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Lahinch Old Course
Year Established
1894
Designed by
Tom Morris
Location
South West Ireland
Address
Lahinch Golf Club, Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland
About Lahinch
Lahinch is quite the legend. The famous Black Watch Regiment discovered the place when stationed in Limerick, finding a huge area of dunes right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It proved perfect for golf, only subject to an 1895 redesign by Old Tom Morris himself. It’s often said that Lahinch Old Course is ‘The 'St Andrews of Ireland’. This course is renowned as a links with endless virtues, a place that has moved with the times but still delivers one of the best, traditional challenges around. It’s no surprise, given the exacting standards of Old Tom Morris, Charles ‘Mo’ Gibson, Dr Alister MacKenzie and, of course, Dr Martin Hawtree.
A Brief History
- Discovered in March 1892 by Alexander Shaw, Richard Plummer and their fellow officers from the Black Watch Regiment of the British Army
- In 1894 Old Tom Morris designed a new links golf course, calling it the finest natural course he had ever seen
- Consistently ranked in the World Top 50 courses
Featured hole – Hole 4
Play Lahinch Old golf course 4th hole for a full 475 Yard Par 5, one of Ireland's most famous holes. This is McKenzie's infamous Klondyke hole, featuring a tight fairway that favours the right side. You need to use the slope to bring your tee ball back to the centre of the short grass. This blind approach plays over Klondyke Hill, where there's a flag man to show you the way. Sail your approach shot over the hill for a perfect line to achieve the putting surface and, with luck, you might grab yourself an eagle. Just make sure you take enough club to clear the hill. If not, you'll achieve a bogey at best.
Known For: A Classic Links Serving Up Epic Blind Shots
This is a wonderfully quirky links course stuffed with remarkable blind shots set against awe inspiring ocean views. No wonder it's a top 100 course. The Dell 5th hole is one of the best blind shots, a short par three with a long shallow green squashed in between vast 30 foot dunes. Nobody would design one like this today, which only adds to the entire course's unique charm.
