Eddie Hackett’s Home Trail – Dublin Golf Tour

Edward James Hackett (1910–1996) was an Irish golf course architect whose colourful career spanned 70 years. As a boy in Dublin he had tuberculosis which left him without the vigour or strength to play active sports and so he began playing golf with his father at the Hermitage Golf Club. His first job as a teenager was at Royal Dublin Golf Club and he was apprenticed to Fred Smyth, a renowned clubmaker. As a professional making clubs and playing in tournaments he worked his way up and was professional at Elm Park. From there in 1939 he took over from Willie Nolan as professional in Portmarnock Golf Club, the premier club in the Irish Republic.

Exploring Hackett’s courses in the area of Dublin will allow you to explore his home ground and some of his most beloved designs, all while exploring this exciting area of natural beauty.

The Dublin Trail

Beach Park (6315 yards, Par 72)

The Beach Park Club is located at Rathcoole village, Co. Dublin, just 40 minutes’ drive from Dublin City centre. It was originally known as Bodenstown Golf Course, where it had been formed and where it had been in occupation since 1972/73 with an annual tenancy agreement. In 1883 the members decided to move to Beech Park where they could purchase the land. The new course was designed by Eddie Hackett. With the help of many members a temporary course of nine holes was in use by July of 1983 and the full course renamed Beach Park Golf Club was opened in 1985.

This immaculate, impressive looking, well maintained and manicured parkland course starts quietly and fools you into thinking it’s easy before building to an impressive climax. The 2nd half of the course has Beech Park’s own 'Amen Corner' to test your skills.

The 9th hole is a dog leg right par 5 where the fairway slopes right to left so the best tee shot is a long slight fade. The 9th green is elevated with a heavy right to left slope and severe undulations. There is an enormous bunker protecting the front left. This starts a run of holes that are heavily lined with woodland that will test a tentative approach and to reward the brave. There are tight fairways and quite small greens adding to the challenge. The 11th is very picturesque with the green set beyond a wide stretch of lily pond. The 16th drive is downhill from an elevated tee into the turn of a dogleg left. A water hazard waits to trap the well hit drive from long hitters, forcing them to hit 3-irons off the tee. The par four 18th has a slight left-to-right dogleg that requires a carefully placed drive. Too straight a drive can reach a lateral water hazard. On the right you risk hitting a Copper Beech tree that guards the right-hand-side of the fairway. A long second shot is required to reach the long narrow green protected by large, deep bunkers on both sides and out-of-bounds looms behind the green.

Elmgreen (5,807 yards, Par 70)

Elmgreen Golf Course is a tranquil parkland course set in a secluded estate with mature forestry, tree lined fairways and splendid views of the Dublin Mountains. This Eddie Hackett designed course is beautiful and immaculately kept. It is relatively short but an enjoyable test of golf offering an interesting challenge for players of all abilities. Accuracy is the key to score well. Elmgreen is situated at the City’s threshold, in Dunsink Lane, just off the Navin road and M50 at junction 6 in Dublin 15.

The par four fourth is tough with trees lining both sides of the fairway ready to punish any wayward shots. The green is well bunkered and slopes severely from left to right calling for an accurate approach.The par three seventh is slightly downhill from the tee to a green playing somewhat less than its 194 yards. Any shot pulled left will be out of bounds. Anything right will end up in thick rough. The par four ninth is the toughest on the course, needing an accurate tee shot. Finding the right hand side of the fairway leads to the best approach. It doglegs left to right and good strong driving can cut the corner. The risk is out of bounds or a second shot blocked.

The approach is uphill to a two-tier green.

The short par four tenth tempts big hitters to reach the green but trouble waits everywhere. The green is a narrow target with trees on both sides of the fairway and a hazard just short of the green. It is a typical risk/ reward strategy with conservative play being an iron from the tee.

The par five sixteenth is deceiving as its narrow fairway slopes progressively uphill so that it plays more than its yardage. From the tee there is out of bounds and dense woodland to the right. The best strategy is two careful shots leaving a short iron approach to the green.

The par three seventeenth has a nice view of Dublin City, it is not long but needs a good tee shot. The green is well bunkered claiming anything short either side of the green.

Beaverstown Golf Club (5922 yards, Par 72)

The Beaverstown Golf Club was founded in 1985 at Donabate north of Dublin. The course was on land which was formerly a fruit farm. The purchaser of the land was a local businessman who planned to create a Golf and Country Club. Despite heavy advertising and the retention of Eddie Hackett to design the course, the project ran into financial difficulties but was saved by investment from some members. Intensive recruitment built the number of members by 1990.

