, and an ancient tower house near the 12th hole, dating back to the 13th century.

A relatively easy par five opening hole, reachable in two can foster a false confidence that is often punished by the following two holes, which prove difficult to par. If you are going to shoot a good score at St. Helen's Bay however, the foundations must be laid on the front nine as the homeward journey gets significantly more demanding. While the par five 10th can be reached in two, the long par three 11th presents a special challenge and the 15th, measuring over 600 yards from the back tees, is one of the longest holes in Ireland.

But almost inevitably, reflections on St. Helen's Bay are dominated by the two finishing holes, which would not be out of place on any of the country's leading links courses. The 17th is a fine par three, where except in the case of a helping wind, a fairway wood is required to reach the tightly trapped target. On the other hand, the par four 18th, at under 300 yards in length, is almost driveable. Its design is clever though so power had better be allied to precision if major grief is to be avoided from the beckoning dunes.