| © Larry Lambrecht |
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Doonbeg Golf Club, in County Clare, is just one of the
spectacular courses located in southwest Ireland.
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Many things in golf are debatable, but not this one: If you’re looking for the highest density of highly-rated Ireland golf courses, the southwest region is the one to visit on an Ireland golf vacation.
Granted, you may find yourself playing alongside more American and European tourists than Irishmen, but if your trip is strictly about the golf, and getting in as much of the top-quality stuff as you can without driving long distances or flying all over the country, the southwest region is the place to go.
From Shannon Airport, the gateway to the southwest, you’re never too far away from Ireland golf courses that comprise a veritable who’s who of great layouts: Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion Old, Tralee, Killarney, Waterville, and Old Head to name a few.
And, in addition to walking on historic, hallowed ground in many cases, these Ireland golf courses tend to offer the dramatic, cliff side and seaside holes that have made Irish golf famous and helped generate interest in the other courses around the country. Bring your camera and lots of memory cards, because it’s impossible to take a bad picture given the scenery.
Again, it can be crowded and touristy, but by avoiding the summer high season, you can have the best of everything: spectacular golf, lots of it, and the atmosphere in which it was meant to be played.
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