Golf courses: New study reveals the courses voted more beautiful than the world’s most well-known tourist destinations
A new study by Your Golf Travel has revealed some of the most beautiful landscapes across Europe.
With tourism opening back up, millions of holidaymakers are set to jump on a plane over the coming months to get some well-deserved holiday time!
However, the destination of their flight may not be what you expect! A new report from Your Golf Travel has revealed that some of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes maybe somewhere you never expected!
That’s right! With over 200,000 searches per month for holidays1, it appears that people are feeling more confident in traveling again and are now looking to make some well deserved memories.
The study asked holidaymakers to rate different images against well-known tourist attractions, to see which look the most Instagrammable and beautiful.
The study revealed that some of the most beautiful spots across Europe are in Ireland!
Carne Golf Club vote more beautiful than the following landmarks:
Full information can be seen at here
No Laying Up:
The guys at No Laying Up visited Carne in 2018 and filmed Episode 8 of their “Tourist Sauce” YouTube documentary series. They were seriously impressed with Carne, and we were seriously impressed with NLU!!! Their ongoing support and kindness to us here at Carne has meant more than they’ll ever realise, particularly in the heat of the Covid crisis, and we will never forget their generosity. We’re awaiting their return…and we can’t say a big enough thanks to them…they’re brilliant in every way.
Irish PGA Championship 2021 (111th Irish PGA Championship)
Carne, the youngest Links course in Ireland (at the time anyways…prior to the opening of St. Patricks in Rosapenna), hosted the oldest tournament in Ireland in 2021. We were only honoured and delighted to be asked to host, for the first time ever, the 111th Irish PGA Championship here at Carne in August 2021. The weather gods were good to us for the opening Pro-Am, but became angrier as the tournament progressed, and the Pros got every type of weather thrown at them from gale force winds to torrential rain to a beautiful summers day…. Won by David Higgins after a nailbiting climax.
Golfs’ Greatest Holes : Paul McGinley
2021 was a big year for us at Carne, with celebrity visits… Paul McGinley and Chris Hollins arrived on a windy and wet day to film an episode of Sky TVs “Golfs Greatest Holes”.
But trying to decide on a signature hole at Carne is like trying to choose your favourite child… However, the 8th on the Wild Atlantic Dunes course at Carne has to be a major contender. This spectacular Par 5 is nicknamed “the Snake” by locals, due to its meandering undulating narrow fairways through the highest of the dunes at Carne, a highly unusual and unique golf hole, very different, it’s been described as a Marmite hole, you either love it or hate it due to the challenge of the choices facing you, long hitters can play a risk and reward shot and try for the green in 2, or take the more conservative route around a right angled turn and play a third shot in to an elevated green of 160 yds. (515yd hole, stroke index 4)
The 17th on the original Hackett 18th is another contender. Carnes’ nemesis..this hole is the stuff of legends, “An Muiríneach” meaning hazardous, burdensome, difficult….a par 4, 434 yard, stroke index 1. An uphill straight drive to a narrow fairway is paramount, to avoid a falloff into deep ravines on both sides, choked with the natural Maram grass that abounds in Carne. From there, it’s a long iron, hybrid, or even a fairway wood depending on the wind to the narrow but deep green, which is protected on the right by yet another deep shaved ravine.
The Sports Illustrated writer, John Garrity (author of “Ancestral Links”), who fell in love with Carne after discovering his ancestral links in the area, and which inspired his book, played this hole 17 times in one day and never hit par, and every year since on his annual trip to Belmullet and Carne, and has yet to make par..
The other hole in contention was the 10th hole on the Wild Atlantic Dunes course, 214 yard Par 3, stroke index 10. Teeing off from a stunningly dramatic teebox overlooking the entire dunescape, and depending on the wind, a daunting drive that will reward a good shot, but anything veering left will be an unforgiving fall into the deepest chasm on the course. An absolutely breathtaking challenging hole, that could make any score from 2 to 10.
You’ll have to watch the episode to find out which hole made the cut and in the words of Paul McGinley…. “I also occasionally got to visit some places I had always wanted to play. And boy, were they incredible” We had a lot of fun making the series and we hope that viewers around the world enjoy it too”
Links Life : Tom Coyne/Bill Murray
August 2021 brought us another celebrity visit from Tom Coyne bringing his pal Bill Murray and many of his family to Carne for an episode of Links Life. Such a fun day, Bill loved the course, we loved Bill, and Dublin airport social media team started a crescendo of press interest with their tweet…. “we don’t normally comment on other modes of transport, but Bill Murray on a bus to Belmullet was the best thing we’ve seen in ages..” (We get now why the Dublin airport social media team are award winners!) Bill became a Life Member of Carne, along with all his brothers… we’re eagerly awaiting his next visit.
Gearhart Twinning
We are delighted to announce our twinning with our sister course in Gearhart, Oregon. We have formed long and lasting friendships with our cousins in Oregon. Introduced by John Straw, we found many commonalities. Gearhart Links is owned by Tim Boyle, owner of Columbia Sportswear, hence our close sponsorship ties with Columbia. Back in 2016 we made our first trip over to Gearhart, and they returned the favour in 201]8. Covid intervened but we are all eagerly awaiting our next visit. Overseas Life Membership holders at Carne have reciprocal playing rights at Gearhart Links. We are seeking to extend the twinning to trade and commercial opportunities.
