Athlone Golf Weekend

New Forest Estate is another Anglo-Irish estate with a large manor house (now serving as both the New Forest Clubhouse and as a local venue) at its centre. Orignially planned at the peak of Ireland's Celtic Tiger as a hotel and resort development, Peter McEvoy was engaged to create a golf course through the mature woods that surround the old house. Opened in 2006, New Forest is championship golf 21st century style -- generous fairways with equally generous bunkers; large, fast greens and natural water hazards brought into play in a natural way. The rolling nature of the terrain helps add variety and interest to the course - as does the unique par-3 ninth hole that is contained entirely in an old walled garden near the main house. Happily, New Forest returned to local ownership in 2013 and focus has since been on making New Forest a golf course with strong local membership rather than a golf destination for the well heeled.

Athlone is as good a test of golf as any course in Ireland that has stood the test of time since its opening in 1938. Situated on the southwest shore of Lough Ree, a major renovation in the early years of this century aimed to make more of the stunning views available on two sides of the course while also upgrading the tees and greens to modern standards. From the first tee box, perched high above the fairway and getting our vote as #1 parkland opening hole, the course provides a varied and interesting challenge with mature trees and three natural ponds providing the first line of defence, while the relatively few bunkers are strategically placed and offer further challenge. The round climaxes with a mirror image of the first, a tee shot from an elevated tee to a tree lined fairway below and then a semi-blind second back up the the green in front of the clubhouse.