Golf at Adare Manor (Day 1 or 2) 4 hours

Set on 230 lush acres of the Adare Manor Estate, Adare Golf Club was designed by legendary golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and offers a magnificent parkland layout. From his first perception of Adare Manor as having all the flavour of Augusta National, he has created a true masterpiece and one of the leading parkland courses in Ireland.

The Adare Manor Estate has a long history but was purchased in 1987 by the Kane family of Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. Major work on the Manor ensued and the golf course opened for play in August 1995. Measuring over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, Adare Golf Club is an American styled course, with rock walled streams, subtly undulating greens and Jones' signature cloverleaf bunkers. A 14 acre lake dominates the outward nine holes while the River Maigue meanders its way through a densely wooded back nine. Its testing design and manicured greens have already assured Adare Golf Club's position as one of the finest Irish inland courses.

Water comes into play at ten holes, including the opening two, which are menaced by a meandering little stream waiting to punish wayward approach shots. This is nothing however, compared to the huge lake, which anchors the front nine holes. It cleverly protects the right hand side of the par 5, 7th where the fun is in cutting off as much as the hazard as possible without actually entering a watery grave. And so it continues every hole is a worthy challenge.

Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort offers world class facilities which include a variety of accommodations to suit your needs, a luxurious Spa at Adare Manor, the Adare Manor Equestrian Centre with a scenic and challenging cross-country trail, several fine restaurants, entertaining bars and many more activities to fill your days and evenings.

Horseback Riding in Killarney (Day 3) 2 - 3 hours

Golf at Lahinch (Day 5) 4 hours

Golf at Lahinch goes back to 1892, when officers of a Scottish regiment - The Black Watch - stationed in Limerick city, out exploring the rugged countryside of County Clare happened upon the vast expanse of sand dunes that is Lahinch. Together with some native enthusiasts these Scotsmen founded Lahinch Golf Club on Good Friday, 1893. The original course was designed by the legendary 'Old' Tom Morris of St. Andrews who, on completing the layout, enthused: "I consider this links as fine a natural course as it has ever been my good fortune to play over".

In 1928 the links was extensively revised by Dr. Alastair MacKenzie who was so impressed with the fine natural terrain that he declared: "Lahinch will make the finest and most popular course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed". Praise indeed from a man who was responsible for such formidable layouts as Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Augusta National.
Today Lahinch boasts two 18 hole courses, the Old Course and a second, the Castle Course, which was added in 1975. Much of the pleasure of Lahinch is derived from the atmosphere that envelopes not just the golf links but the entire village which rests just above the course. For in Lahinch everybody is a golf enthusiast and this quickly transmits itself to the visitor hence the description of Lahinch as the St. Andrews of Irish Golf. Apart from the splendour of its location, Lahinch has gained world-wide recognition through its charming idiosyncrasies.

The Old Course is the permanent home of the South of Ireland Open Amateur Championship, first played in 1895, and which annually attracts the cream of Ireland's amateur golfers to play for this most coveted title and the magnificent trophy which goes with it. The course also regularly hosts the Irish National Amateur and Professional Championships. Set right on the Atlantic and exposed to the ocean through all her moods, moulded and shaped over centuries by nature’s harsh elements and an occasional touch of human genius, Lahinch, with its towering sand dunes, undulating fairways and rolling greens is the perfect natural golfing terrain - a true links.

Golf at Connemara Links (Day 6) 4 hours

Spectacularly located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with the Twelve Bens Mountains as a background, this is a big hitter's championship course and as challenging as any to be found.

The Connemara Golf Course has a rather short history compared with many of the other golf clubs in Ireland. As recently as 1970, Eddie Hackett was commissioned with the planning of the 18-hole championship layout. The course was opened in 1973.

The Connemara Golf links is bound on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean, while on the 'inland' side the golfer can enjoy an excellent view of the 'Twelve Bens'. The clubhouse, where the visitor can prepare himself for his round, is a fitting centrepiece for this impressive and demanding course.

The first 9 holes are laid out on relatively level ground; the holes which merit particular attention are the 7th, 8th and 9th. The second 9 holes are all longer than the first half of the course. The prettiest hole of the course is the 13th, where the golfer will probably be more fascinated by the view of the Atlantic Ocean and of the rest of the course than by his ball, which could therefore quite easily miss the narrow and well-defended green.

The way home from the 13th hole is a long one as the last five holes include three par 5's, all of which may prove decisive for the final score. All in all, the course offers an ideal challenge to all those who are determined to prove their skill!