Cruit Island Golf Club

Cruit Island Golf Club: if ever a golf course captured the fun and excitement of golfing on Ireland's "Wild Atlantic" coast, then look no further than Cruit Island (pronounced "Critch" Island). Here on a rugged peninsula jutting into the ocean, you'll find a spell-binding nine-hole clifftop links. Once played, never forgotten!

This wonderfully authentic, stunningly scenic and at times playfully eccentric layout weaves its way through a tightly rolling duneland. Along the way, which is not always obvious (especially on a first visit), you'll be captivated by views of sandy coves, rocky crevasses, craggy reefs, inshore Owey Island and the mighty North Atlantic beyond.

With so much to marvel at beyond the course, keeping focused on several blind tee and approach shots may be a challenge ... four of the first five tee shots are blind! Make sure you get directions for the opening tee shot .. it's not obvious!

Several holes radiate out from, or play back to a large hollowed-out sand hill at the heart of the layout, and many holes have two separate teeing grounds, creating two slightly different nine-hole circuits. Bunkering is relatively light, but ever mischievous, while the only water you'll see is that which swirls around the entire course ... in oceanic form.

Pick of the holes: with a back tee that sits above the ocean, the par-3 6th routinely steals the show. The not overly large green is perched just beyond a rocky inlet, where dark mysterious caves and teeming rock pools are washed and filled by the mighty Atlantic.