The County Sligo Golf Club

It is a premier course on the west coast of Ireland and clearly Top10 or close to it of all courses in Ireland. It looks like simple, rather flat course on paper or movie, but is nothing like that. Very testing course, especially the greens which are of great condition, but very tricky, very protected (bunkers, water streams, undulations) and reject imperfect approaches. Do not expect low score here, three-put is often here, but its very interesting to play. No holes are alike and always demand strategic play. Every hero shot will be penalised here. And not forget the elements at this true links course. Practise facilities are great, putting green is impecable. The only downside is the relatively modest clubhouse for the course of this caliber. I guess it is nearing to its full refurbishment.

Magnificent views once you are past first hole. Shuttle to driving range.

The sight of the flat-topped mountain of Benbulben, the backdrop to several holes at County Sligo, inspired the Nobel Prize-winning poetry of W.B.Yeats. The welcome at Sligo is as friendly as anywhere in golf, and the clubhouse offers modern services while nodding to the club’s illustrious past.  The club dates back to 1894, when it was founded with six holes. By 1907, a full 18 were in play, but the most significant change came in 1927, when Harry Colt was hired to redesign the course. Colt's work at County Sligo, known to locals at Rosses Point, is considered one of his four most outstanding achievements, alongside Wentworth and Sunningdale's New Course.  It has many Colt trademarks, especially its intense bunkering. During our round, we experienced a blend of the old and the new because we were joined by two delightful young American scratch players, social media influencers with enormous followings.  However, even their powerful hitting could not always overcome a course that demands as much brain as brawn. Mackenzie & Ebert have completed a renovation programme, including creating a new green on the third hole, 65 yards from the previous one. This adds length to a compelling par-five which meanders downhill between two bunkers before dropping through rough to a flatter section. Undoubtedly, the fifth, known as The Jump, will live the longest in memory. It drops around 80 feet from the tee, offering players a view of much of the course and beyond. It is a 'wow-factor' moment.  The drive must avoid sand on the left and right of a fairway that narrows towards a rolling green. The sea and Benbulben provide a stunning backdrop for the tenth, a par-four with a narrow fairway that filters towards a deep bunker.  I came closest to breaking my birdie duck on the 12th —a par-five with a distant lighthouse as the marker off the tee. Drives from the 18th tee are blind, so the ball must be struck to the left of the marker post to assure safety.  I hit right and thought I had lost my ball. A passing caddie saved the day and enabled me to approach the downhill to a green, beautifully framed by the clubhouse, hotel, and lake. We mused on this fabulous finale and the wonderful links on the veranda of the high-quality clubhouse with a delicious pizza after the game.  It was a great day at County Sligo.

This course has been recently renovated, and some parts are still growing in (new sodded areas). I played it about 10 years ago, and the course is certainly in better condition than back then, as it has go more attention in the golf world. (that is both good and bad...better conditions, more play, higher fee...always a trade off for those of us who live in Europe and look for good value). That being said, the course is a wonderful course, with a great routing that takes the player on a 'journey' across the land with different landscapes and views. Good mix of holes, and no great weaknesses.

County Sligo, oder Rosses Point wie er oft genannt wird, ist ein alter, klassicher Linkskurs von einem der besten Golfplatzarchitekten aller Zeiten: Harry S. Colt! Colt ist berühmt für seine Routings und seine Grüns und vor allem letztere sind es was diesen Platz auszeichnen. Verfehlt man das Grün hat man wirklich schwierige up and downs vor sich denn viele der Grüns sind Plateaugrüns die zu allen Seiten hin abfallen. Dem Platz fehlen zwar die hohen Dünen die man im Nordwesten Irlands vielleicht erwartet, dafür bietet er sensationelle Aussichten auf den Benbulben Tafelberg und das Meer, speziell von den erhöhten Positionen.