| Although the country of Scotland has long been | | | | round. |
| acknowledged as the birthplace of the game of | | | | Faldo's dramatics so impressed the British golfing |
| golf, the Emerald Isle to its west has become a | | | | public that his golfing design company was hired to |
| bastion of golf in its own right. The rolling terrain, | | | | make improvements to the Old Course. One of |
| magnificent ocean views, and pristine landscapes | | | | the most impressive results of his efforts is the |
| of Ireland have made it a golfing vacation | | | | course's fifth hole, were elevated green 190 |
| destination for millions of links lover from around | | | | yards off the tee is surrounded by massive sand |
| the globe. | | | | dunes. |
| One of Ireland's true golf magnets is the Ballyliffin | | | | The popularity of the Old Course at Ballyliffin |
| Golf Club, located on the northwest coast of | | | | became such a demand for a second course led |
| Donegal. The Ballyliffin Golf Club is home to two | | | | to the 1995 opening of neighboring Glashedy Links. |
| distinct but equally remarkable golf courses, the | | | | The 7200-yard Glashedy Course at Ballyliffin |
| older of which was established as a nine hole | | | | possesses enormous bunkers vast greens with |
| course shortly after the end of World War II. The | | | | slopes to challenge the boldest of golfers. Both |
| Old Course at Ballyliffin began as a labor of love, | | | | the Old Course and are whipped by north Atlantic |
| with its members themselves tending to its | | | | winds and blessed by panoramic views of the |
| greens and mowing its fairways. | | | | Inishowen Coast and Pollan Bay which make even |
| Their lack of resources, however, eventually | | | | the most frustrated golfers feel blessed to play |
| forced the members of the Old Course to | | | | the game. |
| reconsider their commitment. They had leased the | | | | The par-3 7th hole at Glashedy requires a drive |
| lands on which the course was built, and had the | | | | off a tee situated one hundred feet above the |
| owners of the land not agreed to extend the | | | | green, and the course's par-5 13th has already |
| lease, The Old Course at Ballyliffin might now be a | | | | earned a reputation as one of the most |
| housing development. | | | | challenging part five this in all of Ireland. The |
| But with their newly extended lease, and an | | | | Glashedy course is not only a staggeringly |
| association with the Irish Christian Brotherhood | | | | beautiful piece of real estate, but a marvelous |
| which help them attract a growing membership | | | | test of golfing skills. Its growing reputation has |
| and a stronger revenue base, he members of the | | | | earned the right to host both the 1998 Ladies |
| Old Club at Ballyliffin were close to owning the | | | | Irish Open and the 2002 North West of Ireland |
| land outright by the early 1960s. The next | | | | Open. |
| decades saw many more upset downs in the | | | | Playing a round of golf at Ballyliffin may leave you |
| fortunes of the Old Club. During the 1970s it was | | | | feeling as if you have transcended a normal |
| moved to a larger tracts of land and transformed | | | | golfing experience and entered the realm of the |
| into an 18 hole course. Its future was secured in | | | | surreal. No golf vacation in Ireland is complete |
| 1993 when the world's top player, Nick Faldo, | | | | without a trip to the Ballyliffin Golf Club. |
| dropped to the course from a helicopter to play a | | | | |