Surf & Turf Country Club

One of the infinite number of things I love about golf is playing and exploring different courses. There are hundreds of golf courses in Ireland and most of them are great. And through the likes of No Laying Up and The Fried Egg, I’ve gained an appreciation for golf architecture, or at least started to think about golf holes and courses in different ways.
In an attempt to capture this interest, I'm tracking the best of each hole I play throughout the year and build a composite course from them. What this means that only Hole 1 on a course can be the 1st hole on the composite course, it’s not just the best 18 holes. So for example, even though the 7th hole at the European Club is widely considered one of the best in Ireland, I personally prefer the 7th hole at the K Club South, so it doesn’t make the cut.
This composite golf course has been christened the Surf and Turf Country Club, and every month I’ll be updating the course with any new holes that make the cut. But for now, this is the current version

Hole 1 - Arklow, Par 4

Source: Kevin Markham, Golf Monthly

The conditions in this photo could not be further from the hot, muggy day we had here, but I’m sure it was still as great in winter. A wide open fairway from an elevated tee box but one that pinches in at driver distance if you do want to take the big stick. The approach is naturally easier if you take it on with some excellent bunkers and an undulating but fair green that is the perfect indication of things to come.

Hole 2 - K Club South, Par 3

Source: Breaking Par: The Quest

There’s a proper links vibe to this place, which is a good trick considering it’s about 30km from the nearest beach.

This par 3 has a great green site perched up and protected short by a vast sand trap. The green is also long and skinny which puts distance control at a premium and any chip shot that isn’t pin high only mildly terrifying.

An excellent par 3 which isn’t even the best one on this front 9.

Hole 3 - Corballis, Par 4

Source: x.com/@jamierkennedy

This might be the best value hole in the world. A course built by the county council that charges as little as €25 for a midweek round, the 3rd at Corballis is one of the great par 4 links hole. A big boy tee shot (that has to clear the two dunes guarding the dogleg to have any hope of a shot at the green) is followed by an approach to an elevated green which will definitely not be on an even lie. It might be true love.

Hole 4 - Concra Wood, Par 4

Source: fairwaysandfundays.com

This might be our new favourite hole at S&T CC. The best trick this hole plays is that for every shot there is always more room than it looks. The uphill tee shot has a generous landing area and the layup shot is the same. The problem is it is difficult to trust this given the restricted views and strategic bunkers, which means that if you don’t back yourself, the shot to the green can be very difficult. You could play this a hundred times and never get bored.

Hole 5 - Strandhill, Par 5

Source: Strandhill Golf Club

One of the most dramatic golf holes you will ever get to play. The tee box is sitting on the end of an enormous dune that runs along most of the west side of the golf course. The fairway then is basically like the lunar surface and feels as natural as it so clearly is. You have to climb up onto one of the many humps to see the green because your ball will inevitably be in a little valley. Spectacular.

Hole 6 - Powerscourt West, Par 3

Source: powerscourtgolfclub.com

McLay Kidd has chosen and curated a gorgeous green site set between a stream short and trees long. As you can probably imagine the bunker in front is a nightmare to get out of with a comically tall face (I can confirm you cannot see the flag when you’re down there) and the green itself is no picnic either. Finally, a tricky swirling wind is the cherry on top.

Hole 7 - K Club South, Par 5

Source: noahjurik, golfpass.com

The 7th hole at the European club was once named in the top 100 best golf holes in the world. This is better. This par 5 at the K club plays along water framed by some gorgeous rock outcroppings, and the green site is propped up by a number of bunkers that play visual tricks as you line up your approach. If golf journalists ever find this list please note that this is not a hot take. This hole really is that good, and I will happily play both courses with you again to prove it. You’re paying though.

Hole 8 - Arklow, Par 4

Source: Kevin Markham, theirishgolfblog.com

Arklow has taken over the front 9 of the Surf & Turf Country Club and for good reason. This last hole is a great example of a tee shot that looks harder than it actually is. As long as you carry the big dune on the left you have plenty of short grass available to you. And the green is a really fun one, with ten different options available to you regardless of where you lie and what angle you’re coming from.

