The golf club that left me speechless!

The golf club that left me speechless!

[Music] Earlier this year, I hopped onto the Stanoline Ferry from Hollyhead to Dublin Port to discover Ireland’s ancient east, and it soon developed into an incredible week on the Emerald Aisle. I discovered some of the most dramatic and spectacular courses I have ever played, and most of which I’ve never come across before. A great mix of the finest Parkland and Lynx golf. I also had the pleasure of meeting some great people along the way. And of course, we sampled Irish hospitality, which meant plenty of Guinness, smithics, and some great food along the way. I even made my way over to Croak Park to see the GAA Irish football final. Over the next few weeks, I will share with you my experience, where I played, where I stayed, and where I visited along the way and let you know how you can do the same. [Music] It was day two of my travels and I was playing and staying at the incredible Keen Castle, a Jack Nicholas signature design that has played host to the Solheim Corp. I had arrived the previous evening and caught a glimpse of a spectacular castle and an equally dramatic golf course. And following a good night’s sleep, it was time to head over to the clubhouse and sample a full Irish and time for a short stroll through the gardens. [Music] It was soon very clear that this place was very special. I think I may have grabbed the best seat in the house. All I need now is a decent golf swing for the day. Right, good morning everyone and welcome to episode two of my well whistle stop tour of Ireland. And as you can see, sun is shining. What a backdrop. I’ve got a guest with me this morning that we’ll talk to later. Started on the back nine and I got to say this place yet again is going to be pretty special. So don’t go anywhere. Whilst they enjoyed a decent start to my day, my guest was another golfer who hits the ball further than I go on my holiday. What do they feed them on in Ireland? This wasn’t slow motion, by the way. The ball did stay in the air that long, but I wasn’t to be phased. Well, not just yet. A decent chip looked like it was a gimme. Right, Cormarmac? Let’s see if we can give it a roll. You pick it up on camera. It’s quite a rise there, isn’t it? Yeah, there’s there’s quite a bit of a turn from the left. I’m probably aiming around your ball here, Andy. Yeah. Roll out. Roll out. There we go. A touch. Oh, almost. Great effort. So com you’re director of golf. Is that correct? Yes sir. And I mean a little bit about Ken Castle. So Khen is it’s a it’s a place we’re really proud of. Um 18 holes. Jack Nicholas Signature Golf Course. Yeah. It opened in 2008. Um almost all holes are are facing back to the castle here which goes back to 1181. Yeah. So there’s been a bit of messing going on around here for a long time. That’s a great backdrop, isn’t it? It really is. Yeah. It’s stunning. Yeah, it is beautiful. The uh the golf course is really really strong too. It’s good fun. Good test of golf and uh every hole is is is pretty unique. Okay. Gives you a pretty unique challenge. It’s just really peaceful out here. It’s a nice place to play golf. Well, we’ve only played a couple. We’ll see how we uh see a little bit more of the golf course. You going to give me that one or have I got to I think we might have to see that one in to go up. Easy game. Yeah. I tell you what, these Irish give you nothing. Nice work, Andy. One up. So, this is par 512. Yeah, you said par five. Yeah, it’s probably my personal favorite on the course. Yeah. Um it’s short enough on paper to tease you into giving it a go, too, if you get a good one away, but there’s a lot of uh a lot of challenges down there around the green. You’ve got a a stream that’s running away from you. Okay. High stone wall keeping the keeping the green protected and a really really deep bunker left of the green. So, so so here you’re going over the bunker. Are you I’m going to try and take it on the pin line which is just over the the last bunker on the fairway. Okay. There is a bit of space left of that though. Yes. A super ball. Wow. So you best today. Come on. So far so good. Andy got to keep the pressure on you visitors. That’s got to be position A is it? Yeah. That’s that’s it should be okay down there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Good swing. Perfect. Yeah, happy with them. Right, so Cormarmac has basically said I’ve got to try for the green here. And his ball, by the way, is a an AB. I’d need a rangefinder to see how far it is away, but 100 yards further than mine, which is a bit embarrassing. I got lucky bounce, Andy. Uh, yeah. I It’s right on my kind of limit in terms of reach, so don’t try and overdo it. And come on. Oh, that might cut to the right hopefully and miss it. Sit down. Oh, it’s a perfect layup. It’s okay. Perfect layup. It’s as good as a good one. Yeah, that’ll do us. What was What What was it off the tea? How far? What’s it play this 500? Um, it’s playing probably a little bit less than that today. That was 303 off the tea. Wow, big dig. So, see if we can claw back that deficit from your uh your birdie on the last. I’m I’m looking for eagle eagle putt here, nice. Stay there. Oh, what a shot. That’s fantastic. That’s how to play the old. Isn’t it funny how a straightforward chip shot, but because the water’s there, it’s just become a bit different. Yeah, it’s uh it’s not there for no reason. And especially I think cuz your ball is there as well. I’ve got no uh this has got to go close. No pressure. Oh, no. I might I got away with that. Oh, you