County Louth

County Louth Golf Club, more affectionately known as ‘Baltray’, is a links course of the highest pedigree which is one of the best in Ireland.

 

It is located in the historic Boyne valley region on the East coast of Ireland, and its proximity to the Irish Sea provides stunning coastal views and a unique links golfing experience. The ever-changing coastal weather conditions adds another element to an already challenging golf course.

County Louth hosted the Irish Open on two occasions during the 2000s. On the latter occasion, held in 2009, the club was etched into Irish golfing history. It was the venue for Shane Lowry's incredible victory as an amateur, and the Irishman still remains the most recent amateur to win on the DP World Tour. 
 

Visit County Louth's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
 

The original course at County Louth Golf Club was laid out by Thomas Gilroy in 1892. There were significant modification in 1938 by Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay, his assistant. Since then, the course has remained relatively unchanged due to the success of these alterations.

The club has been a steadfast host of the prestigious East of Ireland Golf Championships since its inception in 1941. Furthermore, in recent years, it has had the privilege of welcoming the Irish Open on the DP World Tour.

 

Australian Brett Rumford was the victor in 2004, and then five years later, home favourite Shane Lowry did the unthinkable by winning the tournament as an amateur.

 

County Louth is a seaside course of rare consistency, beautifully draped across its landscape, only lightly bunkered and never forced. A number of holes, particularly throughout the back nine, play right by Baltray Beach and overlooking the Irish Sea. There are pleasant surprises around every corner. A satisfying blend of honest-as-the-day-is-long testers on the flatter territory, plus forays into the dunes, a couple of sharp doglegs and some changes in elevation.

The opening holes are exactly what you would want – on a big scale, with generous fairways and welcoming greens – until you reach the par 5 3rd. The second of back-to-back par 5s early on in your round suddenly asks you to play into oblivion, only to find a green with a significant run-off to the left at the bottom of the hill. That is followed by a medium-length par 4 were the tee shot is played to a rolling fairway.
 

The two par 3s on the front nine come at 5 and 7, and both are around the 170-yard mark with a pair of sand traps waiting for anything mishit. In between them sits the third par 5 on the opening half of the layout. The 6th plays as a dog-leg left around the dunes, with a bunker strategically placed on the inside corner. Around the turn, you will play seven consecutive par 4s, but don't expect them to all be the same!

 

Six of the seven are over 400 yards from the tips, starting with the last two challenges on the front nine. 8 moves slightly right, before 9 works the other way; both with an array of fairway bunkers to avoid. The 10th is a sharper dog-leg left, this time with bunkers on the outside corner for you to stay short of from the tee. The 11th is the longest of the lot, pushing past the 470-yard mark from the tips, before you then come the narrow fairway on 12.

 

13 runs along the coastline, with just a large sand dune separating you from Baltray Beach and the Irish Sea. If you can get through that six-hole stretch relatively unscathed, then the 14th and 15th provide some respite. The former is the shortest 4 on the course, while 15 is the last of the short holes. It is 160 yards, and has a trio of bunkers protecting the putting surface.

 

The closing stretch at County Louth is tough. Really tough! It starts with the 16th, a 425-yard par 4 that moves sharply from left-to-right and requires an accurate drive between three fairway bunkers. The penultimate hole is the longest of the par 3s on the course, pushing past the 200-yard barrier. Your final test then comes in the form of the longest hole on the property. The 18th is more than 550 yards, and once again, avoiding the fairway traps is the key. There is also OOB all the way down the right side, just to add to the danger of Baltray's closer.

 

Where is County Louth Golf Club located?
County Louth Golf Club is located in the village of Baltray, on the eastern coastline of the Republic of Ireland. The course overlooks the Irish Sea, with views to the Isle of Man on a clear day across the water. The town of Drogheda is just five miles to the west of the golf club, while the Irish capital city of Dublin is around 35 miles south.

Drogheda is also home to the nearest train station to County Louth, with services running to Dublin and Dundalk through the station. For international visitors, that puts Dublin Airport around the same distance, about an hour's drive from County Louth. 

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Ireland venues nearby?
County Louth's next door neighbour, Seapoint, also occupies a place on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. Headfort's Championship Course and Killeen Castle are both within 30 miles of the venue.

What golf facilities does County Louth offer?  
The club is also home to a six-hole pitch and putt course at the far end of the full-length driving range, which features both grass and matted tees. There is also a short game area and a separate putting green next to the clubhouse.
 

What are the green fees at County Louth?
The price of a green fee at County Louth Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Baltray, visit their tee booking website here.


Visit County Louth's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.