Ballyliffin Golf Club in Inishowen, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland boasts the two northern most golf courses on the “Emerald Isle”. Glashedy Links and Old Links are rated among the very best traditional links courses.
Recently the club added another attraction: Pollan Links, a new nine-hole par-three course designed by golf writer turned golf course architect Pat Ruddy.
Holes range from 90 to 146 yards (82 to 132 m).
“The course accounts for all but the drives and some second shots out on the main links. The greens have a variety of pin positions to allow players to train their pin-seeking shots, and there are subtle-to-generous run-off areas to titillate and entrance the artistic types who wish to work on finesse shots. ”Getting around Pollan in 27 strokes means that the player is on fire.” says Ruddy.
Behind The European
The 75-year-old Irishman Ruddy achieved worldwide recognition for founding, financing and building the European Club, a modern links south of Dublin from scratch. His latest project, Pollan Links, was laid out on 14 acres (6 hectars) close to the impressive clubhouse and the 18th fairway of the Old Links.
“The Pollan Links is just that – a true links – as it sits into the calm end of the great Ballyliffin dunes and designed to provide the club player with an opportunity to sharpen 70 per cent – a lot more for high handicappers – of their entire golf game,” says Ruddy.
Involved with Ballyliffin for 30 years
Ruddy has been involved with Ballyliffin since the 1990s when he and Tom Craddock designed Glashedy Links. The course opened in 1995, and hosted the 2018 Irish Open of the European Tour.
He has also worked on many holes on the Old Links, which were adapted while constructing Glashedy. The Old Links were built in 1970 as a 9 hole course and extended to 18 holes in 1973. Sir Nick Faldo upgraded the course in 2006 by adding 32 peat revetted bunkers in addition to 1000 yards in length.
“Our intention was to offer a facility to complement our two championship links and present a stimulating and challenging short course for members and visitors alike. We see Pollan Links catering for the demand from holidaymakers, beginners getting into golf, our busy youth academy, and our older members who may find the two championship links too challenging in their later years. There is great excitement amongst all the members, many of whom look forward to honing their short game skills on the Pollan Links,” says Ballyliffen’s General Manager, John Farren.
Green fee for this new gem on the northwestern coast of Ireland, is € 20 for 18 holes and independent of playing either championship links Glashedy Links (€ 200) and Old Links (€ 180) or a day ticket for both (€ 320).
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