The European Golf Club
Brittas Bay,
Wicklow, Ireland
Tel : +353 (04)04 47415 Fax : +353 (0)1 280 8457
A links course which tumbles through tall sand dunes and overlooks the Irish Sea. Designed an owned by Pat Ruddy who has also designed several other famous Irish Golf Courses.
Ranking achieved as at August 1998! No.6 In Ireland per Irish Golf institute; No.27 In Britain and Ireland per Golf Monthly; No.25 In world per Golf Magazine.
Directions
N11 south from Dublin, pas villages of Ashford and Rathnen, (by pass Wicklow Town) to jack White's Inn. Left into Brittas bay and right to Links. 35 miles from Dublin city centre.
Further Information
Trolley hire available. Practice and restaurant facilities. Societies arranged by Sidon Ruddy or Gerald Ruddy.
Course Details
| Course Name: European Holes: 18 Yardage: 6800 SSS: 71 |
| The Links of The European Club presents a stunning golf and visual experience as it tumbles through almost 200-acres of glorious sand dunes and runs along the beach on Ireland's lovely east coast just south of Dublin. This is the first links to have been built on Ireland's east coast this century. An important happening in view of the fact that only 150 of the world's almost 40,000 golf courses are links! Links golf is, of course, the original of the species and all other courses are modelled on the natural principles of linksland play … bunkers, mounding and fast running greens. The European Club has been designed to be the greatest links of the 21st century and great care has to be taken to move links design into new age with great sensitivity to the traditions and skills of linksland golf. Blind shots are notably absent at The European Club but all the thrills of pitch-and -run golf, pot bunkers of cavernous proportions, tall dunes and the opportunity to slice your ball onto the beach provided for an unforgettable round. For an appreciation and independent view of this course please see golfer reviews. 
press here for The European Golf Club course reviews |
Helen Brown wrote on: Jul 11, 2011
Do you offer clubs for hire? We will be playing in September and need a set of men's and a set of women's clubs.
Thank you
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jacques henry wrote on: Dec 21, 2005
hello
is it possible to play The European on saturday 15 april 2006 in the morning for three players (hcp 9 11 and a professional PGA)
thank you for your response
J.HENRY
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a walker wrote on: Jan 29, 2009
can you kindly let me know if you have any reciprocal arrangements with oter golf clubs..( member at Royal belfast GC).thank you
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Greg Kennedy wrote on: Jul 18, 2005
I'm coming with a group of eight on Sept.10th. What will the weather be like for that time of year at the European Club, Old Head, Carton House, Tralee, Waterville and surrounding courses??
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John Devlin wrote on: Jun 8, 2005
To the Ruddy's. I hope you are prepared for the Devlin's this afternoon. \we love our course. Do you have shower facilities for us\/ \we need to know. We are at the \merrion, but ifyou can quickly respondto this note, we would be delighted. \devlin
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Mesut Naibi wrote on: Jun 7, 2005
I played The European Club, October 2003..
This was the best course I have ever played in my life , all over the world...!!!
I am still dreaming to be there again and enjoy the game..
Hope before I die, visit the European and play the course once again..
Mr. Pat RUDDY, this a very special golf course..
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adam wrote on: Nov 16, 2004
I played this course a couple of years ago and it is the best track I've ever seen. Particularly like the 100 yard long green and the long par five next to the sea.
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Alan Hammond wrote on: Jul 25, 2004
I played this great golf course with my dad a few years ago and was extemely impressed with the course, it is a true test of golfing ability. This course will give your game a real test, if your game fails the test then all is not lost as the views on most of the holes are breathtaking. A great course!!
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hyun wrote on: Jul 2, 2004
I played this course during the same week I played at Druids Glen with 2 friends (from Canada, we are all from Montreal, Canada) and 1 friend who I met while I stayed in Lucan, County Dublin.
We got there for 10:30am tee-off time, it was raining but playable so we started playing. By the time we reached 3rd hole weather got cleared up and it turned out to be a beautiful day, except for the strong wind (then again I was playing at the true links course).
It was tough. I mean very tough. I was about handicap 8 at that time (with a friend of mine handicap 2) and we both shot low 90s that day.
Along with Druids Glen course, I am dreaming about going back to Ireland and playing there again.
