“Don’t go right off the 1st”. This is the only advice a well-travelled golfing friend of mine offers when I tell him I’m about to play Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (now Jameson Golf Links). It’s not the usual links hazards that catch your eye down the right side of the first – deep bunkers, imperious dunes, waves of thick rough – but a graveyard. I hit it right…
After the round, my hosts tell me that it’s what first time visitors should do. In the 1850s, John Jameson III, grandson of the famous whisky distiller, built his own private course here. This is where he was laid to rest with his wife, Mary Elizabeth Haig, and his brother, William. As I nose around the gnarly rough (I just avoid sailing into the graveyard itself), it’s hard not to picture the Jamesons out enjoying a knock in their waistcoats and long socks. I offer a respectful nod as I leave, eager to see the remodelled layout.
The rebrand makes a lot of sense. Why not celebrate the famous Jameson whisky dynasty and the family who played an instrumental part in introducing the game of golf to Ireland. The unveiling of the remodelled championship golf course follows the multi-million euro renovation of Bernhard Langer’s original 1995 design, masterminded by Jeff Lynch, director and senior architect at (re)GOLF, and his team.
The stunning views come thick and fast
(Image credit: Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links)
Having not played the course before, I can’t comment on what it was like prior to the revamp. Comments from those who had ranged from “Good” to “Really good”, although I was told several times that I should make the effort to try and play Portmarnock Golf Club when visiting, number 28 in Golf Monthly’s Top 100 Courses UK & Ireland Rankings, which sits right next door, a venue that could well host The Open in the not-too-distant future.
It wasn’t possible on this occasion, but I was fortunate enough to play 36 holes at Jameson Golf Links. Enhancements made to the course include the elevation of greens and tees from the 8th all the way through to its stunning finishing stretch. Along the way, golfers are treated to Portmarnock’s Velvet Strand beach, the Dublin city skyline and the famous uninhabited island – known as Ireland’s Eye – which greets visitors as they land at nearby Dublin Airport.
The opening half dozen holes are by no means pedestrian, but after the 7th the course certainly enters another gear. Before then, however, there are a…
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