Athlone Golf Week

New Forest Estate is another Anglo-Irish estate with a large manor house (now serving as both the New Forest Clubhouse and as a local venue) at its centre. Orignially planned at the peak of Ireland's Celtic Tiger as a hotel and resort development, Peter McEvoy was engaged to create a golf course through the mature woods that surround the old house. Opened in 2006, New Forest is championship golf 21st century style -- generous fairways with equally generous bunkers; large, fast greens and natural water hazards brought into play in a natural way. The rolling nature of the terrain helps add variety and interest to the course - as does the unique par-3 ninth hole that is contained entirely in an old walled garden near the main house. Happily, New Forest returned to local ownership in 2013 and focus has since been on making New Forest a golf course with strong local membership rather than a golf destination for the well heeled.

Tullamore Golf Club moved to the current site in 1926 to a course designed by James Braid (who also designed Mullingar). The site at Brookfield was once part of the Charleville estate, the site of Ireland's most ancient primordial oak forests. Mature trees, many planted as famine relief projects in the mid 19th century, dominate the landscape. Several months after the course opened, members queried the lack of fairway bunkers by letter to Braid who replied by letter instructing that bunkers be placed in the fairway at the sopot where most divots were to be found. Patrick Merrigan upgraded the course in 1996 with new several new tees and greens, three new lakes and complentary plantatiions of trees - resulting in a course combining the best of Braid's design with enhanced design features. Several memorable holes on the stronger second nine are the highlights with the 16th, a dogleg to a green protected by a stream, being the signtaure hole at Tullamore.

Portumna golf course started as 9 holes at the present site in the middle of Portumna Forest Park in 1934. Since then the course has been continuously improved starting with land acquisition in the 1970's and extension to 18 holes in 1992. Further land has allowed further development and today Portumna continues to grow in stature and rival courses such as Athlone as the premier tournament venue in Connacht. The course is classic parkland, fairways flanked by enormous trees and greens inevitably closely guarded by large bunkers. There are two 440 yard par 4's in the first three holes to grab the attention that is needed for the erst of the round, none more so than at the signature par 5 17th - where a blind tee-shot is only the beginning of a dramatic hole where the approach is then flanked by Portumna's only water hazard. Portumna is an underrated parkland challenge that is well worth the extra miles.

Esker Hills is a Christy O'Connor Jnr. design that many would consider one oif his best. Eskers are narrow, long, winding hills that were deposited by streams flowing underneath glaciers and Junior sculpted a golf course that flows up, down and across these ridges to present a golfing challenge that is very different, exhilarating and very memorable. The approach to the 4th green plays directly up to the top of a ridge while the next is a memorable par-3 straight back down to a green flanked by a pond. The first nine finish with two terrific holes playing along the side of the hill. The second nine continues with a driveable par-4, two more memorable par-3's across chasms (all of the par 3's are over 170 yards) and a challenging final 3 holes including two of the four severe doglegs taht are another feature of the design. Shane Lowry played his amateur golf as a member here and in 2006 won the Irish Open as an amateur (at County Louth).