We continue our series looking at the best on offer across the Irish Sea in the Emerald Isle. Alan Hedley reports on more delights to be found just outside Dublin. *********** Here is much to admire in Irish golf. Rarely is the welcome anything but overwhelmingly warm and rarely do you find a bad Irish golf course. In fact, in 20 years of playing golf on the Emerald Isle, I can remember only three courses I would not go out of my way to visit again and that was to do with the quality, or lack of it, of the course rather than the people. So the chance to play Ireland's oldest golf course and two of its newest courtesy of Irish Ferries and Tourism Ireland was not to be missed. The Curragh is steeped in history both military and civilian and there is a strong army presence to this day. Hardly surprising since membership was apparently confined to officers of the British Curragh Garrison in the early years but by 1889 the course was over 18 holes instead of 11 and the club affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland and open to civilians. The course has had to be changed many times to meet military requirements. Barracks, parade grounds, ranges and even the water tower now stand where there were fairways and greens and there are changes being made still to a wonderfully quirky, testing but not taxing lay-out. Basically heathland, The Curragh was ablaze with broom and gorse when we played it and while it's fairly hilly, it can be easily walked and was in excellent condition, especially the greens. The views are terrific as is the clubhouse, which has all the traditional comfort you'd expect and here's the best bit - it's not expensive and it's easily reachable from Dublin. In fact, you could be off the ferry from Holyhead and get along the road to the Curragh in a reasonable journey depending on the traffic and at 30 euros a round on weekdays (excluding Tuesdays) and 55 euros on weekends - and that includes a meal - it's real value for money, Castleknock is an entirely different proposition from The Curragh. but no less a test of golf. In fact, it's more of a test if only because of it's length, the presence of water and the pace of the greens, but it is a quality course with a modern hotel offering all you'd expect including a health and beauty spa. Opened only in April 2005, the course plays as if it has been open for several years and the hotel is real quality. There's plenty of water and while the course is to be changed with the opening of a spanking new clubhouse soon, the par three seventh,16th and 18th are especially memorable but the par five 13th is perhaps the pick of the holes, although not that difficult as long as you avoid the lake and play the dogleg as it should be. The green fees are considerably more than The Curragh - it's 90 euros if you're just pitching up to play and 60 euros if you're staying in the hotel which does club hire and buggies, but it a course that can be easily walked even at 6,700 yards off the back tees, but you can play off any of the four sets of tees and make it as short as 5,372 if you like. Roganstown is in Swords, just four miles from Dublin airport and just 11 miles from Dublin city centre and this Christ O'Connor Jnr course looks really worth playing. Unfortunatelt, we were rained off after just nine holes, but what we saw was pretty good and the back nine looked better on the course guide. It also has a 52-bedroomed country club with a state of the art leisure club, including steam room, sauna and swimming pool and the Sakura retreat. O'Connor picks out four holes as his personal favourites including the first a dogleg par four of 430 yards long, the 388 yard eighth which has a testing drive to avoid bunkers on the left and the Broadmeadow river to the right. The par three 12th is a long short hole at 206 yards to a green, which is divided into three levels with a lake to the front and left and the 18th, a really good par five finish at 592 yards. Green fees are reasonable at 60 euros on weekdays and 70 euros at weekend and the bars are pretty good as is McLoughlin's Restaurant at the hotel and it has won awards for its fine food and I can vouch for that! In these days of cheap air travel, many will possibly by-pass the idea of travelling by ferry but the journey from Hoylyhead to Dublin is certainly a relaxed way of making the crossing and Irish Ferries, in an unprecedented move, has made a commitment to offering the lowest possible fare and taking on the airlines at their own game. Irish Ferries now offers big savings to those who book early UK Passenger Manager, Daragh O'Reilly said: "Gone are the traditional days of price vultures waiting until the last minute to book travel to take advantage of our low, low prices. "From now on people will have to book in advance to guarantee getting our best price and indeed if they do try to book at the last minute they will find that our prices have risen...just as happens with the low cost and ultimately low service airlines!" To accompany the introduction of this new fluid pricing, Irish Ferries has introduced a new all-time low lead in fare of £59 one way for car and passenger - with all taxes included...and there's no charge for baggage or golf clubs. It's also worth checking out the Tourism Ireland website for offers and packages as well as Irish Ferries. --------------------------------------------------------- Name: The Curragh Golf Club
Address: The Curragh, Co. Kildare.
Telephone: +353 45 441714
Fax: +353 45 442476
Email: curraghgolf@eircom.net
Website: www.curraghgolf.com. Name: Castleknock Golf and Country Club
Address: Porterstown Road, Castleknock. Co Dublin.
Telephone: +353 1 820 5600
Fax: +353 1 820 5653
Email: paddy.maguire@castleknockgolfclub.ie
Web: www.castleknockgolfclub.ie. Name: Roganstown Golf and Country Club
Address: Swords, Co Dublin
Telephone: +353 1 8433118
Website: +353 1 8433303
Email info@roganstown.com
Web www.roganstown.com Irish Ferries: Tel: 08705 171717; Web: www.irishferries.com
Tourism Ireland: www.discoverireland.com; Tel: 0800 039 7000 | 
Golfing Destinations
