Ireland West: The Ireland you dream of, and great golf is everywhere

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Anyone thinking of taking a golf trip Across the Pond and back to the beginnings of the game, will be faced with a few decisions, not the least of which is where to go and what courses to play? Ireland will inevitably be on the short list of possible destinations and for good reason. Boasting some of the world's most impressive layouts, the Emerald Isle has played an important role in the development of golf as we know the game today.

Ballybunion - Just one among the many champions that call the West, home.

Carne Links Course is the pride and joy of County Mayo.

Rough and tumble Donegal Golf Club - always ready to take on all-comers.

Connemara - A links course to test the best.

Greg Norman's Doonbeg has been quickly acknowledged as one of Ireland's best links.

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The sheer variety and quality of Irish courses simply can't be beaten and the legendary Irish hospitality is in a category, entirely of its own, bringing a delightfully unique aspect to any Irish golf experience. Nowhere else will you find the welcome mat laid out for visitors in quite the same style as in Ireland. As they say, "There's a little bit of the Irish in all of us", and whether there really is any trace of Irish blood in your veins or not, the Irish have an innate ability to make everyone feel they are a part of the family.

If your images of Ireland are of picturesque, unspoiled green landscapes and a dramatically rugged coastline, dotted with charming fishing villages and bustling medieval market towns, focus on the west of the country and you'll find it all. It's no coincidence that the west is also home to some of the country's most highly regarded links courses, with names recognized the world over.

Ballybunion, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Waterville and Tralee are only the beginning of a list of exceptional layouts that golfers dreams are made of. But miss out on sampling even a few of the lesser known gems that call these parts home and you will have missed the very essence of Ireland and Irish golf and golf is only the beginning of Ireland's story. Save a little time along the way to smell the roses, taking in some sightseeing, a little history and culture and you'll turn a very good golf trip into an extraordinary Irish experience with enough memories to last a lifetime.

Extending from County Donegal at Ireland's northernmost tip, all the way to County Kerry in the southwest, Ireland's West stretches to over 350 miles as the crow flies. But crows don't have to follow picturesque, winding country roads, so don't even dream of covering all of this territory in a single trip. You will learn soon enough that Ireland is habit forming and one good trip deserves another. Like most who experience Ireland for the first time, you'll be back again and probably more than once, with time enough to get far more than just a taste of this utterly charming country where golf is simply a part of everyday life.

Each region within Ireland's west, has its own special character and charm, with more than enough world class golf to impress even the most jaded golf traveler - so pick your region and soak up all it has to offer, both on and off the golf courses. Over the coming months, we'll take a closer look, region by region and you decide which appeals most, but be warned, the decision will not be easy.

Arriving at Shannon International Airport, no golfer will ever feel lost -- it seems that most travelers have a golf bag with them and Shannon is the cross roads of Irish golf and the draw of the game on the Emerald Isle is perhaps a little more universal than most may have anticipated.

After picking up their rental cars, some will speed off to the southwest with the championship courses of County Kerry in their sites. Others will be heading north, planning on a few hours of driving to reach the unsung heroes of Irish golf, the jewels of Donegal, and County Sligo. Still others will be driving the closer distance to the westernmost region and Galway, Connemara, Westport and County Mayo. The rest will have the shortest drive of all, little more than a half hour to the heart of the Shannon Region using the town of Ennis as their base, or journeying a little further to the coast and staying in Lahinch or Doonbeg.

No matter which direction these traveling golfers head off for, not a one will be disappointed. This is Ireland and disappointments simply never happen.

Look out for the first in the series of articles on the regions of Ireland's wonderful west, coming up soon. In the meantime for a few ideas and suggestions on how to include the best of the west in your Irish golf trip, click here.

©2008 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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