Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club: A unique links north of Dublin, Ireland
BETTYSTOWN, County Meath, Ireland -- The merits of Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club, a 5,875-meter par-71 course just north of Dublin, are in the eye of the beholder.
Critics will point to the average holes along the road (No. 1 and Nos. 11-14), the in-course out-of-bounds (at Nos. 3, 4 and 18) and the lack of length (it plays roughly 6,400 yards from the tips) as reasons to overlook a tee time. Links lovers should gloss over those shortcomings to discover a quirky, fun golf course that rarely relinquishes a low score.
Laytown & Bettystown, established in 1909, has plenty of links characteristics hidden in its dunes. The par-3 sixth features an inverted saucer of a green along the shore. The seventh tee is cut out from a dune shelf, requiring a blast over a large tree to the fairway. The maddening par-5 18th requires a blind approach shot over several dunes.
Sean Browne, who works in the pro shop with his father, club pro Bobby Browne, said players tend to come in smiling after the round. He said the book, "A Course Called Ireland" by Tom Coyne, has helped put the club on the map for more Americans.
"It's a fun course," he said. "It's a different course every day (because of the wind)."
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Photo Gallery: Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club: A unique links north of Dublin, Ireland
The merits of Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club in County Meath, Ireland are in the eye of the beholder. Critics will point to the average holes along the road, th [...]
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