Tullamore Golf Weekend

The Heritage is a colloabroation between Seve Ballesteros and Jeff Howe built with a large budget and opened for play in 2004. The course features two loops of 9 holes that each end with similar holes on opposite sides of a large lake, one of five lakes on a course where water is a feature on half of the holes. Adding in almost 100 bunkers and 7,000 trees, never mind the 7,300 yards from the championship tees, the result is a challenging course that nonetheless has the space allowing it to be safely navigated with good play. The first tee is exciting with views of the rolling terrain, lakes and bunkers stretching to the horizon. The signature hole is probably the par-3 4th that plays across a stream that flows diagonally into a pond protecting the green. But there are plenty of other good holes of variety and surprise and constant excellent conditioning that is one of the hallmarks of golf at The Heritage.

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).