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Portmarnock Championship
Portmarnock, Co. Dublin
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| At first glance Portmarnock appears to be relatively flat, perhaps even boring. The views are generally uninspiring and you may well start wondering what all the fuss is about. But as the saying goes, beauty is only skin deep and looks can be very deceiving. What Portmarnock lacks in physical beauty, it more than makes up for with character, intelligence and pure integrity. This is one of the fairest links courses in existence with hardly a blind shot to be found. There is no trickery and no unpleasant surprises, just an honest to goodness test made all the more difficult by the typical breeze coming in off Dublin Bay. Expert bunkering, superb greens and rough that is to avoided at all costs, makes Portmarnock true links golf at its very best. There are good reasons why this has been the selected site for more professional tournaments than any other course in Ireland. It has hosted The Irish Professional Championship more than half a dozen times; The Irish Amateur on 11 occasions; the Walker Cup and the World Cup. In 2003, Ireland's premiere golfing event, The Irish Open, returned to Portmarnock for the 13th occasion. No course in Ireland holds more impressive credentials. Situated a short 20 minutes drive north of Dublin, Portmarnock occupies a narrow, flat peninsula, jutting into Dublin Bay. Surrounded by water on three sides, it is very much subject to the temperamental moods of the winds coming in from the Irish Sea. From a soft sea breeze to a stiff 20 mph wind, the changes you are likely to encounter in a single round can confuse and bewilder the inexperienced links golfer, but for those more accustomed to this kind of golf, the challenge is taken to new heights. No links aficionado should miss the opportunity to play Portmarnock; it just might be the ultimate links test. But plan well ahead, the close proximity to Dublin and number of visiting golfers that want to play one of the best in the world, can make visitor times a scarce commodity. |
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© 2004 Authentic Ireland Travel
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