Westport Golf Course
Westport, County Mayo
Westport, although situated by the western seaboard on the shores of Clew Bay, is not a links course. It is however one of the finest golf courses in Ireland, a Fred Hawtree masterpiece that utilises the terrain and aspect of the site to perfection. The golf course starts gently and just keeps on getting better with par-3 holes that can be unreachable into the prevailing wind and the shore hugging 15th, generally regarded as being the feature hole.
Westport Course Description
The first six holes are relatively benign, but good parkland holes nonetheless. They offer the chance to build a good score early on - but there is danger on each hole, not least the out-of-bounds that runs the length of the par-5 fourth hole.
The seventh hole is a par-5 where the first water hazard of the day comes into play on the right hand side. This lake also protects the large undulating green. The next hole (8) is a recently modelled par-4 that is both long and mean. The new green is set beside another lake and this presents all sorts of difficulty for the long iron or fairway wood approach.
The tenth hole is one where you are looking for par - water flanks the entire left hand side and the approach must be played towards it. The 12th hole is a par-3 played from an elevated tee, if the wind is against it can require a driver and a mid-iron! A four is very respectable here - a great golf hole.
The feature hole is undoubtedly the par-5 fifteenth. The drive is across an inlet, and the shoreline runs the entire left hand side. Approach the green with caution on this super hole.
Recent redesign of the par-5 eighteenth has made it into another memorable golf hole. This time the trouble runs all down the right hand side. Aim for the centre of the green for the best chance of a 2-putt.
