Tullamore Golf Week

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.

The layout of Mullingar golf course is the work of the legendary James Braid (who also designed Tullamore at the same time). Although modifications have been made since its opening in 1935, Mullingar remains today as Braid intended, a championship calibre course that flows through mature trees once part of the old Belvedere estate. Being in the heart of Ireland's midland bogs, Mullingar has a springy turf underfoot and the course is well balanced with the four par 3's being of particular note and, amongst these, the second hole stands out as Mullingar's signature hole. Even from the championhip tees Mullingar's relative shortness makes ordinary amateurs feel the course is playable - even elite amateurs (including winners Clarke, McGinley, Harrington, McIlroy and Lowry) who compete in the annual Scratch Cup have never scored better than the current course record of 64.

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.

Esker Hills is a Christy O'Connor Jnr. design that many would consider one oif his best. Eskers are narrow, long, winding hills that were deposited by streams flowing underneath glaciers and Junior sculpted a golf course that flows up, down and across these ridges to present a golfing challenge that is very different, exhilarating and very memorable. The approach to the 4th green plays directly up to the top of a ridge while the next is a memorable par-3 straight back down to a green flanked by a pond. The first nine finish with two terrific holes playing along the side of the hill. The second nine continues with a driveable par-4, two more memorable par-3's across chasms (all of the par 3's are over 170 yards) and a challenging final 3 holes including two of the four severe doglegs taht are another feature of the design. Shane Lowry played his amateur golf as a member here and in 2006 won the Irish Open as an amateur (at County Louth).