TRALEE GOLF CLUB

Matt Stott produces the trailers that promote upcoming programmes and series on Travel Channel. When he's away from the edit suite, he has an almost unhealthy interest in all things golf related and a particular love of Irish golf courses. He plays off an extremely average 18 handicap, but insists he talks a good game. When left alone in a room, it's not long before he starts practicing his golf swing.

Tralee was the first course Arnold Palmer designed in Europe and he said he'd "never come across a piece of land so ideally suited for a golf course." Any golfer would agree. This wild and beautiful course lies on the Atlantic coast of southwest Ireland, seven miles from the town of Tralee.

As you drive along the long, winding road to the clubhouse you could be tempted to stop the car, abandon the golf and wander off along the stunning empty shore. This landscape has a Lord of the Rings feel to it and you wouldn't be surprised to see the Riders of Rohan charging towards you over the hills. But keep going. Your welcome will be a lot more low key and customarily convivial. The club is world-renowned, respected, but it manages to maintain a certain air of secrecy. The General Manager, Anthony Byrne, fully understands the whole ethos of golf and will do his best to calm and accommodate you, even if your group is running slightly late.

Tralee Golf Club was relocated in the late 1970's, plucked from the 9-hole course closer to town out to the breathtaking coast of Barrow. Tralee is a fair course, but the vagaries of the weather give it a special character. As any links golfer knows, a par-3 gentle 7-iron can change into a full-throttle close faced 4-iron in a matter of minutes.

Like the welcome, the first hole - Muchlough - has a wide fairway that calms the blood and invites you to tee off with confidence. The second - The Cuilin - a dogleg left to right par 5 (the course's longest), tricks the big-dogs to try and bite off its corner, and you're soon brought down to earth with a crashing out-of-bounds should your testosterone get the better of you. The design mimics your down-turned mouth, as you slam the driver back in the bag. Any disappointment is soon forgotten however, as you approach the signature hole par 3, third - The Castle.

Depending on your tee, this hole can seem either tempting or intimidating, but unforgettable nonetheless. Set against the Kerry Mountains with an old abandoned castle in the foreground, you feel that golf has been played here since the Bronze Age (the nearby ditch once encircled a promontory fort of the period). It requires a steady nerve, as you play over ever-present rocks and a roaring Atlantic, onto a long narrow green, guarded left and right by bunkers.

The front nine continues to zig-zag to and from the coast, but never protects you from the prevailing wind. It's not until the 8th tee that you get close to the beach again and fully appreciate the apparently endless stretch of sand.

I was playing in early September 2003, and the rough was surprisingly forgiving allowing you to at least find your errant ball. It is however rather long in strategic parts and seems to relish choking your club on point of contact. I was fortunate enough to miss a number of the imposing bunkers, which are extremely well kept and well suited to such a course. At first glance, the greens seem transparent, straightforward even, but there's a lot to be said for local knowledge. A seemingly simple putt can easily run away from you and you're struggling with your next. On the whole they prove to be true and give great satisfaction when you get them right.

Once you've meandered around the front nine, it gets even better on the back. To quote Arnold Palmer once more: "I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine." This doesn't feel like hyperbole as you trek up and down the wind-swept holes. You're never far from the coastline, which can double as a caddie and is distracting enough to take your mind off your scorecard. These holes are what golf is all about. Long open fairways that quicken your pace and encourage you to go for it. But it would be difficult to imagine playing the same club at any hole day-to-day, unless you were particularly lucky with the weather.

Many rate the 12th - Bracken - as a classic links hole to rival Pebble Beach in the States, but my favourite was the outstanding 17th - Ryan's Daughter. The landscape around Barrow provided the backdrop for David Lean's award-winning film. Many of the film's most memorable scenes were shot on the nearby sands. This hole requires a decent left to right draw, which if hit correctly, will leave you at the bottom of a steep bank hitting a vertical wedge or nine-iron to a blind green. The 18th - The Goat's Hole - then awaits, a gentle par 4 that lets you appreciate the mountains once more, along with their shifting colours. By the time you've dropped your last putt or picked up a welcome 'gimmie', you'll have earned yourself a hearty pint.

Green Fees at Tralee are €150 a round, which may put off a few wavering golfers. This is negotiable though, if you're a member of a society. In my opinion, this is money very well spent. There's a fine attention to detail here and nothing, except the weather, is left to chance. From the relaxed welcome to the tasteful décor of the clubhouse and locker rooms, Tralee oozes confidence. This is a course that knows it has what it takes.

I don't want to seem too much of a tree-hugger, but it's said that the veil between the real world and the spirit world is particularly thin along the coast of Kerry. So, if your round has been a little humbling proving the old adage that golf is a good leveler, you'll at least be in the right surroundings to take some solace from nature. Even though I wasn't brought up with the black stuff, I consider the pint served in the clubhouse to be 'mighty' and you should set aside a decent chunk of time to unwind and savour the experience. I pity the designated driver on this day. Don't worry if you're pushed for time. In this part of the world a minute seems to last seventy seconds. To close in typical Kerry speak, this course is 'savage' and not to be missed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Tralee Golf Club:
West Barrow, Ardfert,
Tralee, Co. Kerry
Tel: +353 (0)66 713-6379
Website: www.traleegolfclub.com
Green Fees: Start at £100 per person.

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October 2005