Blessed with being able to be designed by four of the top names in the annals of Golf History, the Rosapenna Golf Links has achieved what many golf courses has dreamt of, beauty, great playability and near perfection. Many would say that if the heavens were to design a golf course, this would be it.
Being a century old, this “mature” golf course has been the discovery and the design of one of Ireland’s most famous golf architect, Old Tom Collins. Laid out in 1891, old Tom quickly shared his discovery to his fellow golfers and soon was flocked by great numbers of them to enjoy its serene beauty and its natural landscape that was perfect for a challenging links course.
Two of those that tested the land were two golfing greats which shared between them 11 British Open titles. They went to the Rosapenna Golf Links in the early 1900’s and added some depth to the bunkering and some length to the course but were wise to avoid with messing with the greens the great old Tom designed.
For the century that has passed, the old links still remains intact, a great honor to the three masters that have superbly provided the designs. Many golfers come to this links expecting to share the glory and the magic that lies between each hole.
Sharing the glory with the old links is the new Sandy Hills links of the Rosapenna Golf Links. Another feather to its cap, this course was designed by another master, the famous Pat Ruddy.
Opened midway in 2003, this piece of land was sculptured by nature to be a golf course and not anything else. The original course avoided the sand dunes of the landscape preferring to just line out the bunker, the new links course by pat Ruddy went straight through them and is a course that will definitely challenge even the most seasoned golfer.
Measuring a wide 7,255 yards, this course was designed with championship tournaments considered greatly. Most of the holes in this course feature elevated greens and tees, with drives that go into the natural bowls on the dune floor. The fairways maybe narrow, but the landing areas are pretty wide.
The new course runs side by side with the old Morris links and offers a pleasant view of the scenery. This course has been awarded by Links magazine USA as one of the top ten courses that must be played in Ireland.
Relaxing areas after a game is courtesy of the newly opened golf pavilion. It offers a very modern changing room and a wide and roomy restaurant serving the best of what Ireland cuisine has to offer. There is also a lounge area, a billiards room, a conference room and a pro shop where a golfer can get everything he needs for his game.
State of the art practice facilities are also being offered by the Rosapenna Golf Links which include a wide turf teeing area, 2 putting greens, practice sand bunker and green, 6 covered bays and a lot more. The club pro also offers lessons on a variety of aspects of the game.
So when you do finally decide to hop on the plane and head off to Ireland, the Rosapenna Golf Links will be waiting for you to show you what Irish golfing is all about.