OPEN WEEK 2025
Day 1 - Concra Wood Golf Course | Sunday 13th July |
Arrival to (or assembly at) Dublin Airport. Meet Tailor-Made Golf Tours and your driver. Transfer to Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan taking approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Your first tee-time is at -:-.
Play Concra Wood
Not long into the new millennium, some members of Castleblayney Golf Club approached Coillte, the Irish Foresty Commission, with a view to securing 240 acres of woodland beside Lough Muckno for a new golf course. The estate was purchased through the sale of shares in the development and Christy O'Connor Jnr - already an established architect with an impressive portfolio - was asked to collaborate with his uncle Christy Snr in bringing to life a tract of land that was full of potential. “The first time I saw the site it was a bit of a mess,” recalled O'Connor Jnr. “There were a lot of tree stumps and ditches covered with briars, but the views were extraordinary. It's one of the finest natural sites I've seen and presented a great opportunity to create a course with such magnificent lake views.” The O'Connor partnership carefully routed the Concra Wood layout so that holes only reveal themselves as the golfer stands on the tee, a clever design ploy that adds both excitement and anticipation to a game here. Lough Muckno is visited twice during the round, the first time between holes 4 and 6 - where water runs left of the fairways - and the second time between the 12th and 16th, when wayward shots to the right of these holes will end up wet. The signature hole occurs when golfers are initially introduced to the water at the par five 4th hole. The fairway veers sharply to the right at the landing area then runs along the side of the lough before dipping wickedly down to the left to a shore side green perched just above the waterline. Concra Wood is a remarkable landscape which is surrounded by Lough Muckno and overlooked by the Monaghan drumlins. It will challenge and thrill all golfers.
Transfer to Letterkenny taking approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.
Check-in to the Radisson Blu Hotel. A quality 4**** hotel just 5 minutes walk from the centre of Letterkenny. All 114 well-appointed rooms and suites are equipped with high-quality amenities including high-speed Internet access. Guests have access to leaisure facilities including a 17-metre lap pool, steam room, sauna and gym. The TriBeCa Restaurant serves impeccably executed dishes made with the finest seasonal Irish ingredients while the beautifully crafted Oak Bar and Grill serves drinks and meals from a carvery lunch to snacks.
Letterkenny, the chief town and ecclesiastical capital of County Donegal, overlooks Lough Swilly where the River Swilly drains into the lough. Letterkenny is a charming and vibrant town and its main street is said to be one of the longest in Ireland. As you stroll around this beautiful town you can admire its wonderful architecture especially
St. Eunan's Cathedral which overlooks the town. Other notable buildings in the town includes St. Eunan's College, Mount Southwell Terrace and the
Donegal County Museum. Letterkenny has long been a heartland of traditional Irish ‘Craic agus Ceol’ and its reputation as a friendly and vibrant town has not waned with the passing of the years.
Day 2 - Narin & Portnoo Golf Links | Monday 14th July |
Transfer to Portnoo taking approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Your first tee-time is at -:-.
Play Narin & Portnoo Links
For over 100 years, golfers have enjoyed the superb links terrain adjacent to the magnificent Blue Flag beach at Narin in West Donegal. The view from the fifteenth tee encapsulates all that is magical about this most scenic of areas, with the arc of Narin Strand, Inniskeel Island, Portnoo, Dunmore Head, Arranmore Island and the majestic Atlantic Ocean filling the senses. The club has always been renowned for its great welcome and hospitality, while the course itself has tantalised golfers of all handicaps with the variety of shots required to manoeuvre the ball to a respectable score. Much thought went into the modification of the famous course in 2004 and it was deemed of the utmost importance that the classic character of the old layout should infuse the new. The jewels in the crown are the new pair of snaking par fives that will beguile the enthusiast on the homeward journey. The course re-development designed by Eddie Connaughton increased the par to 73 and has resulted in the club being awarded a prestigious gold medal by Golf World magazine, the only new Irish club in 2007 to receive such an accolade. Thus it joins a select list of gold medal courses in the country and plans are afoot to improve the club still further. Visitors are growing in number, with the green fees very competitive for a club of its length and beauty.
The Fanad Peninsula on which Portsalon is located is another memorably scenic area of County Donegal. Beside Portsalon golf course is Ballymastocker Strand, once voted second most beautiful in the world (readers of Observer Magazine). A short drive north of Portsalon will take you to Fanad Head where there are spectacular ocean views and the amazing
Fanad Lighthouse which can be visited by appointment. The more energetic can cosnider a walk along the pilgrim trail of the Way of the Cross to a stunning outdoor chapel on the slopes of Knockalla mountain.
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 3 - Donegal Golf Links | Tuesday 15th July |
Transfer to Downings taking approximately 35 minutes. Your tee-time is at 0:0.
Play Murvagh Links (Donegal)
A massive links measuring 6,753 Yards from the championship tees, Donegal is true hidden gem. The links lies between the ocean and a forest in peaceful seclusion. On a fine summers evening the course seems like Heaven - but serious golfers must be wary, this is one hell of a tough links. There are several great holes but the stretch from the 5th to the 8th is probably the most memorable, with the 5th in particular being a candidate for the best par-3 in Ireland. Its name - "Valley of Tears" - provides a clue! Several long and difficult par-4's are the essence of the challenge although the "Big Dunt" 16th is a 228 yard 'short hole'. Most greens are accessible to bump and runs, so a good short game can provide a respectable score. Originally designed by Eddie Hackett, Murvagh (as the course is also known) has been improved steadily over the years and is now held in such high esteem as to have hosted the Irish Amateur Close Championship for both men (2004) and ladies (2003).
