Tralee Golf Club

Over the past 5 years every hole has been upgraded making Tralee probably Irelands best links course and certainly the most scenic with spectacular views over the Atlantic on every hole. If you are lucky enough to play this course on a sunny day with little wind you will surely believe you are in golfing heaven.

Of Tralee, its designer Arnold Palmer remarked: "I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine." We found ourselves on the edge of the Atlantic on an April day with a nip of wind, three months before the best American college players were due to face international opposition in the name of Arnie, whose statue stands next to the first tee. We were welcomed heartily before taking a tee time amid the many American visitors who had arrived in coaches that morning. We headed to the range for a complimentary bucket of balls and then on to hug with Arnie's statue before the challenge of the first tee. There was the option to play off whites or even championship blues, but our England App showed green to be nearest to the respective handicaps of Podcast Partner and me, so we duly accepted the shorter routing. However, my hopes for an opening par were thwarted because the uphill approach was steeper to a raised green than I had anticipated. The action really begins on the second, a par-five that curves tightly around the coast. A ball that wanders right is likely to find the beach. Tralee's most famous hole is the par-three third, played beside a rocky inlet toward a target with a ruined 14th-century castle as a backdrop. The eighth is another stand-out on the front nine - a par-four along the water's edge. Those going for broke need to be arrow-straight to avoid the brine or the bunkers guarding the hole front and right. The par-five 11th is known as Palmer's peak with good reason - its gradient is so steep that the flag is blind for most of the ascent. Then came the stroke index one! This is a scorching par-four that rises before beore falling dramatically beside a dune to the right. There follows a decision whether to go for a green cut right over a cavernous, grassy chasm. It was certainly not the last encounter with such craters. Indeed, the one on the 13th is more of a ravine. This is a par-three to a sliver of green above the abyss. Correct club selection and a clean hit are the only ways to survive. The par-four 17th is called Ryan's Daughter after the wonderful movie, which was filmed on these beaches before Arnie and Ed created their gorgeous links. There was little problem in avoiding the ravine to find the fairway, but then the fun starts because the flag is atop a near-vertical bank. It is a hole worthy of comparison with the best Hollywood drama. There was so much to like about Tralee. Indeed, as the song goes about the famous Rose: "‘Twas not her beauty alone that won me."

Ich habe bisher noch keinen spektakuläreren Platz gespielt als Trallee! Die Aussichten sind schlicht atemberaubend. Der Platz ist sehr abwechslungsreich zu spielen mit vielen Höhenunterschieden und einigen anspruchsvollen forced carries. Bei Verhältnissen wie bei meiner Runde, nämlich >50km/h Wind und immer wieder Regen ist er wahrscheinlich für einen Großteil der Durchschnittsgolfer kaum zu bewältigen. Für mich trotzdem ein absolutes must play, auch wenn das Greenfee happig ist.

When you approach the practice green of Tralee Golf Links you see the statue of the famous Arnold Palmer. He designed the current course, which opened in 1984, on a beautiful piece of land by the sea. The course is spectacular with many elevation changes, especially on the second nine. Sometimes the layout is too extreme, especially when the wind is force 6 or more. But it is a truly special experience to play this beautiful course.

Was für ein unvergessliches Erlebnis! Schon beim Sonnenaufgang auf dem Parkplatz angekommen, spürte man: Das wird ein besonderer Golftag. Die ersten Sonnenstrahlen über dem Atlantik, die leichten Nebelschwaden über den Dünen – eine Szenerie wie aus dem Bilderbuch. Und der Platz? Einfach spektakulär. Jedes Loch ist ein Highlight für sich – dramatische Klippen, enge Fairways, herausfordernde Grüns und atemberaubende Ausblicke auf das Meer. Die Lage direkt an der irischen Westküste ist kaum zu überbieten. Und bei perfektem Wetter zu spielen, machte es noch magischer. Für mich ganz klar: ein Must-Play-Course! 3 Fakten zum Tralee Golf Club: 1. Das ursprüngliche Design stammt von Arnold Palmer, der 1984 den neuen Platz eröffnete – sein erstes Werk in Europa. 2. Die Back Nine gelten als einige der besten Links-Löcher der Welt – besonders Loch 17 ist legendär. 3. Teile des Platzes wurden auf historischem Gelände gebaut – u. a. befinden sich dort Überreste eines spanischen Forts aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. Ein Platz, der Golfherzen höher schlagen lässt – unvergesslich von der ersten bis zur letzten Bahn.