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Tom McEneny wrote on: Apr 19, 2004
The wind was blowing 40 mph and the wind chill was about 35 degrees...but I still had a blast! I came off 18 almost laughing with joy(maybe it was relief that I had finished) at the uniqueness of this track. This is a GREAT golf course. I have played 20 rounds so far this year(mostly in the states) and have played for 30 years and nothing I've played compares to the memorable holes at European. The holes on the Irish Sea are awesome and the others just as beautiful. This is a HARD golf course. I had never before played a "true" links course but I would play here again anytime. I think it waas 50 Euros which was a great value. If you are in Dublin or are going to play in Ireland...this is a MUST play. I hope to be back one day!
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Mike Woodard wrote on: Dec 6, 2003
Me and two of my friends went on a week long trip to Ireland to golf in May of 2000. The first time any of us had been to Ireland.
Our first round of the trip was at the European Club. No warmup, straight to the tee as we had underestimated the driving time from Dublin. My friend Scott won the honors and had to tee off in front of a couple of groups of locals. He lined it right up the middle to the sound of golf claps coming from the men behind us. Quite a memory. Quite a great course.
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Dave Preston wrote on: Nov 6, 2003
I played this magnificent course as a member of a 15 strong golf society in September 2003.
Having played Ballbunnion, Waterville, Tralee etc on the South West Coast, I can honestly say that for a test of golf, only Waterville comes anywhere near The European.
Pat Ruddy was our starter, and having given advice on how to approach the course, uttered "That's all I can do for you, boys, you're in the hands of The Lord now!"
A magnificent test of golf, as the brochures say, bring your best game with you. Even if you don't, you really can marvel in the surroundings and the brutal majesty of the course.
I know from experience that a lot of American and European golfers visit the South West Coast of Ireland for the links courses, but this place is just as much worth the visit.
I don't like to rank courses alongside each other, each has it's own beauty and quirks etc, The European is as good as you'll play in the world.
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Paul J. Zingg, Arroyo Grande, California May 15, 2001. wrote on: Nov 30, 2000
Located at Brittas Bay, about 40 miles south of Dublin, The European Club sits among the sea grasses and dramatic dunes of a muscular stretch of coastline that readily conjures up images of Waterville and Ballybunion. It is, as designer/owner Pat Ruddy states, a 'test for real golfers.' And it deserves its high ranking, earned in less than
ten years of play.
All linksland courses are not great, but they are unique -- unique in design, location and, perhaps most importantly, the window they provide on the origins and nature of golf. Wandering through the gorse and dunes-bounded valley of the 17th at The European Club, a golfer can experience a sense of seclusion that has an eerie timelessness about it.
The tempered steel-shafted club in hand is hardly a shepherd's old wooden crook. But, in this place, it is easy to imagine the company of some ancient striker who found similar joy in launching some object towards a distant target. Links gold affords this communion and The European Club does not disappoint. Don't miss it!
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Dallas Bryan, Canada, hdcp 13 wrote on: Feb 29, 2000
On my next two trips the weather was great. Both times it was right around 20 degrees Celsius, sunny, and with a fun 2-3 club wind. On my last trip their Mr. Ruddy served as the starter, as there was a group that wanted to get their round in before the FA Cup final started. Apart from that occasion I've never seen the course have more than 25 people on it.
The course itself is a delight to play; however, it can be tough and if your not playing well its best to concede shooting a good score and just enjoy yourself. There isn't a throwaway hole on the entire course. The par 5 3rd, par 3 6th, par 4 17th and the ocean holes are my favourites. The 18th a par 4 of 425yds, while not a typical links hole, certainly makes for a strong finish.
Its all there at The European Club. Every aspect of world class links golf is represented in an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere, unlike the rushed, tour bus environment at Ballybunion, to say nothing of St. Andrews. So if your going to be in the area its a must play and if your lucky you might even get to talk about the great game of golf with Mr. Ruddy.
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Gary Murray wrote on: Aug 31, 1999
I arrived at the European Club on a calm and cloudless Monday morning in late May of '98, and the ensuing round proved to be a most enjoyable and memorable experience. I went out as a single with just one other player out on the course and the experience of having a world-class golf links virtually to oneself on such a beautiful Irish morning was almost otherworldly. I remember standing on one of the elevated tees, taking in the panorama of the Irish Sea to the left and the distant Wicklow mountains framing rolling pastureland to the right, as a tinker's wagon slowly traversed the nearby road to Arklow....a true delight to the senses.
The course was in fine condition, and I even caught a glimpse of the designer and owner, Mr. Pat Ruddy, tooling about his domain in a white jalopy, stopping here and there to advise grounds crew workers of his wishes. As I sat in the convivial atmosphere of the club house at the end of a perfect day, I overheard a foursome of Swedish golfers chatting excitedly about the round they were about to play. I can only hope that their experience at this wonderful club was half as exhilarating as my own.
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