Ballyliffin Golf Club

When it comes to the history of the game’s greatest clubs, their legacy is often owed to a fortuitous decision made at just the right time. Such is the case with Ballyliffin, whose Captain suggested in 1991 that an additional course be built to ease overcrowding on the club’s existing links. Adding a bit of urgency to the proceedings was the pending arrival of new environmental regulations from the European Union, which would soon make developing Ballyliffin’s dunescape prohibitive at best. The motion was fast-tracked through the various club committees, and soon Pat Ruddy, Ireland’s preeminent golf course architect, was on the scene.

Given that Ballyliffin is the northernmost golf club in Ireland, located on a remote peninsula in the country’s northwest, building a course with the intent of hosting a great championship may seem a bit foolhardy. The club and its famous architect had a bold and ambitious vision, however, and the Glashedy Links was designed with that very intent. Although the overall terrain is more dramatic than the original links - now known as The Old - the fairways were flattened and wind their way between the dunes as opposed to over them. The idea being that finicky professionals would most assuredly prefer a flat stance to the awkward lies commonly served by links golf.

In addition to the fairways, the greens and their surroundings were crafted with Championship specifications in mind. The putting surfaces are daunting in size, well protected by bunkers, and marked by wild undulation. On particularly windy days - and at Ballyliffin, most of them are - two-putts can be a hard fought commodity. The well advised golfer will choose their misses wisely, and take their medicine whenever it’s offered.

Although many prefer the unique charm and characteristics of its older sibling, the Glashedy is not without its highlights. The collection of par-5s rank among the finest in Ireland, and few will forget the stern two-shotters scattered amongst the dunes. It’s the par-3 7th and the view from its elevated tee, however, which will surely steal the show.

The 7th tee was also a favored camera position when the Irish Open came to town in 2018. Which is to say, of course, that the ambitious dreams that accompanied the construction of the Glashedy Links have come to pass. Some of the best in the world came to fulfill the course’s Championship promise, while providing some well-deserved notoriety for both this corner of Ireland and a most hospitable of clubs.