History
The Island Golf Club has long been recognised as one of the best links courses in Ireland. It was founded in 1890 by a group made up of mostly Royal Dublin GC members, known as the Syndicate. Not much is known about the designer of the original layout. All that is known is an adventurous group of four men surveyed the land in 1887 to see if it was suitable for golf. That group had to row over from Malahide in a small boat as the island was inaccessible by any other means.
They liked what they saw and an island farmer was engaged to scythe out fairways and greens in preparation for mowing. The course has been altered several times since then. In 1973, a new clubhouse was built near Corballis and this led to Fred Hawtree and Eddie Hacket reorientating the course. Up until that point, access to the course was still by boat. With the relocation of the clubhouse, the course was now accessible by road. Further modifications were made by Martin Hawtree, Fred’s son and the most recent changes were carried out in 2019 by Mackenzie and Ebert.
The Course
Even though the course is now accessible by road, it still took us 30 minutes by car from Malahide, even though we could see the course from our hotel, less than half a mile away across the channel. The Island has three sets of tees ranging from 6185 to 7083 yards. We chose to play from the green tees at 6732 yards. The green tees are the members’ course and all yardages have a par of 72. As always, pick the tees to suit your game.
Our favourite holes on the opening nine were the 1st (our header photo), the 2nd, 4th and 7th. We discuss the latter three holes below.
Looking back up the 2nd hole
The 2nd is a par 4 of 370 yards. The fairway moves from right to left and the best line into the green is from the right side. Picking the right club for your approach is tricky. The green is raised and has a false front. It’s not wide and has runoff areas on both the left and right and bunkers short and left. The prevailing wind is into you on this hole. If you make four you can feel well pleased. We didn’t.
The Only Par 3 on the Front
The 4th hole
Being the only par 3 on the front nine, the 4th needs to be something a bit special. It is. It’s not long at 137 yards, but it’s tricky. From the elevated tee, wind is a factor. The green is again raised so anything other than a precise shot will run off and leave a difficult up and down for your par. As we have said before, par 3’s don’t have to be long to cause you problems.
The 7th hole
This hole is what every short par 4 should be. It’s only 330 yards and could be classified as a risk/reward hole although you can’t drive the green. Well, we can’t. Danger lurks both left and right for the wayward. From the high tee, you can see the fairway and all the trouble. Miss the fairway bunker on the left and it’s only a short iron to a partially hidden green. We think this is a cracking short par 4.
Turning for Home
To be honest, we could have featured almost any of the holes on the back nine. We have chosen to feature the 13th, 14th and 16th holes. As a bonus, we have included the difficult 18th hole too.
The 13th hole
At 216 yards, the 13th is the longest of the three par 3’s. With Malahide and its marina in the background, you would do well to focus on the task at hand. The safe line is to the left half of the green as going right, you have to carry it onto the green. There are out-of-bounds to the right of the green. This is a great par 3.
The narrow 14th hole
This hole named “Old Clubhouse” is self-explanatory. This is where the old clubhouse once stood and where golfers landed off the boat. It’s another risk/reward hole. It’s dead straight along and runs parallel to the marshland. Going right is not an option as it’s a lateral water hazard. The fairway is only 14 paces at its widest point and there are mounds and rough down the left. At 346 yards, it wouldn’t normally be in range but with a helping wind, you can get close. We hit a safe 5 iron off the tee and it went 240 yards!! It left us with an awkward pitch downwind but alas, no birdie.
The Last Par 3
Looking back from the green to the tee
The last par 3 is 174 yards and plays slightly uphill. It was into a 2 club wind for us. You have to make sure you have enough club to get to the middle of the green. The front slopes towards you and it will run back off if not up. A tough par 3 and the first of three difficult holes to finish.
The Toughest Hole
The 18th hole
At 463 yards, the 18th is statistically the hardest hole, stroke index one. You have to hit the fairway with your tee shot to have any chance of going for the green. Not only is it a long second shot but the green is raised and is long too. If you finish with a par you will have earned that pint of Guinness in the clubhouse.
In Our Opinion
The Island is a wonderful links course. We loved the variety in the holes you play and none of them are straightforward. Playing here will challenge every aspect of your game. It will test your driving, your iron play, your chipping and your putting. Everything you would expect from a top-class links course. The greens are undulating and tricky to read so hitting a green in regulation does not guarantee you a par.
If you are in the Dublin area and looking to play a traditional links course, you must venture out to The Island. The course was in excellent condition. The pro shop staff were welcoming, helpful and happy to discuss the challenges of the links. Having a starter to see you off and give advice on playing the first hole was a nice touch too. Thank you to Gary Carty, the Island’s Booking and Membership Executive for organising our visit.
Where to Stay
Looking toward the Grand Hotel from the 14th tee
There are plenty of choices for accommodation in and around the affluent village of Malahide. We stayed in The Grand Hotel, right across the channel from the 14th fairway. As we said earlier, the drive to the course will take approximately 30 minutes so allow plenty of time to make your tee time. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the course is next door.
Excellent bedrooms
The room we were allocated was large and spacious with a very comfortable bed. We had a view over the water to the course and away to our left, the marina. The hotel is an eclectic mix of styles. The original building is a period property dating from 1835. Various extensions were added with conference facilities, additional bedrooms and the restaurant and bar being the most recent. The hotel has been owned by the Ryan family since 1974 and they continue to invest in the facilities to ensure it continues to appeal to the most discerning of clientele. present company excluded obviously!
Fabulous Food
Malahide has many excellent restaurants to choose from however we chose to eat in the Matt Ryan Bar within the hotel. It took us a while to choose our meals as there was plenty of choice on the dinner menu.
We eventually settled on the Asian chicken stir fry and the Chicken and Chorizo linguine and both were very tasty and hot. The next morning breakfast was served buffet style in the Coast restaurant.
Our usual fry-up
As we usually do, we went for the cooked breakfast. The things we do in the name of research for all you golfers out there… We know that 90% of male golfers prefer a hearty feast first thing. It sets you up for the day and the golf ahead and maybe helps absorb the alcohol from the night before. For those of you not in this bracket, there were plenty of healthier choices available and you can eat as much as you want. You can also help yourself to as much coffee as you need too. What’s not to like about the breakfast service at the Grand?
Thank you to Maeve Fanning, the hotel’s Reservation Manager for arranging our stay and to all the staff who looked after us during our stay.
At a Glance
- 18-hole championship links course
- Excellent practice facilities with complimentary practice balls
- Well-stocked pro shop with welcoming and helpful staff
- Comfortable clubhouse overlooking the links
- 45 minutes drive from Dublin City Centre
- For more info, click here to visit The Island’s website
- For more info on the hotel, click here for The Grand Hotel website
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