Our 2026 trip to Ireland’s Ancient East, took place this year May 11th – 13th. Magazine owner/editor Phil took his son Dec to sample the many delights of a golf break here. Organised as ever by Club Choice Ireland our society section sponsors and experts in Golf Tours to Ireland.
Part II
Following our memorable 24 hours at the Druids Glen resort, mid-afternoon on day two saw us driving through the welcoming gateway to the K Club. A revelation to begin with, up until now I didn’t know what the K Club was short for, here on the signs they call it the Kildare Club, of course it is, we are in Co Kildare after all!
We were treated to lunch in the lovely and beautifully decored Henry Lounge, within the hotel. A club sandwich for Dec, Caesar Salad for myself, they threw some fries in as well, so the health kick took another knock! On the walls though and pictured here, a wonderful collection of pictures by Liam O’Neill, all depicting famous moments of Irish sporting history.
One of them depicted Rory’s famous approach on the 18th that clinched his Irish Open title in 2016 on the K Club’s Championship North course, famous as well for hosting the 2006 Ryder Cup. We weren’t destined to play that one and didn’t actually have time to see anything of it. Instead, we travelled the other way across the estate to the Arnold Palmer designed South course for a late afternoon round.
This layout is no shrinking violet, it played host to the Smurfit European Open from the year it opened in 2004 to 2007. Designed as an inland links track and set on an open landscape with not a lot to get in the way of the prevailing breezes of the area. If Druid’s Glen we played this very morning had pretty much sheltered us from the elements, here was the complete opposite of that. Many tees are elevated to give you a good look at what’s ahead of you, often a well bunkered contoured pathway with trouble spots prevalent as well. There’s a most interesting par five on the front nine named ‘Swallow Quarry.’ 609 yards from the European Open tees, 100 shorter from our green pegs. Out of bounds on the left but it’s the water feature on the other side that makes it outstanding, far removed in looks from your average looking hazard.
Palmer South is a tough course, it plays pretty long and from our favourite 13th hole onwards, it develops into a fine looking lakeland paradise. Golfers who can keep their ball dry during this home stretch which also continues as very open to the elements will be very contented ones.
The final hole, pictured here encapsulates it all and is very similar to the par five 18th at Collingtree Park in Northampton. Water down the left threatening your tee shot and then an island green to find for your approach. It takes two big hits to make sure it’s a more comfortable short iron in your hand for that one.
Dad’s disappointing form continued here, Dec took advantage and clinched our 72-hole comp before 54 were up. His three and five woods were on fine form from the tees of Palmer South, racking up the points whilst father racked up the lost balls
The K Club is undoubtedly special, has an air about it, rising rapidly through the rankings to become one of Ireland’s must play destinations. Playing the Ryder Cup North instead of the South or both is an aspiration of course and can be part of a package, but if you do what we did to keep the credit card in check you’ve got plenty to challenge you and enjoy as it is.
Club Choice Ireland use the 4* Westgrove Hotel in Clane for this package, just a short drive from the K Club. We were treated to the Digby Suite, large and lovely room and we dined in the Oak Bar, I thoroughly recommend the Bread-and-Butter Pudding. We were also engrossed in the Southampton/Middlesborough play-off semi-final 2nd leg. As it transpired that turned out to be a wasted watch!
A comfy night and a little more time on the morning of day three to enjoy another full Irish breakfast ahead of the short drive down the road to our final game of the week.
Millicent Golf Club is 25 years old this year, ex farming land, privately owned and turned into a really lovely golf course, superbly maintained with excellent putting surfaces. This extremely friendly club has enjoyed a rise in local stature over the years and now boasts over 1,100 members with well over 100 ladies included. Now they want to invite a few more visitors and golf societies from near and far, and there’s a lot to like about this place.
The course appears lengthy on the scorecard, yet a lot of that is made up by the four par fives that bookend it, the opening two and at the end on 16 and 18. The opening nine run around the border of the course so there’s something of an out of bounds threat here. Nice countryside views too with a Wicklow mountains backdrop and on four of the front nine holes the River Liffey that goes all the way to Dublin flows by behind the hedgerows.
As the inward nine gets going the water hazards come into proceedings as opposed to flowing innocently past, nowhere is this more obvious than on the curving 10th. A lake on the right that affects both tee shot and approach, and it’s joined by a further pond on the left, slap bang in front of the green. A very tough second shot in store with probably a mid-iron in your hand. The final two par fives mentioned earlier at 16 and 18 are balanced out by two short holes on either side of them. The 17th is Millicent’s signature challenge, a big old green in the distance, the direct route takes you straight over the full length of the lake. 175 yards it measures, and it’s pretty open country around here so you might get a breeze or two.
The final hole urges you to keep it on the right-hand side to avoid the lakes that threaten a final watery grave. But it dries up by the time you get to fire an approach onto this super three-tiered putting surface, a terrific way to finish a round here.
As for us I think it’s fair to say that a gradual improvement at Millicent for myself needed to be way more dramatic than that to prevent our Dec emerging victorious after 72 holes. He did though look a little jaded by this point and in need of the buggy more than I, not used to playing so much golf in such a short space of time. So in conclusion, he won the golf, I edged him in stamina! Any 60-year old would be happy with that!
We enjoyed a latte and a toasted sandwich and more of this warm and welcoming environment, then retained a little time before the ferry home to visit another club in the Club Choice Ireland Kildare package just down the road.
Nestled in the Johnstown Kennedy Estate, Beech Park Golf Club took its name from the centuries old beech trees that line its fairways. Designed by the great Eddie Hackett, the natural landscape of the estate and the remnants of the old estate, such as stone walls and old French drains, combine to make Beech Park unique, creating a beautiful walk around the course. A wander was all we had time for sadly, but the quality and potential enjoyment of the course wasn’t difficult to get a sense of.
The course is set out as two returning nines which play to a par of 72. Highlight holes include the long, uphill par five 7th which narrows considerably towards the green. Then there’s the short par four 11th, where the green sits behind a lovely little lily pond, and the last of the par threes at the 15th, which plays to a two-tiered green.
Very respected author Kevin Markham wrote in his book Hooked: an amateur’s guide to the golf courses of Ireland. “One of the reasons Beech Park works so well is that it starts off gently with the tame and generous holes… the front nine are open and easy to handle… then it gets interesting… the sort of course everyone will enjoy.”
We left knowing we would be among that number and hopped back to Dublin Port for the ferry home. The Stena + Lounge was waiting again, and we snacked our way back to Holyhead on time, still in daylight hours just about. Once again the convenience is all apparent, straight down to the car deck, 15 minutes later we’re back on the A55 on the way back home to Staffordshire.
My fifth trip over the years with Tiernan and the Club Choice Ireland team. They never disappoint, taking us to all of the well-known resorts that receive all the hype, and other less-heralded but equally enjoyable venues down the road. Very important they all are in giving golfers balanced and affordable packages like this one we’ve covered this summer.
A super three-day package providing a proper flavour of what Irish golf has to offer. Plenty more where these came from, and you’ll not find a better travel company anywhere. Give TIernan a shout if you’re thinking of coming on a golf break over here.
