Welcome to Talking Travel No. 21.
If you’re looking to map out your next great golf trip, to Ireland or Scotland, this issue will provide all the inspiration you need.
Throughout June, there’s been plenty of big news, unmissable reviews and incredible experiences from those magical links.
Let’s tee off.
Last month, for the sixth consecutive ranking, Golf Digest hailed Royal County Down as the World’s Greatest Course.
Few would disagree.
The Championship Links, crafted by Old Tom Morris, takes your breath away with its wonderfully rugged terrain, unforgettable shot-making tests and mesmerising seaside vistas.
And yet.
The prestigious club in Northern Ireland just announced a planning application to modify this shrine to golfing perfection.
Learn more in BelfastLive here.
It’s certainly the most notorious.
The Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links is widely considered to be the toughest test in the game.
Following The Open in 1999 – won with a +7 score – it earned the nickname Carnasty.
Enter the iconic Barry Burn.
Cutting through the final three holes, many well-known golfers’ dreams languish at the bottom of this watery abyss.
Learn more in National Club Golfer here.
On every level, Dublin’s foremost golf club offers you a world-class experience.
Even before they played the mighty Championship Links, Portmarnock had wowed Ian Woods and Neil White with its delicious breakfast, fascinating memorabilia, and impressive driving range.
What about the golf?
The fairway turf was immaculate. The seaside views were epic. The greens were fast and true.
But those bunkers were everywhere!
Learn more in The Golf Pilgrim here.
In 2020, the Ancient Kingdom of Fife welcomed a young pretender to its dominion of classic layouts.
Dumbarnie Links arrived as a ready-made star. An exemplar of imaginative design, every hole is a unique adventure.
Along with its award-winning course, you can expect award-winning hospitality, often simultaneously.
David Scott, the General Manager, has been at Dumbarnie from the beginning. It’s a fascinating story.
Listen to The 1457 Podcast here.
You probably have plans for Independence Day weekend.
But if time allows, tune into the Arnold Palmer Cup at Tralee Golf Club.
Fittingly, for its 30th edition, the tournament The King started will be played on the spellbinding links course he created.
And thanks to a new partnership, you can watch this Ryder Cup-style collegiate competition live on the Golf Channel Mobile website.
Learn more in the Irish Examiner here.
Another must-watch tournament. Another perfect destination for your golf trip.
The Genesis Scottish Open (July 9-12) will welcome an all-star lineup to East Lothian.
The Major winners include Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.
Then you’ve got Ryder Cup veterans like Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland.
Naturally, hometown hero Robert MacIntyre will defend his title on Scotland’s Golf Coast.
Learn more in DP World Tour News here.
Recently, 95 of Ireland’s most breathtaking beaches received Blue Flag status.
And quite a few are close to must-play links courses for your trip itinerary.
White Strand borders Doonbeg.
Inch is not far from Ceann Sibeal…
Likewise for Ballybunion, Enniscrone and their namesake sands.
Donegal Golf Club is next to Murvagh.
As is County Sligo to Rosses Point and Jameson Golf Links to Velvet Strand.
Learn more in IrishCentral here.
Why the fixation on upcoming tournaments?
That’s the magic of golf travel in Ireland and Scotland. You get to experience prestigious venues where legends have played.
So we thought you’d want to know the latest on the much-anticipated Irish Open.
According to organisers, it’s not to be missed, with huge crowds and big stars coming to the newly upgraded Trump International Golf Links.
Learn more in Irish Golf Desk here.
4 golfers | 5 rounds | 5 nights
Two fathers. Two Sons. One unforgettable adventure across Scotland.
Our Geoffrion group experienced world-class links, 5-star luxury and gourmet cuisine on a tailormade Golfer Journeys itinerary that encompassed the best of east and west.
First, to Fife. At hallowed St Andrews, they played the New and Castle courses, before visiting the absolutely mesmerising Kingsbarns.
Then it was on to Ayrshire for two nights and 36 holes at the iconic Turnberry.
Jim Hartsell also has a special fondness for Turnberry.
As a boy in Alabama, the acclaimed author watched the classic 1977 Open Championship and became wholly obsessed with links golf in Scotland.
His latest book, A Round of Scottish Courses, celebrates Hartsell’s 18 favourite layouts, including Prestwick and Cruden Bay, in the soul-stirring land where the game began.
What should you pack for your Irish golf tour?
Well, you can never go wrong with rain gear, water-resistant spikes, extra socks, and a sturdy umbrella!
Just don’t forget about sunscreen.
Ireland is not exactly renowned for heatwaves, but golf courses are among its most sun-exposed places. And nothing scuppers a vacation like sunburn.
Thankfully, there’s a pharmacist’s guide to help you avoid it.
Learn more in Irish Golfer here.
If you ever make that epic golfing pilgrimage to the rugged, ravishing Scottish Highlands – and you really should – Scott Sellars may cross your path.
He’s the Director of Golf at Royal Dornoch, where you’ll enjoy the utterly captivating Championship Course and the stunning new clubhouse.
As the club approaches its 150th anniversary, Sellars recently discussed ambitious plans to create an even better experience for visitors.
Learn more here.
Carne Golf Links already delivers 27 of the wildest, swashbuckling holes on the Emerald Isle.
For sheer jaw-dropping grandeur, there is nowhere else like this otherworldly dunescape.
Now, though, the club on the Atlantic coast of County Mayo has added a splash of subtle sophistication to the raw drama.
Carne just opened its freshly revamped front nine for play. It looks pretty spectacular.
Learn more in Golf Course Architecture here.
The 154th Open is almost here.
Prestwick Golf Club, your Course of the Month, hosted the first Championship in 1860.
In many respects, Prestwick remains a shrine to that bygone era, and you would never see such wonderful quirks on a modern layout.
But that’s the beauty of the place.
It transports you to the very roots of the game and reveals links golf as Old Tom Morris imagined it.
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Author: Tom Rooney
