Destination Golf Ireland 2024 | Page 98

DESTINATION GOLF 2024
Muskerry

Douglas

Set on gentle slopes in Cork city ’ s suburbia , Douglas is well over 100 years old . More recently it has acquired a reputation for two things : the social activities of the members which emphasise how important clubs can be to a community ; and the quality of the greens . Douglas slides gently down a hillside so holes can leave you with tilted lies or downhill / uphill shots … but it ’ s never severe and when the flags come in to view they make delicious targets . It is a shortish par 72 , but you need to avoid the trees , putt extremely well and overcome the excellent late charge of holes from 13 to 17 . A new par three 4th hole was added in 2022

Mallow

Established in 1947 , Mallow is a gentle hillside parkland poised above the town . Trees dominate , many of them ancient and majestic , and it is these that help to define the course . But beware the many sloping and often narrow fairways which will lure your ball towards the rough . It will also leave challenging approach shots to greens in enchanting settings . The Galty Mountains provide the backdrop on a curvaceous , surprisingly challenging course which calls for accuracy off the tee . A new short game area has just been introduced .

Muskerry

“ The Galty Mountains provide the backdrop on a curvaceous , surprisingly challenging course which calls for accuracy off the tee .”
The River Shournagh brushes up against this old parkland course and it comes in to play on the final three holes . It ensures a sedate and colourful end to a course that is anything but sedate . The heart of your round is spent playing over a wooded , gorse-laden hillside . It is wild and natural and rarely is a flat lie to be found . It ’ s exhilarating and testing stuff … and fun , too . The opening holes are the calmest before the brilliant par three 6th introduces you to the swashbuckling hillside . And while those final three are sedate … they are a stern test . Alister MacKenzie was involved here , but even without his name this is an adventure worth taking on .
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