As Darren Clarke is the Your Golf Travel Global Ambassador we thought we’d take a look at the golf courses he has designed to date and what he currently has in the pipeline.
The Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort is located in over 500 acres in the beautiful countryside in Kildare, just 50 kilometres west of Dublin. The Resort boasts a selection of 4* accommodation as well as some excellent dining options for its guests. The Balyna House (a magnificent 19th century Italianate mansion) provides 10 of the guestrooms at the resort as well as a glorious backdrop to the championship golf course.
The golf course itself, designed by Darren Clarke, was opened for play in 2007 and has since played host to the 2009 Challenge of Ireland Tournament, an event on the European Challenge Tour. Darren worked closely with European Golf Design to produce this top quality golf course at Moyvalley.
“I’m especially delighted with the greens,” Clarke commented on his first expedition into golf course design,”which are among the best putting surfaces in the country. We created gentle slopes which will make players think about where to place their approach shots, especially when the greens are fast or in windy conditions.”
Obviously as the course was only opened five years ago you shouldn’t be expecting a course steeped in tradition, however if you’re searching for a truly challenging and strategic test of golf on a track with excellently kempt playing surfaces, then you needn’t look any further as Moyvalley is a superb option for those looking to explore the Emerald Isle on their next golf break.
Large putting surfaces, numerous water hazards and strategically positioned sand-traps are the primary features of this par 72 course which requires a studied, accurate approach rather than a mindless grip and rip it style of play.
Local businessman Dermot Fallon purchased the Castle Dargan Golf Resort in 2000 with the ambition to transform a relatively run-down property in the North West of Ireland. After an extensive refurbishment and six years of development the Castle Dargan Resort finally opened in 2007 and now includes a 4* hotel & spa and, naturally, a modern 18-hole parkland golf course.
For the golf course at Castle Dargan Darren teamed up with the renowned Irish architect Patrick Merrigan to create a golf course which is nestled within a 170 acre estate just south of the town of Sligo. They have joined together to create a true masterpiece which is definitely worth a visit if you are travelling anywhere near the North-West of Ireland.
Both the opening and closing three holes at Castle Dargan are very strong, with the marvellous downhill, par-3, 3rd considered the signature hole from the course. From the tee it plays into a wide but shallow putting surface with a large beech tree guarding the approach, it’s a lovely little par-3.
The last three holes on the course are par-4’s, each measuring over 400 yards in length. They offer a superb closing to the round with the 16th heading towards the ruins of Castle Dargan before the final two head back towards the clubhouse.
Darren was very happy to be given the opportunity to help design this magnificent course, he commented, “All we had to do was pull back some of the covers to reveal a truly outstanding piece of land… We worked with the magnificent mature trees, the old stone walls and natural lakes, and the course unveiled itself, as if it was always there.”
This new star is a welcome addition to the County Sligo landscape, providing the ideal balance between the region’s array of terrific coastal courses.
Pinnacle Point Golf Course
The Pinnacle Point Golf Course is the only golf course that Darren has designed, thus far, which is out with the British Isles. Located on the Southern Coast of South Africa, four hours drive East of Cape Town, Pinnacle Point is a proper 18-hole championship course which was laid out by the South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich along with Darren Clarke, in November 2006, who has said Pinnacle Point is ”…the best golf course on the planet.”
The cliff top Fynbos golf course influences the golfer to play this difficult course with a certain level of respect due to its unbelievable views and tremendous terrain. The course plays to a par of 72 and is inspired by the seven splendid holes which border the Indian Ocean rock cliffs, four of the holes are played over ocean and cliff!
It was also selected as one of the Top Ten New Golf Courses of the World in 2006 by the American publication Travel and Leisure in January 2007.
Each of the holes at Pinnacle Point have been designed to fit the lay of the land and it’s a true testament to the stunning design that this was achieved.
The Angus
The Angus, on the outskirts of Dundee, will be the most recent addition to the golf course portfolio of Darren Clarke. It is due to start construction soon, in the spring of this year, and is to be completed in 2015. The resort will incorporate a luxury 5* hotel, spa and leisure facilities and, of course, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by the man himself.
Darren has commented on the opportunity has been given to design The Angus, “When you first glimpse the landscape where The Angus will take shape, you can’t help but feel you’re somewhere Mother Nature intended for golf. It is a stunning location which, as it matures will become an even more memorable experience.”
Angus Golf Resort will be set in more than 200 acres of spectacular Scottish countryside, and the course will boast a number of tee boxes which will mean that the course will range from 6,300-7,000 yards depending on which you choose to play from. The undulating fairways and gorgeously landscaped greens and bunkers will be strong characteristics of The Angus when it finally commences for play.
The Angus will take inspiration from the very famous neighbouring links at Carnoustie, and although it will be a contemporary design, it will still manage to incorporate all that is cherished and looked for by golfers across the globe, of traditional tracks.
The course will be lined by trees indigenous to the area as well as wild grasses and bushes. It will also be able to boast superb views across the neighbouring countryside – anyone who plays The Angus is guaranteed to feel both inspired and challenged.
The £60 million golf resort will also include elegant holiday lodges, golf club house, golf academy and a private gated community with residential houses overlooking the fairways.
