Carne Golf Links

Prachtige baan. Eindeloze uitzichten. Een hele uitdaging. Hou je bal op de fairway anders wordt hij verzwolgen door het helmgras. Je wordt één met de elementen.

Overrated and over-priced. Greens in poor condition and many blind shots. Driving range out of order

Out of this world links golf course on the penisula with ocean views. Gigantic, towering dunes make the golfer feels intimidated at the first glance. Minimalist design with almost no earth-moving. The course is completely natural, with no advertising, no large signs, no benches, and no trash cans at the tee. Just wild, untamed nature, huge elevation changes, and a strong ocean breeze. The quality of the tee boxes, fairways, and greens is impeccable. We spent three days there and never get bored of the course. The clubhouse restaurant is excellent, great value for money, with simple yet very tasty dishes. Staff were v helpfull and friendly.

Carne was conceived in the late 1980s by local farmers and fishermen. Their vision has resulted in high-class links which have become an economic engine for the isolated Belmullet peninsula. The original 18-hole course was the final design of the legendary Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett. His philosophy was, "I let the land do the work," so Carne is as rugged and natural as any links anywhere. However, Carne was in danger of going under during the COVID-19 pandemic until Tom Coyne made an appeal for his favourite course. This was the springboard for an international membership drive that kept the club afloat and increased its annual visitor rounds from 2,000 to 15,000. This additional income has hugely benefited Carne Golf Links, marking a new, more secure chapter in its history. The Hackett course was a fixture in Great Britain & Ireland's top 100 courses, and nine of its holes are now combined with the Kilmore course to create the Wild Atlantic Dunes, which is on the current list. We played both and were blessed with gorgeous weather and brilliant light, which highlighted the magnificent sea backdrops, dunes, and glorious West of Ireland countryside. The beautiful first hole rises between dunes before dropping to a green flatter than most on the course. It is followed by two short par-fours that perfectly capture Carne's quirkiness. The sharp dogleg second drops between towering dunes before rising steeply to a perched green. The par-four sixth is a stunner. There is a decent carry to the fairway, which falls into a grassy pit on one side and has a bunker on the other. The first time I played it, I stayed on the high ground, smacked a five-wood between the dunes, and knocked in a putt from just off the green. This is followed by a superb par-three played from high on the side of a hill down to a green cut between dunes. Carne has 27 holes; the first seven are part of both the Hackett and Wild Atlantic Dunes set-ups. They then separate, with only two holes from the Hackett course included in the remaining holes on the Atlantic Dunes, which incorporates the nine-hole Kilmore course. I preferred the Hackett over the Wild Atlantic Dunes because the condition of the newer holes isn't as good as the more established ones. They are also even more head-spinning. For example, the eighth is a par-five that filters downhill before a decision needs to be made to go left or right of a large dune in the middle of the fairway. Local knowledge would be essential to understand the yardages here. The 10th on the Atlantic Dunes is an incredible par-three of more than 200 yards, cut into the side of a hill with an extreme drop-off to the left. The final two holes return to the Hackett course and provide an admirable conclusion. The 17th is a cracker. It has a narrow fairway with fall-offs on either side, and avoiding the chasm on the right of the green is essential. The par-five finale falls sharply from right to left before rising to a blind approach. Two days on the rugged links at Carne were very well spent, and eating on the terrace was a pleasure too.

Primo giorno, prima volta in Irlanda, sole e cielo blu. Il direttore mi dice che è la prima vera giornata di sole da aprile e per ringraziare l'italiano che porta il bel tempo mi anticipa di un' ora il tee time.

Campo tra dune anche molto alte e buche cieche da interpretare. Manutenzione perfetta e scenario magnifico. Quasi tutti usano il cart per giocare e alla fine ho capito il perché. La Club house è molto frequentata e il personale è gentile.