a — Golfing Gems on the Emerald Isle —

County Sligo Golf Club
   Rosses Point, County Sligo, Ireland
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"The Links Jewel of Northwestern Ireland.

County Sligo Golf Club
Rosses Point
County Sligo, Ireland
Tel: +353 71 9177134

        County Sligo Golf Club—better known locally as Rosses Point—monopolizes prime links land on a small peninsula just northwest of Sligo town in northwestern Ireland. The Irish poet W. B. Yeats (and his brother Jack Yeats, the painter) knew the territory well, not as golfers, but as children who climbed the cliffs and swam along the beaches that mark the edges of the course. Later in life both men memorialized their childhood memories of Rosses Point in their work. For golfers, Rosses Point is an undeniable work of art on its own—one of the grand and venerable true links courses that dot the watery edges of Ireland.

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Length & Par:
        Championship (Blue) Tees: 6,607 yards, Par 71, SSS 72
        White Tees: 6,387 yards, Par 71
        Red Tees: 5,752 yards, Par 75

Facilities:
      Golf Carts (Buggies): Yes
        Pull Carts (Trolleys): Yes
        Caddies: Available (inquire in advance)
        Pro Shop: Yes
        Club Rental: Yes
        Practice Range & Putting Green

Greens Fees:
        Mid-Wk. (Mo–Th): €65/round (Husband & Wife rate: €100)
            Tuesday is ladies day—no foursomes.
               Visitors welcome any available time Mo–Fr.
       Weekend (Fr–Su): €80/round (Husband & Wife rate: €128)
            Visitors welcome Sa–Su 11AM–1PM & 3:30–5:30PM

Tee-Times: Reservations are Required:
        Telephone: +353 71 9177134
         E-mail cosligo@iol.ie
       Handicap Certificates are required.

Notes:
   1. Payment will be in Euros, and can be paid by check, Visa, MasterCard, or by cash in the office. There is a charge of €2.50 for every credit card transaction. Bookings will only be confirmed on receipt of 25% deposit per person.
    2. Deposits are not transferable.
    3. Deposits are non-refundable from 45 days prior to playing.
    4. Payment in full must be received 21 days prior to playing date.
    5. Numbers of players must be confirmed 21 days prior to playing.
    6. Cancellation not less than 7 days prior to playing 50% less the deposit will be refunded.
    7. Cancellations within seven days no refund.
    8. Soft spikes requested.
    9. Party's of eight or more must have a clear written list of player's to hand in to Pro Shop on arrival for processing of green fee tags.

Directions: County Sligo Golf Club is at the end of Rosses Point peninsula, about 4 miles northwest of Sligo town in County Sligo, northwestern Ireland.

Other Outstanding Golf Courses in the Region:
    • Enniscrone links (45 minutes west)
    • Bundoran links (30 minutes north)
    • Donegal-Murvagh links (45 minutes north)

Nearest HOME AT FIRST Lodgings: near Carney about 15 minutes drive just north of Rosses Point.

Information on travel with HOME AT FIRST to Northwestern Ireland
Let HOME AT FIRST make your tee-time reservations as part of your next trip to Ireland!

HISTORY OF COUNTY SLIGO GOLF CLUB: Northwestern Ireland (Counties Sligo & Donegal) golf courses live in the shadow of much better known regions elsewhere around the perimeter of the island: western Ireland (Counties Kerry & Clare, with Ballybunion and LaHinch), Northern Ireland (Antrim coast with Royal Portrush and Portstewart), and Dublin area (Portmarnock and Royal Dublin). But the several top links courses of Northwestern Ireland needn’t suffer from any inferiority complex—they offer some of Ireland’s most challenging and ruggedly handsome courses at greens fees well under those of the best courses elsewhere.
        The flagship course of the northwest of Ireland is County Sligo Golf Club, better known by its location-specific nickname, Rosses Point. Jutting into Drumcliffe Bay at the end of a small peninsula just 4 miles north of Sligo town, Rosses Point has been offering classic links golf since 1894, almost as long as any course in Ireland. In fact, its original 9-hole course layout was a design of George Combe, the founding secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland.
        Legendary course architect Harry Colt (he of England’s Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s and Wentworth, Scotland’s Eden Course at St. Andrews, and two great American courses, Burning Tree and Pine Valley) redesigned Rosses Point in 1927. Some playing legends have come to County Sligo, too, including Walter Hagen, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, and Darren Clarke. TV golf commentator Peter Aliss calls Rosses Point "a tremendous test for the highest quality player and great fun for the modest competitor and one which stands at the very top of great Irish Golf Courses." No wonder County Sligo Golf Club has hosted the important West of Ireland Amateur Championship since 1923, a tournament that has introduced the world to developing Irish talent such as Padraig Harrington, who won at Rosses Point in 1994.

THE COURSE AND SOME NOTABLE HOLES: Rosses Point is set among vast sand dunes on the cliffs overlooking three large beaches on Drumcliffe Bay, an arm of Sligo Bay. Neither bay offers much moderation of weather coming in from the Atlantic, so the course, though short, can play long because of the nearly constant wind. A classic out-and-back links, Rosses Point extends along the sea cliffs with fairways that may be the most undulating in Ireland. As counterpoint to the course’s dramatic coastline setting, table-topped Benbulben Mountain, principal landmark of this part of Ireland, overshadows County Sligo Golf Club. Fittingly, great Irish poet W. B. Yeats—who lived just a few minutes away from the course—found the grand view from the elevated 3rd tee at Rosses Point to be one of the scenic treasures of his beloved County Sligo.
        If the 3rd hole is the prettiest (at least according to Yates), it is not the most challenging. The four most difficult holes include:

• Hole 7, "Ewing’s Profile", Par-4, 432 yards, #1 Handicap:
    Toughest hole on the course: long with a cross-cutting creek 10 yards
    short of the green that requires careful shot making.

• Hole 11, "Lissadell", Par-4, 405 yards, #3 Handicap.
    Long par 4 requiring a long second shot down the left side.

• Hole 14, "Mahon’s Burn", Par-4, 433 yards, #4 Handicap.
    Great view from the blue tees to the clubhouse.
    Another long par-4, this one requiring that right-handers draw
    the drive and fade a long second shot to the green.

• Hole 17, "The Gallery", Par-4, 455 yards, #2 Handicap.
    The signature hole of the course is a long par-4 with a dogleg left. A very
    steep slope at the front of the green requires a second shot that is both long
    and accurate in order to make par here.

THE REGION: There’s plenty of golf and lots more to do in Northwestern Ireland. There are excellent golf courses nearby at Enniscrone, Bundoran, Donegal (Murvagh), and others. Within reach are such popular destinations as Connemara, Belleek Pottery, Galway, and Donegal. Fishing, touring, and shopping for Irish crafts are excellent in this region. Walkers will enjoy walking in great scenery along the dramatic coastline and climbing up numerous high mountains in the area.

More information about travel with HOME AT FIRST to NORTHWESTERN IRELAND.

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