One of The European Tour’s standout events – Host of The 2014 Irish Open
The Irish Open is highly regarded as one of The European Tour’s standout events and in 2014 The Stunning Fota Island Resort, set in one of Ireland’s most beautiful settings played host to The 2014 Irish Open. The event was won by Mikki Illonen of Finland who shot a fantastic score of 13 under par to win by one shot. As mentioned before, The Irish Open is one of the tour’s top events and in addition to Fota Island, the event has been hosted at some of Ireland’s finest courses including The K Club, Mount Juliet, Portmarnock and Carton House.
Home to THREE championship courses
It is not so often you find a resort home to three championship golf courses, let alone three golf courses. Well, Fota Island Resort, in County Cork offers three of the finest courses in all of Ireland. Let’s now take a closer look at these three golfing gems.
The Deerpark Golf Course
Golf at Fota Island Resort dates back all the way to the late 1800’s, but it was not until 1993, when renowned golf course architects Christy O’Connor Jnr Peter McEvoy added their touch to the Deerpark Course, did it become one of Ireland’s top golfing destinations. The Deerpark Course is the number 1 course at Fota Island, and has played host to The Irish Open on three separate occasions; in 2001, 2002 and 12 years later in 2014.
What The Pros’ Stay
“I love the venue. It’s a great venue for a golf tournament — the setting, the type of course it is. There’s plenty of birdies to be made out there. We seem to get better weather down here at Cork. Nice practice facilities, hotel on site; what more could you ask for in a venue, [and an] airport nearby? I hope it comes back and gets onto a rota that it comes back here regularly.” -Padraig Harrington
Belvelly Golf Course
The Belvelly Course offers a challenging test of golf, measuring at over 7100 yards from the back tees. The course had a new nine hole design added in recently by award-winning golf course architect Jeff Howes, who has a portfolio of golf courses all over the world, including The Krakatoa Resort in Indonesia and The Connaught Golf Club in Canada.
The Barryscourt Course
The Barryscourt is even longer than The Belvelly Golf Course measuring at 7362 yards from the back tees. Prepare for a lot of walking! The signature hole on The Barryscourt Course has to be the redesigned 8th which features an array of hazards, so accuracy comes first over distance and getting the right club is key to ensure you walk away from the hole not looking a bit silly.
Tune up your game at The Fota Island Golf Academy
We all could do with tuning up our game, whether it’s heading to the range, spending 30 minutes on the putting green or practising your chipping. The Fota Island Golf Academy is the perfect place to take your game to the next level. Experienced PGA professionals offer a variety of lessons and programmes for all abilities, from beginners all the way through to aspiring professionals.
A 30-minute video analysis session will cost €30, but why not push the boat out and treat yourself to a 9 hole on-course playing lesson from €175.
Beautiful woodland scenery
Cork and the surrounding areas have some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Ireland. A top recommendation would be to take a scenic drive through the west of Cork to witness some of the most breathtaking views.
75 Whiskies to choose from in The Amber Lounge
After hitting the fairways, why not head to The Amber lounge and try some fine whisky tasting. 75 different kinds of Whisky to be exact. The Amber Lounge also offers a wonderful afternoon tea spread, with a grand selection of sandwiches, scones, delicious pastries & desserts.
Irish Beef to Roast Sea Bass – Dine at The Fota Restaurant
The Fota Restaurant offers exquisite fine Cork dining in a relaxed atmosphere. In the summer months, the Fota Island restaurant opens out onto an outdoor terrace, perfect for a summer BBQ.
One of the top 5* Hotels in Ireland
The Fota Island Hotel is very well established as one of the top luxurious hotels in all of Ireland. The hotel offers first class facilities including a fully equipped gym, an indoor swimming pool and The Fota Spa, perfect for ultimate relaxation.
There are 131 guestrooms at Fota Island, all decorated with a traditional touch, but still offering the highest levels of luxury. All guestrooms offer breathtaking views overlooking the championship golf courses, the stunning woodland and the surrounding parkland.
Choose a luxury self-catering lodge, perfect for a Family Break.
If you are travelling a group or with family, why not go for the lodge option. Luxury self-catering lodges are available for large groups with the choice of 2,3 or 4 bedrooms. The lodges have been specifically designed to blend in with the local woodland surroundings. The lodges offer large fully equipped kitchen and multi-channel TV’s perfect for a family fun night in.
Located only 25 minutes from the City of Cork
After you’ve hit the fairways, why not head into the City of Cork, only 25 minutes away and enjoy some of the local culture. Head into one of the pubs, enjoy a pint of Guinness and listen to some to some traditional Irish music.
Ultimate relaxation in The Fota Island Spa
We all occasionally may need some time to unwind and relax away from the course. A trip to The Fota Island Spa has got to be a MUST. Choose from a grand selection of massages and treatments, or even head to the Hydrotherapy suite, and try Ireland’s only walking river.
What YGT Customers say
[quote]We are just back from our Fota Island golf break. The Deerpark course was excellent. It was in tremendous condition, especially the slick greens, and was very enjoyable for golfers of our standard from the forward tees. The food in the clubhouse was very good and the accommodation in the hotel was first class with very helpful staff. All in all Fota Island is perfect for a weekend golf break.[/quote]Thanks for reading. Check out Your Golf Travel, to see our latest offers to The Fota Island Resort and you could be underway on planning your next Ireland golf getaway.