The course is a unique challenging parkland layout set in 140 acres of lush orchards. The design makes the best use of its many natural features including 6 lakes, 36 acres of mature apple trees, the shores of Rogerstown estuary in North County Dublin and a meandering stream through the course. The orchards border the fairways, tees, fairways and undulating greens on 8 of the holes. The streams and lakes come into play on 12 holes. The course is particularly picturesque when the apple trees bloom in May. There are strategically placed bunkers throughout to add to the existing natural challenges.

The signature hole is the par four fourteenth where an ominous stream can only be carried with a well-hit drive. A further hazard to avoid is the towering ash tree that sits at the centre of the fairway and the groves of trees from the orchard surrounding the green on three sides. The undulating sand-based greens test all standards of golfers and with the well-drained fairways guarantee play throughout the year.

Malahide Golf Club (5960 yards, Par 71)

The Malahide Golf Club was initially a links course close to the Grand Hotel in Malahide Village. It is one of Ireland’s oldest clubs founded in 1892 by Nathaniel Hone, one of Ireland's foremost painters. The estuary began to erode the dunes in the 1920’s and quite soon this excellent links course was becoming a beach. Purchase of inland fields started the development of an inland course of nine holes that was played until 1990. In the meantime the club purchased the Beechwood estate in 1987 between the beautiful seaside resort of Malahide and the village of Portmarnock. Construction of 18 holes of parkland began in 1988 with Eddie Hackett appointed as golf architect. The 180 acres of mature wooded parkland was drained and more trees planted. A clubhouse was built with scenic views across the bay to Howth Head and The Wicklow Mountains. The new 27-hole course was opened by An Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey in 1990..

Malahide is an imposing gently undulating parkland course, boasting thought-provoking and impressive golf holes. The natural landscape comprises hardwood copses, ponds and rivers with wonderful flora and fauna. Their strategic placement ensures a variety of shots are required in every round. Deceivingly simple and attractive in design, each hole presents the golfer with its own challenge, needing care on the many doglegs and shots over the water hazards. Many of the greens are raised needing accurate club selection and discretion. Golfers will find a beautiful course in prime condition with a combination of trees, bunkers and water hazards to test the most skilful players. Eddie Hackett has made typically good use of the Beechwood site. The 27 hole complex affords great flexibility in that it is possible to combine the playing of the Beechwood Nine with either nine of the Championship Course. The three loops of nine holes each finish with a great hole near the clubhouse. The course always presents a challenge for golfers offering variety, inspiration and a genuine test of golf that you're unlikely to forget in a hurry. The sea is not far away and so wind can play a part even on this parkland course. The motto of the Malahide Club is "A light heart and a friendly spirit".

Lucan Golf Club (6539 yards, Par 71)

The Lucan Golf Club is one of Ireland’s older clubs. It was formed in 1897 and affiliated to the Golfing Union in 1905. The original Lucan course was opened by Captain Colthurst-Vesey in September 1897 and was initially located in the Moor of Meath. This arrangement did not last long and the club moved to its present location adjoining the Spa Hotel in 1900. James McKenna, the professional at Carrickmines Golf Club laid out the first nine-holes. In 1988 an eighteen hole course was designed by Eddie Hackett.

The club now boasts a magnificent mature parkland layout in the tranquil suburbs of Liffey Valley and is only 15 minutes by car to the centre of Dublin. The course features mature trees, streams, bridges and water hazards that come into play on several holes. There are undulating fairways making accuracy essential and well-guarded greens ensuring your approach shots must be of the highest order.

Lucan exhibits some very testing and unusual holes The par three fourth hole is unusual in that the tee shot crosses the main road.

The other par threes are tough as is the number one index fourteenth, a par four with a stream protecting the front of the green. There are countless challenges to look out for during your round, take care until you are safely back in the clubhouse.

Kilcock Golf Club (6221 yards, Par 72)

Kilcock Golf Club is a championship standard eighteen hole golf course located just 10 minutes outside Dublin. The club is just 2 miles from Kilcock off the N4(main Dublin/Galway road). Shortly after the M4 ends, take the exit for Kilcock. After 200 yds take a right and then the first left. The Golf course is on this road about 1 mile from the crossroads. The club was first founded in 1984 as a 9 hole golf course by the local landowner Gerry Canning. In 1990 land adjacent to the course was purchased and the renowned golf architect Eddie Hackett was engaged. He laid out a testing but fair eighteen hole course.

The course has undulating tree-lined fairways with light rough that is quite forgiving to somewhat errant shots. There are mature trees, many water features and a wide array of challenging bunkers. The greens are known to be fast with imperceptible breaks that pose a challenge to all golfers.

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