Day 2 Royal Dublin

A definite inclusion in the list of great Irish links courses, Royal Dublin is Ireland's second oldest golf club and possesses a history to match. A Scottish banker named John Lumsden pioneered the formation of the club and having been founded in 1885, the Dublin Golf Club as it was then known, was first based in the Phoenix Park but as membership grew, a new home was sought. Following a brief sojourn at Sutton, the club moved to its present home at Bull Island in 1889 and became known as the Royal Dublin Golf Club when it received its Royal designation in 1891.

The land of Bull Island would merit a footnote in history even without its association with a famous golf club. The terrain is not in fact an island but rather a sandbank, formed as a by product of maritime necessity. As the port of Dublin grew in the early 1800's, a certain Captain William Bligh, formerly of H.M.S Bounty, was involved in the construction of a sea wall in order to provide shipping with a safe approach to Dublin Port. The "Bull Wall" was completed in 1823 and the resulting sandbank known as Bull Island continues to grow today. Royal Dublin was sequestered for military use during the First World War and while this was an inconvenience for golf, it also proved fortuitous. Such was the destruction to the terrain, the club was given £10,000 in compensation and it was this money that allowed the employment of renowned architect H.S. Colt.

Renowned for its greens, having played the course prior to the 1998 British Open, Ernie Els insisted that they were "the best links greens I have played in a long time". Different to most links courses, Royal Dublin is laid out almost entirely on flat land but still represents as formidable links test as you are likely to encounter. The layout is in the traditional out and back format so the two nines must be handled quite differently due to the prevailing winds. What can sometimes be a good score in the making is often quite literally blown off course during the return to the clubhouse.

As befits a course of Royal Dublin's stature, it has played host to a wide range of major events over the years, both amateur and professional. The Irish Open was staged at Royal Dublin from 1983 to 1985, being won twice by Seve Ballesteros and by Bernard Langer in 1984. The club has hosted the Irish Amateur Open from 1998 to 2002 and was also the scene of one of the most remarkable finishes ever in the history of the game. During the 1966 Irish Open, Christy O'Connor Sr. stood on the 16th tee of his home course needing three birdies to tie. O'Connor produced an eagle birdie eagle finish, a feat more difficult today as the 18th is now regarded as a par four.

Royal Dublin with its relatively flat layout may be different from some traditional links but it still rates among the very best. This is a course that visiting golfers would be advised to include when in the Dublin area.

Day 3 Portmarnock

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.

Day 4 The European Club

Located an easy 30-mile drive south of Dublin, in County Wicklow, The European Club is the dream and handiwork of the amazing Pat Ruddy, a man with golf in his blood.

Ruddy is not your conventional golf architect. He never studied the subject formally, neither did he work for any big architectural firm and possibly had never seen a drawing board until he acquired this piece of Wicklow coastline and vowed to build himself a golf course.

What Pat Ruddy has accomplished is nothing short of amazing -- and proof positive that all you need is a dream and the determination, grit and courage to turn that dream into reality.

More than 10 years have passed since The European opened, and in that short time it has risen to be ranked No. 5 in all Ireland -- preceded only by Royal County Down, Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Ballybunion, Ireland's "Big Four."

The land he selected skirts Brittas Bay on the Irish Sea and consists entirely of giant sand dunes, the ideal raw material from which to build a links course to be remembered.

From start to finish the holes have you weaving your way between, around, over and through the magnificent sand hills. The Irish Sea is always in view and a constant factor, complete with the inevitable wind that seems to blow here with an added gusto.

Unlike many traditional links courses, Ruddy has intentionally eliminated any blind holes and it's a refreshing case of what you see is what you get, from start to finish.

It is difficult to identify the best holes here, as all 18 are extremely good and half of those can be classified as truly outstanding. But if any must be selected, the 3rd, a par-5 and a cascading downhill thriller, must be on the list. The 7th is truly spectacular, with an eerie marsh running the full length of the fairway.

The 12th, 13th and 15th are literally played along the beach, providing yet another unique feature. The 17th, plunging through a dune-lined valley is nothing less than exhilarating. Perhaps the very best of all is kept until last, with a closing hole that almost defies description and needs to be experienced to be believed.

Pat Ruddy has put all of his money and effort into making a magnificent links course, so much in fact that little has been done to provide anything but the simplest of club houses. But that is the way he wants it, plain and simple, just the way it was 100 years back when all of those other links courses were being opened.

There is no question that The European Club is deserving of its ranking as not only one of Ireland's best, but one of the best links courses in the world.

Day 6 Waterford Castle

A more perfect setting for a championship course could not be imagined, even in a country that seems to have been designed by nature for the game of golf. The natural lie of the land has been used to fashion this, Ireland's first island golf course - every existing hillock, slope and tree plays its part. Each hole offers a different challenge, a change of direction and a captivating view of the surrounding countryside.

Situated on a beautiful 310 acre island in the estuary of the River Suir, Waterford Castle Golf & Country Club lies just downstream from Waterford City. The island itself boasts a long and colourful history and was a monastic settlement from the 6th to 8th centuries. During the Norman invasion of 1160, the island came under the ownership of Maurice Fitzgerald, a cousin of Strongbow and it remained the property of the Fitzgerald family until 1958. The original castle was enlarged in the 19th century and today stands as a world class hotel, while the championship golf course was opened for play in September 1992.

Day 8 Mount Juliet

This is where Tiger Woods took the 2002 American Express World Golf Championship in grand style and where 3 Irish Opens have been staged. Beautiful rolling fairways, many with water hazards and well contoured greens, all superbly blended into the spectacular setting of the famous old Irish estate.

Mount Juliet lies like a jewel among 1500 walled acres of woodland and rolling green landscapes alongside the River Nore. Known as the Augusta of Europe, the resort offers many golfing facilities including a three hole academy and an 18 hole putting course, where the series of par 3's, 4's and 5's are complete with lakes and bunkers. Combine this with a tranquil setting in a secluded country estate and a series of other leisure facilities and Mount Juliet is undeniably one of the finest resorts in Europe. Jack Nicklaus summed it up best when he commented: "Mount Juliet is such a magnificent setting for a golf course; I feel proud of the layout and my work here."