A Celebration of Irish Golf in Photos

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Here's a tour of some of the great Irish Golf Courses.

Mulcahy's Peak, Par 3 17th at Waterville

Par 4 9th Tee at Portmarnock

Par 4 4th At The Old Head

Par 4 9th at Royal County Down

Par 4 11th at Ballybunion

Par 3 14th at Carton House O'Meara

Par 3 18th at Killarney Mahony's Point

Par 3 16th at Tralee

Par 5 18th at Fota Island

Par 3 at Mount Wolseley

Par 5 10th at Mount Juliet

Par 3 at Portmarnock Links

Par 5 1st at Doonbeg

Par 4 3rd at Cork GC

Par 4 4th at Old Head

Par 5 3rd at The European Club

Par 3 11th at Lahinch

Par 3 13th at The Island

Par 5 5th at Cork GC

Par 3 5th 'The Dell' at Lahinch

Par 5 12th tee at Old Head

Par 4 6th at Cork GC

Par 4 12th tee at Cork GC

Par 4 18th tee at Old Head

Seaside Golf - John Betjeman

With The Open Championship on this week, here's an appreciation of links golf by the great poet John Betjeman.

Seaside Golf

John Betjeman

How straight it flew, how long it flew,
It clear'd the rutty track
And soaring, disappeared from view
Beyond the bunker's back -
A glorious, sailing, bounding drive
That made me glad I was alive.

And down the fairway, far along
It glowed a lonely white;
I played an iron sure and strong
And clipp'd it out of sight,
And spite of grassy banks between
I knew I'd find it on the green.

And so I did. It lay content
Two paces from the pin;
A steady putt and then it went
Oh, most surely in.
The very turf rejoiced to see
That quite unprecedented three.

Ah! Seaweed smells from sandy caves
And thyme and mist in whiffs,
In-coming tide, Atlantic waves
Slapping the sunny cliffs,
Lark song and sea sounds in the air
And splendour, splendour everywhere.  

Seaside Golf at Doonbeg, Ireland.