Eddie Hackett Golf Tour of the “Wild Atlantic Way”

This is a trail that you can follow in the footsteps of Ireland’s foremost golf architect. Some of Eddie Hackett’s best work was on the wild and rugged linksland of the West and Northwest coast of Ireland. As a minimalist he did not want to indulge in heavy earth lifting. This was an extra challenge particularly on some of the wildest dunes such as at Carne.

Hackett was known to have said "I find that nature is the best architect” and “I try to dress up what the Good Lord provides”. Eddie is known for his creation and re-creation of many superb modern links courses. These include Ballyliffin Old, Donegal, Enniscrone Dunes, Carne, Connemara Championship and Strandhill. Many of these courses are set in incredibly mighty sand dunes. Design with such heights requires creativeness. Eddie's methods and minimalism quite often had him routing holes between dunes and up onto semi-blind plateaus.

He would say "These are the holes that were revealed to me. Who am I to try to improve them?". On a few of these courses such as Connemara there were no substantial dunes and he would use the natural smaller undulations in the land.

The Tour:

The West – Counties Galway, Mayo and Sligo

Connemara Championship Golf Course (7200 yards, Par 72)

Connemara is a beautiful windswept course, with no dunes but plenty of rocks in the rough. It can be brutal from the back tees. Here we summarise its fascinating initial history combining a Catholic priest's dream with the enthusiasm of the irrepressible Eddie Hackett. The full history is well worth reading.

In 1969 Father Peter Waldron was transferred to Ballyconneely in the remote west of Connemara in County Galway. He heard about golf course ideas from some hoteliers. He stalked a beautiful stretch of shoreline about five miles from the edge of town. The rocky terrain had been used for centuries as summer grazing land by a group of local families. The idea of building a golf course as a form of community development had been with him for quite some time. For one thing he had played golf since the age of ten. For another, he knew that the Irish Tourist Board was subsidising a course in Westport in neighbouring County Mayo. However the land for the course belonged to numerous owners and the community was poor.

Most people in Connemara had never even seen a golf course, and the only club they had swung was a hurling stick. A man from the tourist board later introduced Eddie Hackett to those behind the Connemara community golf course project. The hope had been to secure a development grant, but initially the board had agreed only to pay Hackett’s expenses for an appraisal of the golfing potential of the land. Eddie Hackett walked the proposed shoreline, “You have a marvellous piece of land here” he told them at last. “And it will make a fine golf course indeed.” Then he enquired about where he could go for evening Mass.

In 1971 he staked out each tee and green and finalised the design. This was not an area of sand dunes but a very rocky shoreline. The Community Committee had run out of money, and despaired about building the course but Eddie said that they could pay him when they can, as long as they kept to the right design. He was intent on disturbing as little ground as possible, on weaving the course through the Connemara rock which protruded darkly through the grasses in many spots. “Mother Nature is the best architect” he told them. “I just try to work with what the Good Lord provides.”
The community project struggled on through many financial and practical difficulties. Finally they made it happen without the help of any big developer or big government grant. On 7th June 1973 Father Waldron played in the first fourball with Eddie Hackett, Doc Casey and John Markes. The dream had been worth pursuing.

Carne Golf Course at Belmullet (6706 yards, Par 72)

The late golf architect Eddie Hackett is reputed to have said “I am thrilled with the way the dramatic Belmullet Course has turned out and again reiterate my first opinion that ultimately there will be no better links in the country, or, I doubt, anywhere”. Carne golf links is at a remote location in the north of County Mayo. Its stunning, wild, unspoiled sand dunes overlook Blacksod Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean near the town of Belmullet. Carne Golf Links was planned to increase tourism into the remote Erris region of Ireland’s Gaelic North West. This particularly applied to the remote and economically deprived Belmullet Peninsula. It is about as far west on the mainland as you can go. The Carne Golf Course was built on a heaving dunescape of vast proportions.

It is the last links course to be designed by Eddie Hackett and said by players to be his greatest challenge. The first nine opened in 1992 and the second in 1993. In 2013 the nine hole Kilmore course was added in the wildest dunes next to the Hackett back nine.