made it. Yeah, that could have been. That’s okay. Now stay there, ball. That could have been a lot worse. The front section of this green is it’s a bit of a ski slope when they get when they get quick. So yours is See my pitch mark here. Yeah. Probably just the the right edge of that as you’re looking at it dies quite a bit at the end. Yeah, we’ll leave that one. Probably wasn’t bad with the uh line. Good. It’s uh it’s a steep slope you’re trying to put up there. But yeah, good part. Let’s see this eagle. Come on. Ah, what a golf ball that is. Well played, bud. Thank you, sir. That’s impressive there. Impressive was an understatement. Driver, eight iron, eagle. An absolute joy to watch. [Music] My short game was still helping me out and the greens were like lightning and Cormarmac continue to pepper the pin followed by 300 yard drives for fun. I was phased. [Music] So, come back. We arrived I arrived late last night and uh got into our room uh within the lodges that are behind us. This morning, I’ve realized a living space and kind of like a Yeah, it’s a great option for perhaps a group or how does that work? Yeah, well, we’ve 26 rooms. So, this is the the latest addition to the property here in Castle. So it’s the first wave of rooms we’ve we’ve brought to market. So we got 26 bedrooms in there. They’re in block of four bed lodges though. So if you’re a leisure guest coming in, you’re single or you’re two ball, you can take a room, but ideally they’re for groups of four or eight guys coming through or eight girls coming through. So you’ve got the four bedrooms in each lodge in your common area and living space. Share all that space downstairs. I got that this morning. Yeah, it’s a great idea. Kind of got the home from home setting. Yeah. So it gives you that that lodge feel while giving you all the comforts of a you know of a hotel property as well. Yeah. And we we talked about it earlier over breakfast. I’m going to have a look later on this afternoon, but you’ve got practice area um in terms of top tracer range and then Dave Pel’s practice area as well. Yeah. So, we’ve got the short game academy and the long game academy. So, we’re we’re blessed with all the the amenities we have here for guests. So, if you’re playing golf in the morning, you’re hanging out in your lodge in the evenings. You can nip up and and play a virtual virtual game of golf in the top range or you can go and shoot it out around the short game. Take a few beers down there. Yes, sir. No one’s leaving, are they? No. It’s a nice nice way to hang out. Absolutely. Yeah, a strong par three. Was that 15? 16 there. 16. Good old lady. The golf ball would have killed me. It’s cost me more than that. Yeah, absolutely. That was a uh a tough one, but a great par three. I was just going to ask you about uh Turnan. Now he’s not here. Uh we we all this for us has been organized through uh Club Choice and uh like the detail is fantastic. Yeah, Tieran’s great. He’s somebody you’d use a lot, is it? Yeah, he he sends a lot of guests our way. Um he he’s one of the more active operators, so he really does take his time to get to know the properties he’s sending people to. Get to know the people here as well. That kind of personal touch goes a long way, doesn’t it? Great. And he he hosts a lot of groups, too. So he’s he’s very hands-on with his group. It’s a great bit of comfort if you’re bringing over group of golfers from from overseas and you’ve got that peace of mind that you know the guy who’s working with you, he’s he’s really looking after you, too. super shot that is [Music] beauty. Yeah, it’s perfect. Oh, what a golf hole. 17 is probably um my personal favorite so far. Um but this back n has been absolutely incredible. Um, but yeah, just a real kind of uh tease you off the tea. It’s uh they got a decent one away and then it leaves a fairly short iron in, but then the green is well protected as they all have been and there’s a heck of a lot of movement in it as well. But then when you look back and uh see where we came from, yeah, just an absolute belter. I got to say, I mean, the the uh at this stage I’ve only played uh the back now about to play 18 now. Uh enjoyed every single golf hole and we’ll get out and have a look at the the front nine. But uh yeah, top draw. Absolutely. You know, I mean, you can’t pick fault in this kind of stuff. My week’s golf tour was organized by the team at Club Choice Island. They put together tailored golf tours that match your golf course preferences, hotel accommodation, ferry travel, food, and budget. Every detail is covered, and a very personable approach is very evident, ensuring your perfect golf tour is beyond expectation. This is Turnan, who is the MD at Club Choice. A great guy who is always on hand and taking care of our schedule. He isn’t too shabby with the sticks, so if he offers to take you on for a few quid, I’d keep you euros in your pocket. If you’re planning a trip to Ireland, then I would highly recommend contacting Club Choice and utilize their expert knowledge to build you a golf tour that you won’t forget anytime soon. More details on how to follow in my footsteps can be found in the description below. Back Complete. First of all, thanks for your company. Uh pleasure to watch you play. Some great shots there. Really, really good stuff. Really well-designed course in it, to Yeah, he’s done a great job. Yeah, he he personally designed it as one of his signature courses. Very hands-on in the the build process. So yeah, um we we’ve got the benefit of it today. Yeah, great. Absolutely fantastic. So, uh the