Carne Golf Links

Although Hackett was 80 years old when he designed this course, time may prove that this is his best work, Waterville included. He fell in love with the terrain, keeping it as natural as possible. The result is a walk on the wild side through valleys and swales, hemmed in by ragged dunes of improbable size. Wonderful vistas of beach and ocean abound. The golf writers Richard Phinney and Scott Whitley in their fine book Links of Heaven describe the 17th hole in language that fairly sums up the ambience of the place:

“…the hole was played through a surreal, heaving landscape right out of a science fiction novel. Being surrounded by dunes is nothing unusual on Irish courses, but these were gigantic and raw, with gaping wounds of white sand.”

The arrival of the new Killmore nine gave birth to Carne's Wild Atlantic Dunes layout. As the name suggests, the Wild Atlantic Dunes offers a roller coaster ride through towering sandhills from start to finish. The new layout also means that 17th hole described above is either the 8th on the original Hackett course or the penultimate hole on the Dunes.

Because Carne and the Northwest region as a whole is so far off the beaten track, it's unlikely that golfers traveling to Ireland for the first time will opt to play it. For our more seasoned members, however, and those others who have already experienced the bucket list, big name, must do courses, Carne delivers an invigorating, unforgettable experience.