Esker Hills Golf Course
Tullamore, County Offaly
Esker Hills golf course is situated in the heart of County Offaly, carved from the glacial deposits of Esker Riada that runs through the county in an east-west direction. It is neither links nor traditional parkland giving it a very unique feel. As the name suggests it is an undulating golf course as each hole carves its way over the sandy gravel base deposited by the glacier thousands of years ago. The fairways are mainly bordered by indigenous hardy shrubs such as blackthorn, whitethorn, hazel, elder and gorse making life very difficult for the wayward hitter. The greens at Esker Hills are among the best and most difficult in the country.
Esker Hills Course Description
No two holes are remotely alike providing the golfer with a hugely satisfying golf experience. Indeed, it is more a course for brain than brawn as water features and sand traps added to the natural terrain put a premium on good course management rather than length.
Some of the more delightful holes on the course are the shorter par fours, a feature of O'Connor Jnr. designs that demonstrate that a course of enormous length is not required for a true test of golf. And this course is exactly that - a true test.
The par-4 2nd is almost drivable in a tail wind if you can carry the top of the hill. Even so, par is still not a given with large undulating green nestled in a natural valley and well protected by bunkers. At the 4th you hit from the tee uphill between two mounds - miss this gap and trouble awaits both left and right. If you are lucky enough to stay on the sloping fairway from the drive, you are left with a short iron from a down hill lie to a severely sloping green. Leave the ball above the hole at your peril!
The eighth is another short but delightful par 4 - you need to weigh your options carefully before deciding whether to play short and safe towards the solitary ash tree in the centre of the fairway, or to try and blow it through the narrow gap leaving only the merest of wedge shots to the elevated green. Again the 10th is drivable for some but the water hazard that sweeps into the fairway from the right and guards the green leaving only a narrow passage to target. If you bail out left then trees and a strategically placed bunker make getting close almost impossible. Driver or mid- iron, that is the question!
Apart from these four short gems, the golfer enjoys a mix of holes set in beautifully natural surroundings.
If you haven't already failed the test, full concentration is required for the long par-4 17th and the welcoming final hole. Even if it has been 'one of those golfing days', you will be left with an exhilarated feeling of having played a truly great golf course.