way I’ll carry on is we’re going to have a look at the the kind of the practice area and and everything else around uh Khen Castle and uh I’ll be playing the front nine tomorrow mornings. That was one of the most enjoyable nine holes of golf for some time. And with a few hours to spare, I decided to take a short drive to the town of Trim, which is home to the aptly named Trim Castle. It was also a location for the filming of Braveheart. Lovely little scenic town to spend some time in between rounds if you can drag yourself away from the Killing Resort. [Music] We had dinner booked at the 16 restaurants at Killing Castle, which was every bit as good as it looks. All ready for day two and the front nine. So early the next morning, 10:00 a.m. T, I’ve got a different dance partner for the front nine. Philip will be joining us very shortly. Have a few practice puts and uh see if we can start to hone our short game. Ready for another great day at Colleen. If you notice the different shades of the green. Yes. Where the grass is running in a different direction. All right. Okay. And uh that has to be considered when you’re when you’re taking your putts. I’ve always heard that in uh in in America you see a lot of the different grass types as well, don’t you? From the rough and play different ways. Yeah. Unfortunately, I’m a bit onedimensional, so I’ll follow your I’ll follow your lead. That’s what I’ve been told is actually better though, you know. Slow down. Slow down. Heavy. Well, how’s Andy? Uh, it’s okay. Yeah. Save you. We’ve This will be a good par after my terrible T-shot. Yeah. That’s it. That’s it. That’s it. Just just about enough. Well done. Two’s a really good hole, I would say. That’s uh Well, that water down the left hand side off the tea box is a little unnerving. It certainly is. But a bit of a chance as well. Uh in terms of trying to make birdie, I think on a as a par five should be. Yeah. See how this goes. I think this is going to be a bit tricky putt. Bit slippery. Bit slippery indeed. Pace is everything. You have the pace there, Andy. Go, baby. Go, baby. Not too bad. It was edging ever closer, wasn’t it? Go, baby. That’s very nicely done. Very nice. Oh, just carried that little rise as well. I think it is. Yeah. Nice. Very good. Very good. But the castle definitely uh Andy is a jewel in the crown. Yeah. And as you can see the backdrop, it is in fantastic condition. And a lot of work has gone on both externally and internally within the castle. And uh we have got designs on that castle in terms of the development of accommodation. And I’m glad to report we now have um uh planning permission granted for 43 bedrooms in the castle. Uh so we’re gearing up for the development of that castle and we’re hopeful that we will get that underway now in the next uh number number of months. So that’s the plan. Oh, fantastic. All going well. So we need to come back. Definitely. [Music] So, the shore game was still doing its best to bail me out and the greens were running pure and quick. Water hazards are never too far away at Khan. I’m pleased to say I managed to keep my ball dry this morning. But would that still be the case following the next hole up? [Music] I had a sneak look at this one last night. Um, and it’s a very severe dog leg left to right. Yes. Again, a risk and reward, isn’t it? It’s very much so. Yeah. You go you go tight here, you’ll be in the water, right? Uh you’ve got the the ring fort uh that guards the the main um fairway here. Again, you know, the the lower handicappers can take that on and it and it lands in the center of the fairway. Most though take on the the go down the left. Yeah. Well, Philip, first of all, thanks for your company and stay ground. Enjoyed that. Thank you very much indeed. Sunshiny, enjoyable nine holes, all square in the end. And uh we shall no doubt be back in Ken Castle at Sunday in the future. I look forward to seeing the development of this castle as well. That should be gone. You’re very welcome, Andy. Look forward to seeing you there. Enjoyed it a lot. Thanks very much. Okay. In next week’s episode, we move on to some of Ireland’s finest links golf as we feature not one but two golf courses that are neighbors alongside the Irish Sea. Set your alarms for next Monday at 8:00 p.m. You don’t want to miss a single minute.

It was day two of my tour of Irelands Ancient East and I was blown away by Killeen Castle Golf Club and its accommodation. This is a top class venue that has hosted the Solheim Cup and it is easy to see why. A Jack Nicklaus design which is an absolute pleasure to play.

My trip was organised by the team at Club Choice Ireland and they are ready and waiting to build your bespoke golf tour. Contact the Tiernan and the team at

Home

Subscribe to The Average Golfer for FREE now – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwfGb-FXG66ZCRrS-VMc4oA?sub_confirmation=1
———————————————————————

Stewart Golf Trolley Aff Link – https://stewardgolfuk.sjv.io/c/5384975/982136/12914

———————————————————————

Join The Average Golfers Club:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwfGb-FXG66ZCRrS-VMc4oA/join

———————————————————————

AG caps and merchandise – https://www.theaveragegolfer.co.uk/merch

Links:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/averagegolfer99/
Twittter – https://twitter.com/AverageGolfer99
Website – https://www.theaveragegolfer.co.uk/
Media enquiries – averagegolfer99@gmail.com

———————————————————————

Just an Average Golfer giving unbiased opinions on all things golf, product tests, Golf travel vlogs and golf news!