Charlesland Golf Club Makes More of its Land

The old par three 2nd at Charlesland

Charlesland Golf Club has made a few changes to its course and its facilities in recent months. Two new holes and a three-hole golf academy opened at the end of July, and I finally got a chance to go and see them on Friday.

The club is currently being managed by Carr Golf, on behalf of the owners - the Evans family. These golf developments are part of a wider €1 million refurbishment the Evans family have undertaken to strengthen
the club’s offering. They brought in Carr Golf with the intention of using the company’s specialised expertise to improve the presentation of the course and propel the business to a new level. Since then, the club has secured over 210 new members.

Carr Golf re-developed the opening holes of the course to merge the 1st and 2nd holes, along with building a new par three 6th hole, set against a back-drop of the Sugar Loaf in Wicklow.

The 10th is a tough par four - mind that pond on the left.

The original par three 2nd hole – with the ocean beyond and the green perched up high – was a particular favourite of mine. It was a dreamy tee shot and I was disappointed to hear that it had been lost. Did it make sense to combine holes 1 and 2? Was it worth the risk when there was nothing wrong with the two original opening holes?

The answer would appear to be yes. Ken Kearney designed the new holes and while the 1st is no longer than before it has a completely different look and feel. The old 1st green was slightly to the left on a straight-ish hole but it now moves the other way and over a ridge of bunkers angled diagonally across the fairway. The new tee shot is fabulous and the hole looks tempting from the tee. Take a look at the photo below and you’ll see what I mean.

The new 1st hole at Charlesland, the flag blowing over the bunkers on
the right. The old 1st green is visible on the left.

The new par three 6th, on the other hand, is rather tame if I’m honest. It is certainly no replacement for the old 2nd. The most interesting feature is the bunker curving around the back of the green… although it’s not visible from the tee.

Owner & project manager Clive Evans hitting into
Charlesland's new 6th hole.

The bunker behind the new 6th green.

A brand new three-hole academy course has also been developed utilising land which now provides members and visitors with a practice facility close to the clubhouse.

There’s also the new South Beach Pavilion which is an intriguing café/restaurant concept open to anyone and not just golfers.

Take a look at their website, pay a visit to the golf course and decide for yourself what you think of Charlesland's new holes and facilities.