St. Patrick’s Links

Ireland’s dunes have benefited from sand deposits over the millennia along its west coast as exemplified by its fabled links in the southwest including Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville. Each enjoys some of the game’s most impressive landforms. Set in the northwest county of Donegal, St. Patrick’s too will soon become a household name with golfers flocking here to experience the unbridled joy that comes from playing in and among big dunes as one battles the wind. The course looks like it has been there for a century, instead of having opened in 2021, which speaks volumes of the routing and the talented shapers that worked the project. Some of the interior green contours like those found on 5, 10, 11, and 17 are as dazzling as the overall environment. Both casual golfers and architecture buffs alike should take note of the features that make the three longest par-4s (9, 11 and 16) so much fun to play. (Photo: Clyde Johnson)