The European Club is located in County Wicklow, the ‘Garden of Ireland', and along with Doonbeg, it is among the best links courses to be built in recent decades. Built by the highly regarded Pat Ruddy, The European Club has been compared favourably with Kyle Phillips' phenomenal Kingsbarns creation and spans similarly colossal sand dunes.

There are a lot of things that make The European Club one of the most unique courses in golf. Pat Ruddy initially designed and built this epic links layout as a private play thing of sorts, something for him, his family and friends to enjoy, but open completion of the course he realised it would be a crime not to share something so special with the general golfing public.

Just 30-40 minutes south of Dublin, The European Club is just one of many world-class courses laid down by Ruddy, who you could argue is the godfather of golf in Ireland, boasting other such layouts as Druids Glen, the Glashedy Course at Ballyliffin, and the epic Sandy Hills Course at Rosapenna. This list could go on and on, but you get the point; if you seen Pat Ruddy’s name associated with a golf course, you know you’re in for a treat.

What else makes this ruggedly beautiful Brittas Bay bombshell worth including on a tour of Wicklow and perhaps Ireland’s capital as well?