Druids Glen is a five-star golf resort located in County Wicklow, an hour’s drive south of Dublin. It has 36 holes of golf, the more famous Glen course, designed by Irish course designers Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock, opened in 1995. It was met with such acclaim that the following year, the Glen course hosted the Murphy’s Irish Open. The course continued to host that event between then and 1999. In 2002, they hosted the Seve Trophy. In 2005, Druids Glen was named European Golf Resort of the Year and in 2023 was named the IGTOA Golf Resort of the Year.
The other course, Druids Heath, was designed by Pat Ruddy and opened in 2003. It hosted the Irish PGA Championship in 2006 and is described as “nature’s gift to golf”. Unfortunately on this visit, we didn’t get the opportunity to play on this championship heathland course. Maybe next time?
The Star Attraction
The course at Druids Glen has recently been upgraded with the work taking 16 months. It would be interesting to experience both the luxury hotel and the famous golf course and to let you know what all the fuss is about. The course has four sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5386 to 7214 yards. On this occasion, we chose to play from the green tees at 6195 yards. The course par is 72.
Standing on the first tee, you immediately notice how immaculate the tees, fairways and greens look. You honestly get the impression that nobody else has played the course that day. It is obvious to us that this is a place that believes in the highest standards. The course is so good that we could choose any number of the holes as our favourites. It was difficult to choose just three from each nine, but we have done and we hope you agree.
One of Each
We have chosen holes 4, 5 and 8. A par 4, a par 5 and a spectacular par 3. The par 3’s are something special at Druids Glen with two in particular that look as if they belong in Augusta, Georgia, not Wicklow, Ireland.
Approach to the 4th green
The 4th hole is a strong par 4 of 407 yards. It is a dogleg to the right and from the tee it initially plays uphill. Once at the top of the hill, your second shot is downhill to a green which is surrounded by water. We were lucky, the pin was on the left. It was a dangerous enough shot to that pin. It would be a high-pressure shot to a right pin. A testing and beautifully framed approach shot. You can admire the aesthetics if not your golf shot.
Downhill to the 5th green
The 5th is another beautiful-looking golf hole. At 508 yards from the green tees, you would think that it might be a birdie chance. As you can see from the photo above, the way in is from the left side. For us, however, our tee shot was down the right side which gave us no angle into the green. We couldn’t carry the distance required so a layup was required. The green is large with a tier running across it so even your pitch is challenging. A lovely par 5.
Augusta Vibes
The 8th hole
What can we say about the 8th hole? The facts are it’s a 140-yard par 3. However, it looks as if it’s been imported from Augusta. We are positive that Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock had Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie’s masterpiece on their minds when designing this hole. Not a difficult hole if you keep your head down. Don’t sneak a look before you’ve hit your shot as the water awaits. A gorgeous golf hole.
Our favourite holes on the back nine were the 12th, 13th and 15th. We loved the 18th too but that’s our article header photo.
The 12th hole
Even though we didn’t think it was possible, the 12th hole is even better than the 8th. It is almost a replica of the 12th at Augusta, just the green sits at an angle away from you rather than across you. WOW! This stunning hole was playing 146 yards for us into a breeze. Our mid-iron shot landed just beyond the flag and our putt for a birdie just missed. Check out our Facebook page for the video which will be uploaded shortly.
The Hardest Hole
Second shot to the 13th
From the elevated tee, you can’t see round the corner so you have no idea what awaits you. You can try and cut off a bit of the corner but we wouldn’t recommend it. There is something satisfying about seeing your ball land on the fairway, way below you. The photo above is what awaits. A 200-yard shot over water with more water left and no real bailout right. This 444-yard hole is not stroke index 1 for nothing. A tough hole.
The 15th hole
We found the 15th hole to be one of the most difficult to judge. The fairway runs out about 240 yards off the tee into a lake. There’s a large bunker which is about 220 to carry. What do you do? There are 10 yards of fairways left of the bunker and less than 20 over it. We eventually decided to hit 3 wood over the bunker and pushed it. The shot wouldn’t have carried it but it ended up okay, but in the rough. We hit an 8 iron over the water onto the green and were happy to make par. This is a well-thought-out and tricky hole and we were delighted with our par.
In Our Opinion
The golf course at Druids Glen is well worth its five-star billing. It was immaculate and was a pleasure to play. We could have featured any number of holes. We didn’t even mention the 17th which is very similar to the 17th at TPC Sawgrass (well, we have now.) or the 18th which is a cracking par 5 to finish. See our header photo. We feel privileged to have played here and hope to come back one day to take on the challenge of Druids Heath.
Thank you to Marcus Ruddy, the Director of Golf for hosting us and to Aaron Byrne, the resort’s Golf Sales Manager for sorting out our booking.
The Hotel
There is only one place to stay if you can afford it. As a five-star golf resort, it’s not cheap but you certainly get what you pay for. The hotel is owned by Neville Hotels, a family-owned and managed Irish company. The staff are exceptional and nothing is too much bother. The rooms are fantastic and spacious too.
Our bedroom
As we were only there for one night, we didn’t manage to use all of the hotel’s facilities. The spa, swimming pool and gym will forever remain a mystery to us. What we can say is that the photos look amazing and we wish we had indulged ourselves in a swim and a pamper. We are too old to consider the gym…that’s for the younger clientele.
Wonderful Food
We did however eat in the restaurant although not in the evening. As we had arrived there late afternoon after a 3 1/2 hour drive, we were hungry and ate early. A Chicken Burger and a Steak Sandwich were our orders and we ordered drinks while we waited for our food.
My Chicken Burger
The food was worth the wait. Everything tasted fresh and we devoured it as if we hadn’t eaten all day, we had. Washed down with a couple of pints, it was the perfect end to a busy day. The next morning before golf, the breakfast didn’t disappoint either.
The breakfast of champions…
The eggs, bacon and sausage were all locally sourced and tasted great. Apologies to the vegetarians and vegans out there but you can’t beat a cracking cooked breakfast.
As you would expect, our stay at Druids Glen was one of the highlights of our 2024 tour of Ireland. Our stay was five-star all the way. We feel very lucky to have spent some time in a luxury bubble and see how the other half live. It is both inspirational and aspirational. Maybe in our next life…
Finally
Special thanks go to the two older members who took the time to talk to us on our arrival and tell us about their love of being a member at Druids Glen. Their pride was obvious and it was a feature at many of the other clubs we played on this trip. They seemed interested in why we were visiting and took note of where the article would be published. We are sorry we didn’t get their names but if you are reading this, thank you for being so kind to us. We would like to say this happens wherever we go, but sadly, it’s not always the case.
At a Glance
- Five-star golf resort, one hour south of Dublin
- 36 holes of championship golf
- One parkland course and one heathland course
- Driving range and short game practice area
- Excellent well-stocked pro shop
- Modern comfortable clubhouse with a balcony and patio overlooking the 18th green
- For more info, please visit Druids Glen Hotel and Golf Resort
- For more info on other Neville Hotels properties, click on this link
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