Your Golf Travel - Extraordinary Golf Experiences - Flipbook - Page 34
both players won’t have a hand in where the
next Ryder Cup will be played.
And what of the course itself? From a visual
perspective, the main changes I noted from
its presentation for the Irish Open in 2007 and
2008, are to the 9th and 18th holes. The 9th
green has been relocated right of the original
site, with the effect of creating a stunning
backdrop of the extended Manor House, all the
way back to the tee. The removal of trees, and
considerable cleaning out of the undergrowth, is
especially evident around the 18th green. From
about 200 yards down the fairway, there is now
a beautiful, framed image of the manor partially
hidden by a 400-year-old cedar tree on the
right, and the charming bridge over the River
Maigue, which was constructed in the resort’s
earlier incarnation.
The par-72 layout features water on 14 of the
18 holes, and while the front nine is packed
with impressive holes, including the par-five
7th which curves dramatically around a lake, it
saves its most exciting tests for the final stretch.
Four of the last five feature water of some
description, starting on the par-four 14th, which
plays towards a green overhanging a lake, set
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against the backdrop of the Desmond Castle,
and finishing with the par-four 18th, whose
diagonal approach across the same lake is
played to a green in front of the castle.
With 50 full-time greenkeepers, it’ll be no
surprise to learn that there isn’t a blade of grass
out of place on the entire 850-acre estate, with
tees that most club golfers would be happy to
putt on, and fairways that gently roll out like VIP
carpets at a Hollywood film premiere. It truly is a
chance to play a piece of golfing land that has
had as much thought and care put into every
blade of grass as those at Augusta.
Rebuilt with tournament play in mind, the course
will host the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2020, while
its formal bid to stage the 2026 Ryder Cup
is expected to be announced in the coming
months.
Your Golf Travel ambassador Lee Westwood—
who may have an important role to play in the
future Ryder Cups—is among a handful of
top pros to have experienced the pleasures of
staying and playing at Adare, having recently
stayed there to celebrate his birthday, and to
pay a visit to the Punchestown Festival. The
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Jameson Whiskey distillery;
Adare Manor.