Tiger Woods has returned to golf! As of November 29th, Tiger Woods is back on the scene after his opening round 69 at the Hero World Challenge. Given his storied love of the courses there, and his tendency to prepare for the British Open via helicopter tour around the isle, we thought we’d mark his return with a rundown of some of his (reportedly) favorite golf courses in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Old Head Golf Links, Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland
According to the Irish Tourism Website, Tiger Woods was only able to utter one word when he saw the fog clearing over the 15th hole at Old Head: “Wow.” Located on the southernmost point of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Old Head is one of the most breathtaking locations in the world, and the links course situated on the property are no exception. The par 72 course is situated on 180 acres of an almost-island that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, which you can see from every hole. WIth half the course teeing off overlooking the cliffs, Old Head is renowned for being overwhelming.
Waterville Golf Links, Murreagh, Waterville, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Tiger Woods is a member at Waterville, which should tell you something. The club was started in 1889, and offered cable-layers a modest nine-hole course to relax after a long day of work. In the 1960s, John Mulcahy teamed up with prominent course architect Eddie Hackett with the goal of creating some of the most testing golf links courses ever conceived. They found the layout at Waterville to be perfect, and the new course opened in 1973, incorporating the original nine holes into a polished front nine that eases the player into the more rugged back nine. Waterville is both challenging and beautiful, and it’s no wonder Tiger Woods likes to spend time at this championship-level genuine links course.
European Club, Brittas Bay, Wicklowe, Ireland
Tiger Woods currently holds the record at this links club, having shot a 67 there several years ago. The links course also includes two extra par 3s to let players get in 20 challenging holes, as long as weather conditions allow for it. Of the 20 holes, 19 provide views of the sea, and it’s not a surprise to see a player searching for his ball on the beach itself. Unlike many links courses in Ireland, the European Club was designed relatively recently, opening in 1987, and the Ruddy family who run the property pride themselves on keeping the course up-to-speed with the evolution of the game of golf. Tiger Woods is credited as having said the course provides some great “optical illusions”, as many of the par 4s appear to be par 5s. The private club allows visitors, and bills itself as a “cerebral course”, so bring your thinking cap.
Royal County Down Golf Club, 36 Golf Links Rd, Newcastle BT33 0AN, UK
Home of the 2015 Irish Open, Royal County Down is known for being a tough championship course where Tiger Woods couldn’t break 80 the first time he played it. The course opened in 1889 and was most recently refurbished in 2005. While it hosts fewer professional championships than it once did, it’s still known for being a difficult links course where the pros like to come to challenge themselves. The Annesley Links is also on the Royal County Down property, and while it’s shorter than the Championship Links, it also provides a challenging round of golf set on the Murlough Nature Reserve against the backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne.
The Old Course, St Andrews KY16 9XL, UK
ESPN reports that The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland is Tiger Woods’s favorite golf course of all time, which should come as no surprise to anyone. “The Home of Golf” has hosted most of the championship players in the world over its long history, and has challenged them all with subtlety and nuance not present at other links courses. The wind in particular plays a part in the difficulty of the Championship Links course, and a change in the tide can mean a completely different round. St. Andrews has hosted the British Open Championship more than any other course, at 29 times. Everyone knows the Old Course is a must-play as a pro or an amateur.
Want to play a course Tiger Woods loves? Let us know and we’ll put together the perfect trip.