After golf take a drive north from Rosapenna through Downies and do the circular drive around Rosguill peninsula. A marked viewpoint is about 10 minutes from the village of Downings. Panoramic vistas of the headland and the wild Atlantic Ocean beyond, magical at sunset. Returning through Downings stop at the Harbour Bar for a pint and a chat with the locals (if you can understand them!).
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 4 - Sightseeing Day | Wednesday 16th July |
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 5 - Old Course at Ballyliffin | Thursday 17th July |
Transfer to Ballyliffin taking approximately 1 hour. Your tee-time is at 0:0.
Play Old Links at Ballyliffin
Ballyliffin Old is the older of the two courses of the 36 holes and is the most northerly course on the island of Ireland. A traditional ‘bump and run’ course of such high standard that Nick Faldo wanted to buy it. The setting at Ballyliffin is probably the best in Ireland, vast acres of dunes (one can only guess how many golf courses could be built here) and two of the finest links anywhere. The Old Course is a gem, undulating fairways and greens laid out in a traditional manner offering a visible and unprotected path from tee to green. Those straying from the path are penalised by thick dune grass and sand. Bounded by rugged Donegal countryside on the southern and by the wild Atlantic on the northern side, the Old course is traditional links golf at its best.
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 6 - Sightseeing Day | Friday 18th July |
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 7 - Glashedy Course at Ballyliffin | Saturday 19th July |
Transfer to Ballyliffin taking approximately 1 hour. Your first tee-time is at -:-.
Play Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin
A wonderful modern links course designed by Pat Ruddy. When it come to designing links courses, Ruddy pulls no punches, stray and narrow and you will find yourself in some kind of trouble, be it deep rough, a bunker or an impossible stance, so it is with Glashedy. From the start with three testing par-4's you are in no doubt as to the quality of this course at the very northern tip of Ireland. Glashedy, taking its name from the prominent rock in the ever visible ocean, is punishing for those that are less than straight off the tee. A wonderful mixture of holes follow the natural contours of the dunes. As with most links golf, the wind will have more than a few shots bearing on your score on this headland. Unquestionably the tougher of Ballyliffin's two courses, the Glashedy course will test, charm and delight any true lover of links golf. Be sure and play both courses for the complete links golf experience.
Derry is the only remaining, completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of walled cities in Europe. A walk around the walls reveals a splendid city crammed full of history, heritage, interest and a vibrant cultural scene. Inside the walls, the Tower Museum tells the story of Derry from the days of St Columcille to the present. St Columb's Cathedral stands within the walls of the old city and dates from 1628. The Guildhall is one of Derry’s most recognisable landmarks and has been at the heart of city life since 1890. Visitors see the stunning stained glass windows, an exhibition on the Plantation of Ulster, and the main hall and organ.
Overnight Radisson Letterkenny.
Day 8 - Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna | Sunday 20th July |
Check-out from Radisson Letterkenny. Transfer to Downings taking approximately 35 minutes. Your first tee-time is at -:-.
Play Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna
Opened in 2003, this stunning Pat Ruddy design is built on ancient sand dunes and is one of Ireland's greatest golf links. The appeal of Sandy Hills lies in its beautifully balanced routing through the high dunes cloaked in marram grass. These sandhills bear a striking resemblance to the ones near the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland that form the spine of Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock. Many of the holes feature elevated tees and greens, with drives into natural bowls on the dune floor. Each hole is spectacular and the views across the Old Tom Morris course to the ocean. For the professionals that will undoubtedly play here, the course measures 7,155 yards. Not that long you might think - but the par is 71. For amateurs the medal tees are sufficiently ambitious - the dunes have been so little travelled that balls straying off the fairway will almost always be just hacked back into play. From the tees, landing areas are clearly visible and the definition provided by the dunes is remarkable. From the fairways the traditional links bump and run is rarely an option - precise approach shots are required to large, elevated greens tucked into the dunes and protected by bunkers that can be properly called hazards. A real tough test of golf - not for the fainthearted!
Transfer to Dublin City Centre taking approximately 4 hours 15 minutes.
Check-in to The Green Hotel. The O'Callaghan Green Hotel (formerly Stephen's Green Hotel) is located in central Dublin within strolling distance of Grafton Street, Merrion Square and Trinity College. The hotel masterfully combines a modern atrium with two beautifully restored Georgian houses. The hotel is home to many hidden gems including a beautifully restored georgian Library with staccato ceilings and open fireplaces on its first floor.
There is so much to see & do in
Dublin - the Book of Kells and Trinity College, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Hop Store, the National Gallery. Shopping on Grafton or Henry Streets. Take a musical pub-crawl, a literary pub-crawl or just do a pub-crawl of the famous Dublin pubs such as O'Donohues, Mulligans, Doheney & Nesbitts, The Duke, Davy Byrnes, McDaids...
Day 9 - Sightseeing Day | Monday 21st July |
There is so much to see & do in
Dublin - the Book of Kells and Trinity College, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Hop Store, the National Gallery. Shopping on Grafton or Henry Streets. Take a musical pub-crawl, a literary pub-crawl or just do a pub-crawl of the famous Dublin pubs such as O'Donohues, Mulligans, Doheney & Nesbitts, The Duke, Davy Byrnes, McDaids...
Overnight The Green Hotel.
Day 10 - Departure from Dublin Airport | Tuesday 22nd July |
Check-out from The Green Hotel. Transfer to Dublin Airport taking approximately 30 minutes for onward departure.