Hole 9 - Strandhill, Par 3

I think if you asked anyone who played this course no one would pick the 9th hole as the most memorable. Set up against the entrance with no view of the ocean, it is not as dramatic as those working their way amongst the dunes. But the clever bunkering and amazing view of Knocknarea make it a really great par 3, and it brings you back into the town a little as well which adds to the sense of place of the course. (My apologies for the standard of photo, this is a screengrab of a video I took but I didn’t have anything else that demonstrated the view)

Hole 10 - Concra Wood, Par 4

Source: Concra Wood Instagram

It is difficult to put into words just how ridiculously steep this hole is. Driver is far too much club for the blind tee shot, and assuming you play smart you’ll have a mid iron in, even though it could be close to 200m to the pin. Golf carts have to be driven down the cart path for safety reasons. Is it a fair or well thought-out golf hole? Possibly not. Is it hilarious, memorable and an opener to a brilliant back 9? Absolutely.

Hole 11 - European Club, Par 4

Source: top100golfcourses.com

The European Club dominance of the back 9 starts here at 11. A tee shot with a big dune on the left that demands a shot over to the right, bringing some gorgeous bunkers into play. A great uphill tee shot with some visual trickery as you’re not sure how far uphill you are or whether the dune framing the green at the back is as close as it looks.

I think this is one of the easier holes on the course and it’s still really tough. No wonder Tiger’s course record is only 4 under.

Hole 12 - European Club, Par 4

Source: top100golfcourses.com

The green is 120 yards long. Yes the views are spectacular and the tee shot along the Irish sea is great, but the green is 120 yards long. It’s in if for no other reason than it would be unfair to the ground staff to not include this hole, having to mow parts of a green that are never in play. I love it. Also a 120 yard green is just really funny. There’s 3 holes in Corballis shorter than that.

Hole 13 - European Club, Par 5

Source: top100golfcourses.com

The 3rd hole in row from the European Club is, you guessed it, another stunner running along the coast. This time it’s a great par 5 with essentially two staggered fairways, one for your tee shot and then another for your layup and/or approach. The green then is a v-shaped wrapped around a bunker which really messes with your depth perception. I said it was gorgeous, not easy.

Hole 14 - Moyvalley, Par 3

As mentioned previously, the Moyvalley site is pretty flat all told, but where there is some elevation they use it really well. This tee box is a highlight of the back 9 because as you walk onto it the rest of the course opens up beyond the hole.

And even though it is downhill because it plays into the wind it can play pretty long too, and with two bunkers short to gobble up anything short, it’s important to commit to your club choice and your swing.

Hole 15 - Moyvalley, Par 4

The first driveable par 4 of the S&TCC. We like that.

Playing back up the same hill as the previous Par 3, as with all great short par 4s there is a very safe and obvious lay up location. But if you do fancy taking it on there is a decent size green to hit, just as long as you carry the pot bunker short right.

Birdies and bogeys are equally likely here, plus some doubles if you put yourself in real trouble. A true risk reward shot, which is all thanks to the great design.

Hole 16 - Powerscourt East, Par 3

A lovely place for a picnic and also for a golf hole, the signature hole is tucked into the northern most corner amongst the trees of Powerscourt estate (and coincidentally just the other side of trees surrounding the 15th of Powerscourt West, also in the S&T CC). Distance control is at a premium here because while you definitely don’t want to be short, chipping back towards the water from a downhill lie beyond the green is no fun either.

Hole 17 - European Club, Par 4

Source: golfand.com

Longer hitters are nearly forced to lay back into this downhill fariway that pinches in and leaves an uphill approach to an elevated green. The hole is more generous than it would have you believe as everything funnels down towards your target area, but you still gotta hit your shot.

Oh and you better believe that’s another lone tree that can be used as a target line. Currently our favourite tree here at S&T CC.

Hole 18 - Naas, Par 5

Source: Naas Golf Club

A very fair but challenging hole, the 18th fairway at Naas is reminiscent of a nascar track, banking right around the dogleg. Hit a straight tee shot up there and you have a real shot at getting home in two, but if you veer off course a punch out of the trees and a scramble for par or bogey is all you can hope for. As with the tee shot on the 8th at Arklow, the approach is easier than it looks, with more green on the left over the bunkers than it looks.