It’s one of Ireland’s most famed links which is loved by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, but you won’t be able to play it next year…
Tiger Woods holds the course record there, and Rory McIlroy describes it as “probably the best links course I have ever played”, but The European Club will close its doors for the entirety of 2026 for redevelopment.
The club, which is situated around 50 miles south of Dublin in County Wicklow on Ireland’s east coast, was founded by renowned course designer Pat Ruddy in 1987 before he sold it to Raymond and Nicky Conlan for a deal worth around $40 million earlier this year.
Now the father and son duo, who made their fortunes in motor dealership, will oversee “significant investment to create a new and different golfing offering” that will include “a major redevelopment of the grounds and facilities” in a bid to “stand alongside the very best destinations internationally”.
A letter from the new owners to the club’s membership, which was published by the Irish Mirror, said that current operations will cease from December 8.
“We would expect to open the new golf club in late spring 2027,” it added.
“At a future stage, current members will be given the opportunity to join the new offering.
The European Club – which ranked in TG’s Top 100 Golf Courses in the World – has previously hosted the Irish Amateur Championship in 2006, won by McIlroy.
“This is probably the best links course I have ever played,” the now five-time major champion said at the time. “And I include Royal St. George’s, Royal Portush, and Royal County Down in that.
“It’s just the definition to it with the sleepers in the bunkers. It is totally unbelievable. I love courses where you really have to think your way around. It gets me focussed much more.”
After shooting a course-record, Woods described Ruddy’s layout as “a great links”, adding: “What wonderful optical illusions. I thought some of those par-4s were par-5s.”
Padraig Harrington also has fond memories of The European, which hosted the Irish PGA Championship three years in a row from 2007, all of which were won by the two-time Open champion. Both his Claret Jug titles came in the week after his homeland win.
“There is no question that there were shots at The Open that I was better at because I had played links golf at The European Club the week before,” Harrington said.
Upon completing the purchase of the club in May, Conlan Jr said the aim was “to build a world-class golfing facility that the people of Wicklow and Ireland can be proud of”.
He added: “With that, we would want to attract golfers from all over the world to earmark The European Club as a bucket list golf destination.
“We have a lot of work to do to get there. The ancillary stuff – the clubhouse and the golfer experience – that’s something we see huge growth potential in.
“Where we are at the moment is we’re analysing every part of the golfing experience – from the moment people drive through the gate until the moment they leave. If there is any way we can improve any aspect of that, that is our intention.”