The initial Championship course was named “The Hackett” and Eddie did not venture into the most rugged part of the landscape. This occurs at times on a large site where the golf architect decides perhaps for financial reasons or to provide a fair challenge for the members, visitors or other reasons to avoid the highest dunes. Examples of this are Castlerock and Ballybunion. Reviewers later often suggest a different combination for the Championship course. At Ballybunion with 36 holes it could be the back nine of the Championship course and the back nine of the Cashen course. At Carne the Kilmore nine in the wildest dunes was first marketed as a second option. Now that it has matured the club operates as a 27 hole layout with three combinations on offer. The original Hackett course, the front nine of the Hackett and the original Kilmore and the back nine of the Hackett with the adjoining Kilmore. The latter most challenging combination has been named “The Wild Atlantic Dunes Course” and it is probably the toughest links eighteen in Ireland. It has been said recently that Carne Links now has twenty-seven of the most dramatic, natural duneland holes in the world.

Enniscrone Dunes Golf Course (7033 yards, Par 73)

Enniscrone Golf Club is located on the scenic West coast in County Sligo. It has some of the largest dunes in Ireland. The club is located on a headland that extends into Killala Bay at the estuary the River Moy. The golf club was formed in1918 and was played at three locations, the layout from four to nine holes. In 1930 it settled with nine holes to the south of the town. In the 1960’s the members began to look longingly at the dunes with ambitions for an 18-hole links course. The great Irish designer Eddie Hackett was engaged and started work in March 1970. He shaped and blended holes through the dunes in his preferred style interfering very little with the natural terrain. It is said that Hackett built some of the best golf holes of his long and distinguished career at the Championship links Enniscrone Dunes. The course and a new simple clubhouse opened in August 1974 with Eddie Hackett driving the first ball.

The challenging course is a traditional out and back to the clubhouse. The fairways of twelve holes pitch and roll through the tall wild dunes on the coast. The wind, tricky lies on the fairways and firm elevated greens test you and reward accuracy. The ability to play ‘bump and run’ shots is also an advantage. Golf on the Dunes course provides exceptional scenery, tranquillity and seclusion.

The par five seventh is 534 yards and named “Hackett’s”. From the tee there is trouble down the left so best to keep right. Watch out for the cross bunker 100 yards short of the green. The green complex is excellent and protected also by a deep valley. It is difficult to find and hold from any range so try to leave your favourite full shot to the green.

The par three eleventh is 170 yards, miss the green right and a deep ravine awaits, not easy to get up and down from there. The two-tier green makes the putting difficult, especially if the pin is at the back of the green.

The par four twelfth is a dogleg left of 345 yards. Going for the green is 232 yards but needs great care. The second shot needs to be precise in order to find the green which is on a slender ledge cut into the front of a large dune.

The par five 16th is a tough par five of 545 yards. The best tee-shot is with a left to right flight and keeping the ball on the fairway is essential. The second shot should favour the right hand side for the best approach, The green is deceptive, it is wide but very shallow so club selection is key.

On route from the West to North West play Strandhill golf club.

Strandhill Golf Club (6347 yards, Par 70)

Strandhill Golf Club is located beside the picturesque seaside village of Strandhill, approximately 8 km from Sligo town. The present 18-hole course was opened in 1973, designed by the great Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett. It has some splendid scenery with the Knocknarea Mountain, Culleenamore Strand and the Atlantic coastline as back-drops. Features of the course include, daunting sand dunes, exhilarating undulating greens and often severe winds. The course has developed on quite a small site which perhaps accounts for some interesting and quirky holes.

There are four par 3’s but only one par 5, all with a range of different challenges. No shot on the course is the same and accuracy is definitely the key.

The par four 6th runs right through dunes to a roiling fairway that gradually leads to a splendid view of the green complex. Two greenside bunkers on the left suggest the tighter right side is favoured.

The par four 13th starts from an elevated tee box and you drive to a meandering fairway through the largest of the dunes. The small green is in a dell surrounded by more dunes with just a modest gap to see the flag. It can be a tricky hole.

The 14th is nicknamed “The Short Puck”, it is a unique hole. It is par three and just 153 yards, a partially blind shot. The green is guarded by extremely large mounds on either side with a narrow gap of about 20 feet between. A difficult shot needing accuracy especially in a prevailing wind.

