By Kevin Markham:
The Curtis Cup was held at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club in June, 2016, reflecting the club’s size, quality and facilities. Certainly the clubhouse is one of the plushest you will find and the views from outside (and in) are glorious.
Set on a gentle hillside, facing the Great Sugarloaf, Dun Laoghaire boasts three distinctive nine hole loops combining different shapes and challenges. The Lower nine drop away from the clubhouse onto mostly level terrain with big water features; the Middle nine are the most colourful and shapely with a combination of trees and water; and the Upper nine offer the biggest changes in elevation, plenty of doglegs whipping around bunkers and more exposure to the wind. Which nine will you prefer? The two constants are the greens and the views.
Recent changes to bunkering (many have been removed) have enhanced the course’s appearance and improved its playability, while a tree-management programme has delivered similar results. These changes and the growing maturity of the course are enhancing Dun Laoghaire’s reputation day by day.
Favourite Hole: The par four 9th on the Middle course
lays it all out ahead of you as the hole rises some 400 metres to the clubhouse, and a putting surface hidden from view.
What's in the Bag? The greens have some fabulous
shapes but it will be adapting to the demands of the different nines that may tease you most.