In late 2006, the Palmer Course at the K Club became Ireland’s first Ryder Cup venue, as it played host to Europe’s record-equalling victory. It is a stadium-style resort course, and at over 7,300 yards from the tips, many commentators have described it as the most difficult inland layout in the country.
Palmer has succeeded in manipulating the existing mature trees and water features to create a magnificent test for golfers of all standards. The coverage and attention that has been brought to both the K Club and Irish golf in general is richly deserved, given the faultless display that the Palmer Course exhibited during the Ryder Cup matches.
Smurfit Course
The neighbouring Smurfit Course is an extravagant creation, divided from the Palmer Course by the River Liffy, which flows right through to Dublin. The layout can be characterised as an inland links, with much earth having been moved to create dune-like mounds at the edge of the fairways.
The drama of the experience at the Smurfit comes primarily from the 14 acres of water that have been worked into the course, making it pretty important to stock up on golf balls before the first tee. The course has a more rugged feel than its sister, owing to the planting of gorse and bracken. The signature hole is the monster par-5 seventh, which measures in at an astonishing 606 yards, and skirts a dramatic series of water cascades.
In the Vintage Crop cocktail bar, the highlight is the humidor, which is a miniature version of the hotel itself and houses the best in Cuban cigars, from Montecristo to Cohiba.