Lahinch Golf Club

...sleepy little seaside hamlet of Lahinch in Co. Clare were rudely awoken from their slumber by the sound of hundreds of horses and men clattering down their main street.
The British Army had arrived in this far-flung corner of Clare in the South West of Ireland, in the form of the officers and men of the famous Black Watch Regiment from the Highlands of Scotland. Life was never to be the same again, because along with them the Scotsmen brought ...
...said of the town of Lahinch in Ireland.
Nowadays there are two golf courses here in this tiny West Clare village, the old and famous links itself, and alongside it, its little sister, the Castle course.
But golf permeates everything here in Lahinch, and every business, restaurant, hotel, and hostelry is steeped in golfing goods and paraphernalia, and the village plays host each year to countless thousands of golfers who travel here ... more

~ ~ One fine dawn morning in the early 1890’s the residents of the sleepy little seaside hamlet of Lahinch in Co. Clare were rudely awoken from their slumber by the sound of hundreds of horses and men clattering down their main street.
The British Army had arrived in this far-flung corner of Clare in the South West of Ireland, in the form of the officers and men of the famous Black Watch Regiment from the Highlands of Scotland. Life was never to be the same again, because along with them the Scotsmen brought their passion for their beloved national sport of golf, and one of the first things the officers did on arrival was to begin to scout the neighbouring area for a suitable site to lay down a golf links.
They didn’t have to look too far, for when the Almighty created the Earth, He had this stretch of seaside terrain marked out for a golf links right from the very start of time.
So it was that on the 15th April, 1893, (Good Friday) the very first round of golf was played here at Lahinch, between Lieutenant McFarlane of the Black Watch Regiment and William E. McDonnell, a local ‘merchant prince’ from Limerick.
They were accompanied by many of the gentry of the area and their ladies, and the officers from the Black Watch regiment, who took over the local hotel, Sharry’s, to provide food and sustenance for the assembled company. It was the first time that many of the locals had seen such riches and refinery, and one of the locals was famously heard to remark, "Glory be to God and I hear they are going to eat meat on this blessed day. What's the world coming to at all!"
Be that as it may, golf had well and truly arrived in Lahinch, and it is now one of the finest links golf courses to be found anywhere in Ireland, or indeed anywhere else in the world.

~ ~ If St. Andrews in Scotland is the ‘home of golf’ in Scotland, (and it is!) then the same thing can be said of the town of Lahinch in Ireland.
Nowadays there are two golf courses here in this tiny West Clare village, the old and famous links itself, and alongside it, its little sister, the Castle course.
But golf permeates everything here in Lahinch, and every business, restaurant, hotel, and hostelry is steeped in golfing goods and paraphernalia, and the village plays host each year to countless thousands of golfers who travel here from all corners of the globe to sample the delights of its world famous links.
And delights it surely holds, the course nestling tight on the picturesque and visually stunning Clare coastline overlooking Liscannor Bay, and only a step and a hop from the famous ‘Cliffs of Moher’.
Nowhere else in the whole of Ireland has such personal appeal to me than County Clare, and Lahinch is its jewel in the crown. I have visited here on countless occasions, and it is my firm intention when I eventually retire to sell up here in Dublin and move base permanently to this glorious area, which is the nearest place the ‘mad cabbie’ could ever imagine to heaven on earth.

~ ~ The course itself has changed a little from the original 19th century layout. In 1928 the members employed the world-renowned Scottish golf course designer and architect, Dr. Alister MacKenzie, to work his charms on the old links, and this he accomplished in his usual inimitable style. MacKenzie was a medical doctor, who gave up his practice to concentrate solely and exclusively on his passion in life, designing wonderful golf courses, and it was he who was responsible for designing the world famous links at Cypress Point in the USA.
He was also great friends with the late, great Bobby Jones, still the only golfer in the world to ever have completed golf’s ‘Grand Slam’ (back in the 1920’s), when, as an amateur, he won the US Amateur, US Open, British Amateur, and British Open all in the same calendar year. So it was that MacKenzie collaborated with Jones, the great man himself, to help build and design the Augusta National Course in Georgia, the scene of the US Masters Championship every spring .
So Lahinch is a course that finds itself in exalted company, being laid out by one of the finest golfing designers the world has ever known.
It is relatively short in comparison with modern golf courses, which all invariably measure well over the 7,000 yard mark in total. From the Championship tees, Lahinch is only a modest 6,633 yards, and from the white (everyday) markers it is even shorter, at only 6,381 yards in length.
But it is the typical links land layout, with rolling sand dunes, and thick, wiry rough that protects the course against the huge distances that today’s golfer can manage to propel the golf ball.
Combine these factors with strong winds from the sea, that are totally unpredictable in both strength and direction, and deep, tricky sand bunkers, many of which you are totally unaware of until your ball suddenly disappears into one of them, and you have a golf course that nobody will ever make a fool of. Anyone who scores par or better (73 shots) here at Lahinch can congratulate themselves on a very fine round of golf!

~ ~ Old traditions and stories abound here at Lahinch.
A small herd of goats used to be allowed to graze freely on the course, and local legend has it that back in the mists of time a local farmer was granted grazing rights by the club, and that on days when the weather was bad, the goats would come in from the fairways and seek the relative shelter of the clubhouse confines. On one now famous occasion, the then Club Secretary, Brud Slattery, was attempting to repair the old barometer that hung in the clubhouse, and after a number of fruitless efforts gave up in frustration, and scrawled in large letters across its dial, “SEE GOATS!”
To this very day that same old barometer still hangs on the porch of the modern Lahinch clubhouse.

