Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 17
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 17
It's tough to hit the green in a crosswind on the par-3 17th hole at Enniscrone Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 1
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 1
The first hole of Enniscrone Golf Club doglegs right, heading into the dunes. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 2
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 2
The green on the par-5 second hole at Enniscrone Golf Club overlooks Killala Bay. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone - Dunes golf course - hole 8
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Enniscrone - Dunes golf course - hole 8
The par-3 eighth hole at Enniscrone Golf Club is called "Scurmore" for the beach seen on the back nine. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 10
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 10
The par-4 10th hole at Enniscrone Golf Club wanders along Scurmore Beach, featuring views of Bartra Island in the distance. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 12
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 12
The tricky 12th hole at Enniscrone Golf Club starts with a blind shot uphill before turning left toward a green cut from shelf in the dunes. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - 12th
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - 12th
A look back from the 12th green at Enniscrone Golf Club offers a nice view. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 13
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 13
The 13th hole of Enniscrone Golf Club starts with a blind tee shot over a white aiming rock and ends at a large green below the fairway. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 14
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 14
After players climb out of the "Valley of Diamonds", they are greeted with views of the Atlantic Ocean near Enniscrone Golf Club's 14th green. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 15
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 15
The par-4 15th hole is the no. 1 handicap at Enniscrone Golf Club in County Sligo, Ireland. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 16
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Enniscrone Golf Club - Dunes Course - hole 16
The par-5 16th hole at Enniscrone Golf Club follows the ocean to a plateau green. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Get lost in the majestic dunes at Enniscrone Golf Club in Co. Sligo, Ireland

COUNTY SLIGO, Ireland -- There are moments at Enniscrone Golf Club that elicit sheer amazement.

The walks along Scurmore beach for holes 9-10 and along the Atlantic Ocean for holes 15-17 are peaceful if the wind isn't howling.

The heart of the back nine disappears into dunes that would make mountain goats cower. This run of wild holes from nos. 12-14 showcases the changes made that elevated Enniscrone among the top links on the Emerald Isle.

Enniscrone sits isolated in the northwest, sandwiched between County Sligo Golf Club (one hour to the east) and Carne Golf Links (one hour, 15 minutes to the west). It's worth finding, especially with a stay-and-play at the luxurious Mount Falcon Country House Hotel & Spa 25 minutes away in Ballina.

The original routing of Enniscrone was done by Irish architect Eddie Hackett in the 1970s. Armed only with a modest budget and limited modern equipment, Hackett laid out holes on flat land adjacent to towering dunes. Two decades later, British architect Donald Steel was able to reroute the course by designing six new holes to give birth to the championship Dunes Course. Some existing holes make up the nine-hole Scurmore Course.

Blind shots are common when golfers enter such extreme environs. The second shot of the par-5 second hole and par-5 14th hole require a bit of guesswork on the line of play. The reward in both cases is a green overlooking the ocean. Aim the elevated tee shot of the short 350-yard 13th hole at the white rock set upon a ridge. This conservative route provides safe passage through the dunes. The climax comes at the elevated 17th tee box, overlooking a fun 149-yard par 3 and the ocean. What a dynamite finish on such an under-appreciated links.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Get lost in the majestic dunes at Enniscrone Golf Club in Co. Sligo, Ireland