Course View - Old Head

Old Head Golf Links is built on a 220-acre diamond of land, jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The promontory is almost an island with numerous caves running beneath your feet as you play the course. The links and practice area occupy 180 acres and the remaining 40 acres of unspoilt cliff (rising in places to over 300 feet) frame the course.

Designed and constructed by a unique team, Ron Kirby - former designer at Jack Nicklaus’s Golf Design Services, Paddy Merrigan - Australian course architect and agronomist, Liam Higgins - one of Ireland’s best known golf professionals currently on the Seniors Tour, the late Eddie Hackett - former Irish golf professional and golf course designer, the late Dr. Joe Carr - Ireland’s most successful international amateur golfer and finally, Haulie O’Shea – building contractor.

Old Head, par 72, comprises five Par 5s, five Par 3s and eight Par 4s – stretching to over 7,200 yards from the tips, with a minimum of six tees per hole. Nine holes play along the cliff tops, and all eighteen holes provide stunning ocean views. With the ever-changing sea breezes, the course provides a stern test to the touring pro and the high handicapper alike. 

Old Head Golf Links is designed as a walking course where Members and Guests are encouraged to walk the links with a Caddie. Old Head boasts one of the largest group of professional Caddies in the country, with approximately 160 Caddies working at the Club throughout the season. 

The Old Head Caddie Programme is among one of the most extensive and professional worldwide. 

Course Tour

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Golf Club Focus - Greystones

Greystones Golf Club

Founded in 1895 Greystones GC is one of Ireland’s oldest established golf clubs. The 5,337 metre par 69 18 hole parkland course is situated in one of Irelands most scenic locations, surrounded by the Wicklow Mountains, with panoramic views of picturesque Dublin Bay.

Like so many other clubs of the time, there was a strong ascendancy influence. The Right Hon. Viscount Powerscourt was the Club’s first President. Lord Glenavy once Chairman of the Old Irish Free State Senate was also a President of the club. Other famous V.I.P. visitors included Bonar Law, Prime Minister of Great Britain and world renowned writer Samuel Beckett who, according to reports was quite and accomplished golfer.

In 1985 the then President of Ireland Patrick Hillary, a single figure golfer, played the course.

Greystones and neighbouring Delgany are steeped in golfing history. Many top players learned the game in the area, such as Ryder and World Cup player, Jimmy Martin, whose father Jimmy was the Greystones Club Assistant Professional for many years.

Other top players from the locality included the legendary Harry Bradshaw, for years the Professional at Portmarnock, and Miltown’s Christy Green.

The Club was originally set around Jones’s Hill which still provides the feature hole – 7th – of the course. This hole is set high above the seaside town of Greystones, with magnificent views from Lambay Island to Wicklow Head with the Sugar Loaf and Wicklow mountains as the inland back drop.

Greystones GC has been significantly developed in recent years and now boasts a modern clubhouse. In 1998 the club embarked on upgrading the course with USGA standard greens and tees. World renowned course designer Ron Kirby was responsible for the redesigning.

Ron is one of the world’s most respected course designers. His career has spanned five decades, taking him around the globe to fashion some of the games great courses. Over the years he has been linked with many big names including Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones and Gary Player. His impressive portfolio of projects include Sun City, Kiawah Island, the Old Head Kinsale and Dromoland Castle.

Ron was aware of the tradition of Greystones and the course itself. His blend of history and modernity gives an intriguing character to the course and provides golfers with variety and a challenging round.

www.greystonesgc.com

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Maguire and Meadows Miss Inspiration

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Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadows missed the cut after they hit respective second rounds of 76 and 78.

The Irish duo had left themselves with considerable work to do after poor opening rounds on Thursday, yet Maguire hit four more bogeys in her second round to finish seven over for the tournament - three shots better off than Meadows who struggled with six bogeys on Friday.

Lexi Thompson’s putter switch helped her surge up the leaderboard to grab a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, California on Friday.

Thompson carded four birdies in her last seven holes, including three in a row from the 12th, to shoot a four-under-68 and jump to seven-under for the tournament in the first major championship of the year.

The 21-year-old joined overnight leader Ai Miyazato atop the leaderboard at Mission Hills Country Club after the Japanese former world number one mixed five birdies and three bogeys on her way to a round of 70.

Six players sit just one shot off the pace, including New Zealand’s world number one Lydia Ko, who shot a 68 to go with her first round 70.

American Lizette Salas (67), Norway’s Suzann Pettersen (67), Koreans Park Sung-hyun (67) and Chun In-gee (69) and South African Lee-Anne Pace (70) also shared third place on a packed leaderboard with 19 players within three shots of the lead.

Thompson, who sat in a similar position in 2014 before going on to win the title, changed putters in the lead up to the tournament after a poor result in last week’s Kia Classic.

“I started practising with it Tuesday and putted with it an hour and a half a day to get comfortable with it but honestly 20 minutes into it I knew it was good,” Thompson told reporters.

“Coming off last week, just how it went for me and I knew where my confidence was I needed a change. It couldn’t get any worse. I tried it here and it felt amazing.”

The seven-times LPGA tour winner was particularly impressed with her finish in tough conditions.

“The rough is the highest I have ever seen it but that is what majors call for, tight fairways, thick rough and firm greens,” she said.

“That’s what you get here. I hit a few wayward shots but I recovered well and that’s what you have to do at majors.”

Spain’s Azahara Munoz, who held the overnight lead with Miyazato, tumbled down the boards with a 78 to drop to one-over and a share of 48th.

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