About the course
Connemara Golf Links lies at Ballyconneely, on a remote stretch of coast between Clifden and Roundstone in County Galway. The land is open and rugged, bordered by white sandy beaches, and the Twelve Bens rise inland. The links was built by the local community itself, which gives the club a strong sense of ownership and place.
The course opened in 1973 and was designed by Eddie Hackett, working closely with the local priest Father Peter Waldron, who led the project and rallied local people to build it. The championship course is made up of two nines and stretches to over 7,200 yards from the back tees, which makes it one of the longer links courses in the west. A separate nine-hole course was added later and offers a shorter option.
Without big dunes to hide behind, the course is defined by the wind and by the hard, rocky ground. The holes on the higher terrain are the most memorable, and the 13th, a par 3 of around 210 yards, is the signature hole. The fairways are generous, but the rough and the outcrops of rock punish wild shots, and the greens tend to be firm, so judging how far the ball will run is a large part of scoring well.
Why we recommend it
Connemara sits about as far west as the Irish mainland goes, on open ground near Ballyconneely where rock breaks through the turf as often as sand. The opening holes are fairly flat, but the round climbs into livelier terrain later on, with the Twelve Bens on the horizon. With almost no shelter from the Atlantic, the wind decides how hard it plays on the day. It lies 5 miles south of Clifden, a good base for golf and touring in the west.
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| Ranking Ireland | 24 |
| Architect | Eddie Hackett |
| Year of foundation | 1973 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |