We hadn’t heard of Blainroe Golf Club before our trip to Ireland. It was added to our itinerary by Gerard Kelly of Carr Golf and we can’t thank him enough for what was a wonderful surprise. Blainroe opened in 1978 and was originally designed by Fred Hawtree. Fred’s son, Martin, redesigned the course in 2005. Martin is recognised as one of the premier architects in the UK and Ireland and has been involved in many prestigious courses such as Trump International Aberdeen, Doonbeg, Lahinch, Portmarnock and The Island.
Blainroe is located in County Wicklow, just a couple of miles from Wicklow Town and 16 miles south of Druids Glen. It is an hour’s drive south from our base at the Castleknock Hotel just outside Dublin. It’s a members’ club and the course has four sets of tees to choose from. Their yardages range from 5972 to 6754 yards and it’s a par 72 for men and a par 75 for ladies. We chose to play from the white tees at 6646 yards. As always, choose the set of tees that best suit your game. It’s all about enjoying the experience after all.
The Views
The first surprise on our visit to Blainroe came in the form of the view from the clubhouse lounge. There are not many golf clubs with such a magnificent view over the beach out into the Irish Sea. If you know of another in the UK or Ireland, please let us know, we would love to hear about it.
Pebble Beach Vibes Anyone?
On arrival at the club, we were met by the club’s Men’s captain Pat Baker and committee member Liam Stones who thanked us for visiting and gave us a quick overview of the course and the club’s history. This doesn’t happen very often and it made us feel a little privileged and very welcome. Thank you to both gents for taking the time to meet us and we hope you like our article.
The Course
Those of you who are familiar with our articles will know that we normally choose three maybe four holes on each nine to talk about. These holes are selected by us based on the visual appearance of the hole, sometimes the difficulty, but usually, what makes them more interesting than the others. The holes we have chosen on the front nine at Blainroe are the 4th, the 7th, the 8th and the 9th holes.
The approach to the 4th green
The 4th hole is a par 5 of 524 yards and is the longest of the three par 5’s here. Off the tee, the line is down the right side of the sloping fairway. Depending on the yardage you have left, you have to choice of laying up or going for it in two. We didn’t have a choice and laid up to the right of the bunker. This left us an easy pitch into the green. Unfortunately, we missed our birdie putt and made a par.
The 7th green
The 7th hole is the first hole where you get to appreciate the views. Although you can see the sea from every hole at Blainroe, it’s only just a glimpse of a view on the first six holes. From the tee on the 7th, you are at the high point on the course, looking down and out over the water. The hole plays downhill and is a slight dogleg to the right. A decent drive will leave you a short iron into a raised green. This is a birdie opportunity but we failed to convert our putt.
The First Par 3
The 8th hole
What goes up must come down. On the first 6 holes at Blainroe, you are slowly working your way up to the high point on the course. Holes 7 and 8 take you back down. The 8th is the only par 3 on this nine and is 210 yards but plays shorter due to the elevation change. We hit a 5 iron onto the green and had about 12 feet for birdie but again our putt slipped by. Deja vu was setting in.
Bunkers everywhere on the 9th hole
The closing hole on the front nine takes you back to the clubhouse. It’s a 365-yard par 4 and you must avoid the fairway bunkers left and right if you want to make a par. Work out the yardage to the pin on your approach shot as the green is over 90 feet long. That’s a 3 club difference. Be aware of the out-of-bounds through the green too. Overshooting the green is not the way to finish your front nine.
The Back Nine
This nine is where you need your camera. We have chosen to feature another four holes on this nine, the 10th, the 11th, the 13th and the 15th. You will see why shortly. Our article header photo is the 17th hole and the 14th will feature in our upcoming signature hole videos on our Facebook, X and Instagram pages. Too many choices and not enough room to fit them all in.
Your approach to the 10th green
The opening hole of the back nine is only 362 yards but it is a dangerous hole. There is out-of-bounds and a deep bunker down the right so aim to the left side of the fairway off the tee. The stream is not really in play unless you are in trouble off the tee or duff your second shot. A shot to the centre of the green will avoid the bunkers short right and at the back of the green. This is a tricky hole to begin the inward nine.
More Pebble Beach vibes
The 11th is a beautiful-looking par 4 of 384 yards and plays just slightly uphill. The bunkering, the trees and the backdrop just frame the hole perfectly. The ideal drive is up the right side. This leaves you with the best angle into the green. Take an extra club for your second to avoid coming up short. Take in the views from the green but you will need to concentrate on your putting to make a par here.
To Infinity and Beyond
The 13th’s infinity green
The 13th is one of the few straight holes at Blainroe. It plays slightly uphill and all of its 385 yards. There are out-of-bounds up the right side and trees on the left to block out your approach if you venture too far off the fairway. The green sits above you so again picking the right club is crucial in your quest to make a par. The green slopes from back to front and left to right so two-putting is not guaranteed.
The 15th hole
The final pick of our feature holes is the 15th, a par 3 of almost 200 yards. From the elevated tee, the green appears to be in a bowl with bunkers guarding the left and right sides. There is a water hazard up the left and the tee shot needs to be well-struck to reach the putting surface. Beyond the bunkers is the widest part of the green. We managed to hit the green with a 3 hybrid and had two putts for our par.
The header photo in this article is the 17th hole. It’s only 122 yards but with the Irish Sea in the background and a fresh breeze, it was an 8-iron for us. It will be a lot more club than that on a windy day!! We couldn’t leave it out as it’s a visually stunning hole. We hope you agree.
In Our Opinion
As we said in our headline, Blainroe was the biggest surprise of our trip. The golf course was immaculate, with manicured fairways and excellent putting surfaces. Throw in the views of the holes on the back nine and it made playing here an outstanding experience. Thanks again to Gerard Kelly at Carr Golf for adding it to our itinerary.
Blainroe is a members club that accepts visitors both during the week and at weekends, subject to availability. You can expect to pay €90 during the week and €120 at the weekends. Contact the club directly to get the best rates. We think that Blainroe is well worth the expense and playing here will enhance any golf trip to the Emerald Isle. We hate the term “hidden gem”. However, this was a great find and by reading this article and passing it on to your friends, we will put Blainroe Golf Club high on the list for future golfers travelling to Ireland.
At a Glance
- 18-hole parkland course with magnificent views
- Excellent clubhouse with a wonderful outlook from the lounge and terrace
- Warm and friendly members and staff
- Small well stocked pro shop
- Practice area and putting greens
- A one-hour drive from Dublin City Centre
- For more info on Blainroe Golf Club, click here to visit their website
- We stayed just outside Dublin, at the Castleknock Hotel
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