New golf course design unveiled at Rathsallagh
EAGER golfers gathered at Rathsallagh Golf Club recently as the new course layout was officially unveiled.
The course has been reconfigured so that play begins and ends in front of the clubhouse and a new Par 3 hole has been built in the woods between the old first and second holes, bridging a small river.
The old tenth hole is now the opening hole, which brings a ‘wow factor’ immediately as players take their first shot. The re-routing occurs during the middle of the course and players will intertwine the old back and front nines for a totally fresh experience.
Rathsallagh’s new eleventh hole is the signature hole in the eagerly anticipated redesign. It is a par 3 measuring 127 metres from the black tee and 110 metres from the ladies’ tee. When golfers finish on the 18th hole, it is just a few steps away from the clubhouse veranda.
‘Since re-opening in June 2016, the Club has gone from strength to strength,’ said Mick O’Shea, PGA Professional at Rathsallagh. ‘Staff numbers have increased by over 50 per cent and there has been steady growth in membership, golf societies, large groups and corporate events. We are also delighted to be hosting the Top Golfer play-offs in the coming days – an event where only the highest standards are accepted.’
Rathsallagh Golf Club was originally opened in 1994 and sits in tree-lined parkland near Dunlavin.
Under new ownership since 2015, the course was originally designed by Peter McEvoy and the late, great Christy O’Connor Junior and has now been brought back to its previous splendour after many months of hard work and investment.
Rathsallagh is a course built to championship standard, routed over rolling terrain and with a number of burns, ditches and ponds that bring water into play on several holes. Hundreds of mature trees flank the fairways, the bunkers are always challenging – often described as some of the best in Ireland, both in terms of construction and intelligent placement - and the greens were built to the highest specification. Over the years it has challenged and delighted golfers of all abilities and the owners hope it will now attract them once more for a fresh challenge.