Ireland S Golf Courses

Legendary courses like Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Portmarnock and Royal Portrush, the only Irish course to host the Open championship, are featured alongside a new breed of course such as Druid's Glen, Mount Juliet and the K Club.

The past decade has seen the development of many world-class golf courses in Ireland. John Redmond's superbly designed and illustrated new book celebrates these as well as the top, truly great established courses.

The hysterical story bestseller about one man's epic Celtic sojourn in search of ancestors, nostalgia, and the world's greatest round of golf By turns hilarious and poetic, A Course Called Ireland is a magnificent tour of a vibrant land and paean to the world's greatest game in the tradition of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. In his thirties, married, and staring down impending fatherhood, Tom Coyne was familiar with the last refuge of the adult male: the golfing trip. Intent on designing a golf trip to end all others, Coyne looked to Ireland, the place where his father has taught him to love the game years before. As he studied a map of the island and plotted his itinerary, it dawn on Coyne that Ireland was ringed with golf holes. The country began to look like one giant round of golf, so Coyne packed up his clubs and set off to play all of it-on foot. A Course Called Ireland is the story of a walking-averse golfer who treks his way around an entire country, spending sixteen weeks playing every seaside hole in Ireland. Along the way, he searches out his family's roots, discovers that a once-poor country has been transformed by an economic boom, and finds that the only thing tougher to escape than Irish sand traps are Irish pubs.

Many new golf courses have opened since the first edition of John Redmond's guide. This enlarged version reflects that fact with updated information on each of the 30 originally featured, plus photography and descriptions of four new courses: the European Club, Fota Island, Druid's Glen and Portmanock Links.

What makes playing a golf course a great experience? Kevin Markham travelled 6,800 miles in a 20-year-old camper van, walked 2,100 miles, lost countless balls, and wore out three pairs of golf shoes to find out. He played and rated every 18-hole course - all 350 of them. The result is the most comprehensive, best-researched guide to Irish golfs, from expensive, well-known courses to affordable little gems. Kevin assesses each course in a detailed review and from a novel perspective, rating the golfing experience using the same criteria for all courses. Courses are ranked out of 100, across 8 criteria, such as design, appeal and value for money. This concise, detailed book is for golfing tourists looking for great value courses; for golfing societies that want to go beyond their local area; and for Irish golfers searching for excellent but unsung courses in Ireland. Written from an amateur's perspective, reviews focus on the energy and excitement of playing each course to give a true representation of the golf experience, and provides all the information necessary to book your round.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “One of the best golf books this century.” —Golf Digest Tom Coyne’s A Course Called Scotland is a heartfelt and humorous celebration of his quest to play golf on every links course in Scotland, the birthplace of the game he loves. For much of his adult life, bestselling author Tom Coyne has been chasing a golf ball around the globe. When he was in college, studying abroad in London, he entered the lottery for a prized tee time in Scotland, grabbing his clubs and jumping the train to St. Andrews as his friends partied in Amsterdam; later, he golfed the entirety of Ireland’s coastline, chased pros through the mini-tours, and attended grueling Qualifying Schools in Australia, Canada, and Latin America. Yet, as he watched the greats compete, he felt something was missing. Then one day a friend suggested he attempt to play every links course in Scotland and qualify for the greatest championship in golf. The result is A Course Called Scotland, “a fast-moving, insightful, often funny travelogue encompassing the width of much of the British Isles” (GolfWeek), including St. Andrews, Turnberry, Dornoch, Prestwick, Troon, and Carnoustie. With his signature blend of storytelling, humor, history, and insight, Coyne weaves together his “witty and charming” (Publishers Weekly) journey to more than 100 legendary courses in Scotland with compelling threads of golf history and insights into the contemporary home of golf. As he journeys Scotland in search of the game’s secrets, he discovers new and old friends, rediscovers the peace and power of the sport, and, most importantly, reaffirms the ultimate connection between the game and the soul. It is “a must-read” (Golf Advisor) rollicking love letter to Scotland and golf as no one has attempted it before.

Ireland is one of the world's fastest growing golf destinations. Travel agents and golf magazines are selling it. . . . Entrepeneurs, eager to ride the wave, are investing substantial sums. Since 1990 more than a half dozen major new golf courses have opened, others have expanded and more development is planned. Rob Armstrong In addition to the best courses in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, author Rob Armstrong describes other courses of note, and provides complete lists of Ireland's 9 and 18 hole golf courses. A chapter is included on where to stay, what to eat, and what to do when not golfing. With this guide, anyone can enjoy hitting the links on the Emerald Isle. Rob Armstrong is a veteran, award-winning Correspondent for CBS News. An avid golfer, he visits Ireland annually to both enjoy the area and to hit the links.

For anyone planning a dream golfing vacation to Ireland, Trolleys and Squibs is the most comprehensive guidebook in the market. Frustrated by sketchy guidebooks while on a golfing tour, authors Louise and Rick Miracle decided to compile their own definitive guide to Irish links. In addition to its practical travel tips, this book offers insightful essays -- including several by leading figures in Irish golf -- that explain the history and particular character of golfing in Ireland. Vacation planners will especially love the book's extensive, geographically balanced coverage of individual golf courses, presented by way of two whimsically named lists. The Trolleys List contains thorough summaries of 153 courses, including small maps and directions for getting there, scorecard data, descriptions of each course's layout and club facilities, and recommendations on local restaurants and hotels. The Squibs List offers basic information -- addresses, phone numbers, brief descriptions -- about 138 additional golf courses. With Trolleys and Squibs, you can plan a detailed itinerary and make your reservations, even before landing on Irish shores (though armchair travelers as well will gain immense enjoyment from the colorful portraits of the courses and countryside).