Galway
Bay Golf & Country Club is laid out on the picturesque
Renville Peninsula, one of the most historic sites in the
west of Ireland. The golf course is literally peppered with
historic remains including the mystical Rathnapours ring fort,
an ancient fairy fort and ruins dating back to the 16th century.
The
Atlantic Ocean washes the Galway Bay Golf & Country Club
on three sides, yet the course is very much of parkland terrain.
Set on nearly 300 acres, the water hazards and rolling landscape
of Galway Bay combine with manicured fairways and acclaimed
putting surfaces to ensure a true but fair test of golf. A
notable absence of trees, a characteristic of many seaside
courses, leaves the course exposed to the elements and places
a premium on shot making skills.
Feature
holes include the par 3 7th, which demands a confident tee
shot over a lake onto a two tiered green. Rated as the most
difficult hole on the course, the par 4, 12th hole requires
a well hit drive into the prevailing wind and an accurate
approach to the green. The 178 yard 13th hole was described
by Gary Player as one of the finest par 3's he has ever seen
or played.
In
1994 the course was chosen as the venue for the Irish Professional
Championship. In windy conditions Darren Clarke captured the
title with a three under par total of 285. In August 1999 Constantino
Rocca won the inaugural West of Ireland Classic, with a winning
score of 276, nine shots less than Clarke's but played in relatively
benign conditions. A true reflection of the effects of the weather
on this wonderful course.