PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell

About the course

Since May 2019 the course has been called PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell.

PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell lies just outside Ballyconnell in County Cavan, in the drumlin country of the Irish border region. The course is spread across an estate of about 300 acres that includes some 50 acres of lakes, and it was built on sand and gravel from the owner’s own quarries, which gives it unusually good drainage for an inland course.

Patrick Merrigan designed the course for the businessman Sean Quinn as part of the Slieve Russell hotel development. It quickly established itself on the tournament circuit, hosting the Irish PGA Championship in 1996 and the North West of Ireland Open, a European Tour event, in 2001 and 2002.

The par 72 layout measures more than 7,000 yards from the back tees, and the holes wrap around the lakes and over the rounded drumlins, so there are frequent changes of elevation and many approaches played across or alongside water. Strategically placed hazards ask for careful decisions from the tee rather than an all-out attack.

The greens are often tricky to read, with subtle slopes that make a two-putt from long range a real achievement. Thanks to the free-draining base, fairways stay firm even after rain, and the inland setting offers more shelter from the wind than the coastal links.

Why we recommend it

Slieve Russell, now branded PGA National Ireland, offers relaxed inland golf among the lakes and drumlins of County Cavan. The parkland course winds over rolling ground with water in play on a number of holes, and the hotel and spa beside it make the stay very easy. It works well as a stopover between Dublin and the northwest, or as a change of pace for groups who want a break from wind and links.

Photo gallery