The North West – County Donegal

Donegal Golf Club (7453 yards, Par 73)

The Donegal Golf Club was formed in 1960 but there was soon an ambition to have a larger course. This was achieved in 1973 when they moved to the current location at Murvagh in South Donegal. The new course was on 180 acres and perfect for the design and construction of a links course. The approach is through an avenue of trees through forestry lands in a special conservation area. It is located on a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean and bordering Donegal Bay. The layout is very long and was originally designed by the legendary golf architect Eddie Hackett. It is often called the Muirfield of Ireland because it was designed using Muirfield as its model with two loops one clockwise and the other anticlockwise. There are wonderful views over Donegal Bay and the surrounding countryside. It is a great link offering a formidable challenge to all golfers in a beautiful and tranquil environment.

The 196 yards par three fifth hole is known as ‘The Valley of Tears’. There is no fairway, you need to aim at the bunker placed back left from the tee. If you fail to clear the valley you will typically be left with a shot from a very deep bunker. The green is bowl shaped which can help to feed your ball towards the pin.

The fourteenth is known as ‘Hares Croft’ at 567 yards; this par 5 is the longest on the course. The peninsula was a warren in the past with hares, badgers, squirrels and many birds. Golfer still may have to wait while a hare speeds across the fairway. Aim to the right of the fairway from the tee Your second shot should then favour the left of the fairway. There is a meandering stream well short of the green. Most players will have a full shot into a long sloping green that can test a good putter.

Ballyliffin Old Links (6937 yards, Par 71

Ballyliffin Golf Club is the most northerly in Ireland, located on the edge of the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal. It was formed in 1947 and in common with many Irish courses struggled financially over the years. Today it has two highly ranked courses and is a leading destination for visiting local players and International golfers. Golf was originally played on nine holes at Pollen Green. In 1970 the present land was purchased and later the Old course was extended from nine holes to eighteen, opening in 1973. The foremost Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett was employed for the layout. The English architects Charles Lawrie and Frank Pennick also gave some input. The Old Links is a traditional seaside course with rumpled fairways that roll and wind through wild dunes and rarely offer a flat lie . It is a throwback to yesteryear but maintained to a modern standard. This is the type of links where a seemingly perfect drive can find a very unfortunate lie for the next shot. Attention was drawn to the Old course when Nick Faldo, winner of six Major Championships made a visit in 1993 and said “One of the most natural courses that I have ever played”.

The Old and the newer Glashedy are a great combination in that they are quite different in design but well matched in quality. On the front nine the tricky 196 yard par three known as ’The Tank’ is recalled by many golfers reviews. Play around the greens can be particularly challenging on this course. The back nine is close to the sea and offers a serious challenge particularly on a windy day which is quite often. The final stretch from fourteen to eighteen makes a great finish.

Rosapenna Hotel and Golf course (Sandy Hills)

In 1981, Frank and Hilary Casey bought the Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort. The hotel and The Old Tom Morris course which skirted the dunes were badly run down. They called in Eddie Hackett, long considered Ireland’s foremost golf course designer. He laid out a new eight holes taking them into the dunes which were intended to improve the Old Tom Morris. The work was taken over by Pat Ruddy, possibly because Eddie was approaching 80 years of age. The plans were changed with alterations to the Old Tom Morris and a new course ‘Sandy Hills’. The design of Sandy Hills which opened in 2003 is credited to Eddie Hackett for his input but mainly Pat Ruddy.

The Rosapenna Hotel and Golf course is going from ‘strength to strength’. At present they have two excellent 18 hole courses and nine holes formerly part of the Old Tom Morris are used as part of the practice facilities. They have purchased 300 acres of adjoining links land which previously contained 36 holes of golf designed by Eddie Hackett and Joanne O’Haire.

A new 18 hole course named St Patrick’s is being built on this land to a Tom Doak design and is expected to open in the Summer of 2021. This could in time make the Rosapenna with three times 18 excellent golf holes the most popular Golf Resort in Ireland. It’s fortunate that St. Patrick’s could be redeveloped. In the 1990s due to European rules Ireland had to make ‘Off Limits’ nearly all of its undeveloped duneland. St. Patrick’s, however, was exempt from this legislation, as it was already in use for golf.