FEATURE STORY

K Club revels in Ryder Cup respect, but there are other fine tracks nearby

By S. Adam Cardais,
Staff Writer

The upcoming 36th Ryder Cup is expected to be one of the most unusual in recent years, in part because it's the event's first time in Ireland.

The American and European teams are now set and they will face off Sept. 22-24 at the K Club in County Kildare. Since opening in 1991 the course has made a name for itself as the most challenging inlaid layout in Ireland.

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"The K Club is golf-oriented opulence and unadulterated luxury at its very best," Ken Johnstone wrote in his TravelGolf.com review.

That's saying something in a country steeped in golf tradition. Indeed, Ireland is full of storied courses, many, like the K Club, in the counties surrounding Dublin. Here are some of the best, starting with the club readying for its Ryder Cup close-up.

K Club: The Ryder Cup site was designed to combine championship golf with serious resort luxury, and it has lived up that goal.

The centerpiece of the complex is magisterial Straffan House, transformed into a truly world-class hotel. Arnold Palmer was employed to design the golf course. Asked upon completion if anything could still be done to improve the track, Arnie replied, "We could draw and plan for 100 years and still not come up with as good a vision."

Druids Glenn Golf Resort Newtonmountkennedy, County Wicklow Phone: +353 (0)1 287 3600 The K Club Straffan, County Kildare Phone: +353 (0)1 601 7200 Mount Juliet Estate Thomastown, County Kilkenny Phone: +353 (0)56 777 3064 Royal Dublin Golf Club North Bull Island Nature, Dublin Phone: +353 (0)1 833 6346 Click here for Ireland tee times and golf-package information.

Druids Glen Golf Resort: Located in County Wicklow south of Dublin, this Pat Ruddy/Tom Craddock design hosted the Irish Open from 1996 to 1999. The club has two tracks, Druids Glen and Druids Heath, the latter of which sits perches above the Irish Sea.

Royal Dublin Golf Club: The second-oldest course in Ireland and one of the most respected, the Royal Dublin dates back more than a century and has hosted numerous championship, including the Irish Open from 1983 to '85. It reopened May 1 after completion of the final phase of an upgrade that saw the redesign of the sixth, seventh and eighth holes.

Mount Juliet Estate: The country's only Jack Nicklaus design, Mount Juliet Estate can be found in the village of Thomastown about 75 miles from Dublin in County Kilkenny. It has hosted the Irish Open three times since opening in 1991 and counts the likes of Nick Faldo among its past champions.

"The course is more than 7,100 yards of rolling, tree-lined terrain, with diabolical pins placed on heavily contoured greens, and a virulent strain of rough in which locating and then extricating one's golf ball are a two-part puzzle," Joel Zuckerman wrote in a WorldGolf.com review. "The pros in attendance made it look easy, as they so often do."

September 15, 2006

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.