A Big Week for Irish Golf Venues

Two bits of great news came out this week for Irish golf... one very much focused on the golf course: the other not so much.

But either way, it keeps Ireland and Irish golf in the spotlight... for all the right reasons!

Ballyliffin will host the R & A Boys Home Internationals in 2016 on the Glashedy Links. Scheduled for August, this is a major coup for a links golf course often regarded as one of the very best on the island. The event will showcase the club's two courses and it is a fitting venue after the Irish won the event this year. They last won it in 2010, so, working on that cycle, they should clean up nicely at Ballyliffin in 2016.

Plus I'll get to visit the courses again in a couple of months' time... and that's great news for me.

Ballyliffin's par three 5th.

Top 20 Resorts in Europe

On the non-golfing note, Conde Nast Traveler conduct an annual reader's survey to select the best resorts in the world. In the European section, four Irish golf resorts made a big splash:

Doonbeg came 1st, Dromoland Castle 4th, Adare Manor 8th and Mount Juliet 14th. 

View of the Lodge from Doonbeg's 18th tee

Here are some Special Offers available from the Lodge at Doonbeg at the moment.

Also on the list, representing Ireland... and proving just how popular Ireland remains, are Sheen Falls (7), Ashford Castle (9), Killarney Royal Hotel (17) and Galway Bay Hotel (18). No Lough Erne, surprisingly.