1st hole – Par 4
Aisling Uí Dhomhnaill

The first hole is a nice start but a par four is not to be taken for granted. The ideal play is a lay-up short of the drain, leaving a full second to the elevated green. Take an extra club and aim for the centre of the shallow green, which has a treacherous run-off to the front left.

2nd hole – Par 5
Loch Eala

The par five second arcs its way round Clooney Lake and features water hazards near the tee and behind the green. Big-hitters can make it in two but dangers abound! The drive is straight-forward, avoiding the water on the right and the drain 100 metres from the tee. Lay-up short of the bunkers with your second, leaving a short pitch to the well-guarded green. Beware of the drain and out-of-bounds at the rear of the green, so don’t be too aggressive.

3rd hole – Par 3
Rampar’

This is a long par three, with a drain on the right and a bunker on the left of the green. Take an extra club to avoid the deep hollow in front of the green. The green is not too undulating, so a tee-shot landing on it should result in a par or better.

4th hole – Par 4
Runway

This is the longest par four on the course and has an index of one. The ladies play it as a par five. The drain is still a factor, separating the hole on the right-hand side from the out-of-bounds. A long straight tee-shot still leaves a very challenging second to a well-protected green. Shorter hitters should ensure that they leave themselves a clear pitch for their third shot. Bunkers at the front right and left swallow the wayward approaches, while the undulating putting surface will test even the best putters.

5th hole – Par 4
Bernie’s Holm

This hole marks the start of the dune experience at Narin and Portnoo and features a dog-leg left par four to an elevated green. A pair of bunkers at the landing area will devour drives which deviate left. The second shot from the centre-right of the fairway must carry over a deep basin to reach the green. The putting surface slopes severely from left to right, so stay below the hole if possible.

6th hole – Par 4
Lunula

The next is a mischievous 90° dog-leg par four boomerang to an eyrie-like green perched at the top of a dune. The tee-shot is designed for a right-to-left ball-flight but should one wish to take on the corner to enable a shorter second, beware of not making the carry over the sand-pit. The simpler play is a drive to the corner, leaving a long second to the elevated green, protected by bunkers on the right and left. A par here is a tremendous result!

7th hole – Par 3
Dolmen

It’s a beguiling hole, with the elegant Mount Errigal catching the eye from the elevated tee, but boy, is it deadly! The chasm-crossing 7th is a par three which challenges the best of players. Anything from a driver to a wedge may be the order of the day, with no bale-out short or long, right or left! Picking the right club is essential, as is the execution of the shot. The two-tiered green adds to the difficulty of this 130 metre hole.

8th hole – Par 4
Downstrands

This is links golf at its prettiest. Enjoy the panoramic view from the tee, with sweeping views of Dunmore Head, Narin Strand, Inniskeel Island, Gweebarra Bay, the Derryveagh and Blue Stack Mountains and much, much more besides. Then focus on the job in hand, a downhill par four to a green with the Atlantic Ocean for a backdrop. A good drive leaves a short pitch to the raised green, protected by undulating terrain and a formidable water hazard to the rear! Reachable for the big hitters, but no less dangerous!

 9th hole – Par 4
The Nun’s Pool

Award-winning picturesque par four running with the seashore down the right-hand side. Longer hitters may drive over the hill from the peninsular tee and, if successful, this leaves a much shorter second. The simple play is a drive to the brow of the hill, which leaves a long downhill approach to the green.