~ ~ Two of the holes in particular are never to be forgotten, and indeed, are a complete anachronism, and totally defy modern thinking as regards the definition of a good golf hole.
They are the par-5 fifth hole (485 yards) and the par-3 sixth (156 yards). Named ‘Klondyke’ and ‘Dell’ respectively, what is so difficult about them both is that they have totally blind shots to the green.
At Klondyke you drive from an elevated tee beside the craggy Atlantic coastline, straight down a narrow valley. If you manage to negotiate this successfully, then you are then faced with a second shot right across the top of an outrageous mound that straddles the whole width of the fairway. Should you fail to do so, then you would be as well tearing up your scorecard there and then.
And also be sure to shout a loud warning before you play, as the eighteenth fairway straddles the fifth fairway on the other side of the mound, and this is why you will find a disclaimer against any liability for personal injury printed in big, bold letters on your scorecard!
The Dell, the truly devilish 156 yards par-3 comes next. But before you can even play it, you have to figure out where exactly it is you are supposed to hit your tee shot. Your belief will be stretched to its limits when you’re told that it is directly over the huge sand dune directly in front of you, and the only indicator as to direction is the tiny white stone that sits on top. That is, if the green keeper has actually remembered to change its position on the day you play!
The 5th and 6th holes aside, the very essence of Lahinch is captured in the thrilling up hill, down dale 4th hole, and things are much the same at the 7th, both approach shots having to be hit boldly to greens that literally hug the Atlantic coastline, and where anything hit too hard will see you on the beach.
One of my favourite holes on the back nine is the ridiculously short 13th, called the ‘Mine’. At only 275 yards in length, and a par-4, it is a definite birdie opportunity, with the green being well within reach of a good tee shot. But hit the ball even slightly to the right, and you will be lucky to walk off the green with a six (double bogey) on your card. Here there is a deep, cavernous ravine, filled with sand, which would frighten the life out of even the bravest and most skilful of golfers.
The 15th hole is a long par-4 of some 447 yards. After a relatively straightforward tee shot, (provided you hit it) you are again left with a second shot that would frighten the life out of you, and where only the straightest of iron shots will find the well protected green, which is protected on both sides by treacherous hills and impenetrable rough.
And you have two cracking holes to finish, the 17th being yet another long par-4 of 433 yards, and the 18th a good par-5 measuring 528 yards.
Because of its remote location, and lack of suitable local infrastructure, Lahinch has never really played host to any of golf’s major competitions. But every July since 1895, it welcomes the elite of Irish amateur golf, when it hosts the oldest of the four Irish National Golf Championships, the South of Ireland Amateur Open. When I was younger (and a lower handicap) I played this prestigious event on a few occasions, and a more enjoyable, competitive, and well-run competition would be hard to find.

~ ~ But I still visit Lahinch at every available opportunity, and the last time I played here was one of the most memorable rounds of golf of my life. Not only did the Scottish starter ‘conveniently’ forget to charge me any green fee, he also organised a game for me against a (low handicap) visiting American golfer, and another overseas visitor from Japan. The American was all for a small wager, (just to make the round interesting!) and the Japanese golfer was also happy to comply. Not wishing to appear a spoilsport, (heh, heh) I agreed to a bet of £100 for each nine holes, and another £100 on the overall score.
They must have thought I was easy meat when I took a six at the very first hole, (a par-4) after finding a deep sand bunker with my drive, and going on to take three putts on the green.
But I soon dissuaded them of that illusion, when I proceeded to birdie (one under par) the next three holes in a row. I ended up shooting a 3 under par round of 69, which to this day is my best ever score on this tough course, and walking off with a handy £600 in my back pocket for a little sweetener. (Oh, life was VERY sweet that particular day!!)

~ ~ In olden times the Lahinch clubhouse was also a luxury Victorian hotel called the ‘Golf Links Hotel’, (how original) replete with ornate decorations and furnishings, and rooms in the grand style of the era. Nowadays, the old hotel is long gone, and Lahinch boasts a fine modern clubhouse, with full catering and bar facilities, and every amenity that the modern golfer could ever wish or desire.
There is a well-stocked pro shop, where you can purchase all and every golfing requisite, and also hire out clubs, a buggy or a trolley. And if you book in advance (a must) then the pro can also organise a local caddie for you if required. (This is a very good idea if you are playing the course for the first time!)
By the way, I have deliberately not mentioned the Castle course here in this review, as it merits an opinion all of its own.
If you ever find yourself in this glorious corner of the Emerald Isle, and if you are a lover of the glorious old sport of golf, then be sure not to miss the opportunity to play one of the most glorious links golf courses in the whole country.

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Secretary: Mr. Alan Reardon Tel: 353 (0) 65 81003 Fax: 353 (0) 65 81592

Professional: Mr. Robert Mc Cavery Tel: 353 (0) 65 81408

Email: info@lahinchgolf.com

Playing: Visitors always welcome (booking essential) Handicap certificate required.

Cost: Midweek €65 Weekend €70

Bar: 10.30 AM to 11 PM

Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner available from 9 AM to 9 PM. Bar snacks all day.

Directions: Approx 20 miles west of Ennis on the T69.

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