Going for Golf

South-west Ireland - The craic is back

Fota Island Resort

Like Old Head, Fota Island is also within easy reach of Cork airport, in the heart of a 780-acre estate which includes 27 holes configured in three challenging lay-outs with a superb woodland setting. Designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr and former Walker Cup captain Peter McEvoy, Fota’s first course opened in 1993 and five years later it was the subject of a major upgrading which saw the rebuilding of all 18 greens and tees and the redesign of several holes. The Fota Island Golf Academy opened in 2006, and the following year saw the addition of nine more holes – there are now three configurations: the Deerpark, Belvelly and Barryscourt.

It’s worth taking in all three lay-outs as the Deerpark has hosted the Irish Open and is no pushover, while the Belvelly stretches to more than 7,121 yards from the back tees, and the Barryscourt incorporates the newer nine-hole layout and at 7,362 yards with undulating greens is a cracking test with good putting the key throughout.

The 16th on the Belvelly course will stick in the mind – a 435-yard par-four requiring you to find the fairway off the tee to give an opportunity of going for the green over an old quarry, while the par-three eighth on the Barryscourt layout is also memorable. Water comes into play on several holes which weave around a lake, and the strength of the Deerpark course is its par-threes, especially the 165-yard third over water, while the seventh is an uphill 180-yarder and the 222-yard 17th is also a striking hole.