About the course
Carne Golf Links lies on the Mullet Peninsula in north-west County Mayo, about 3 km west of Belmullet, on some 260 acres of duneland facing the Atlantic. The sand hills here are among the largest on any Irish links, and the course was laid out to sit within them with as little earth moving as possible.
Carne was the last course designed by Eddie Hackett, who laid out the original 18 holes and in late 1996, two months before his death, sketched ideas for further holes from memory while sitting in the clubhouse. Those plans eventually became the Kilmore nine. The American architect Jim Engh drew up an early master plan in 2004, but the project stalled until Ally McIntosh was appointed in 2010, working with the club’s construction supervisor Eamon Mangan. The new holes had a soft opening at the end of the summer of 2013.
Hackett’s philosophy was to move ground only as a last resort, so the holes follow the natural valleys and ridges of the dunes. Fairways rise and fall sharply, tee shots are often played from high vantage points and approaches can be partly blind. There are relatively few bunkers, as the terrain provides the defence, and the greens are shaped to blend with the surrounding slopes. The wind comes straight off the ocean, so the same hole can play very differently from morning to afternoon.
Why we recommend it
Carne is a long way from anywhere, and that is a large part of its appeal. On the Mullet Peninsula in County Mayo, the links rises and falls through enormous dunes, with Atlantic views from the high tees and very few flat lies. The original holes are regarded as Eddie Hackett’s finest work, and a newer nine in the same dunes adds variety. It suits keen links golfers who are happy to drive about an hour beyond Westport and walk a demanding course.
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| Ranking Ireland | 14 |
| Architect | Eddie Hackett |
| Year of foundation | 1990 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |