The K Club (Palmer South)

The Palmer South Course (originally the Smurfit Course) at the K Club is an 18-hole layout with tournament pedigree.  Designed by the great Arnold Palmer, the Palmer South Course is the inland links layouts at the resort, and has played host to the European Tour on multiple occasions.  The K Club is lucky to also have a second stunning course – the Palmer North Course – which was the host of the 2006 Ryder Cup.  You can view our full piece on the K Club Resort here. Visit The K Club's website here. Go back to the NCG's Top 100s Homepage.

The estate dates to the 1830s, but golf was not brought to the K Club until 1991, following the purchasing of the land by the Jefferson Smurfit Group.  The Palmer North Course and Palmer South Course were both designed by the great Arnold Palmer, opening following the purchase and the renovation in the early 1990s.  The Palmer South Course hosted the Smurfit European Open on the European Tour three times in the mid-2000s. Retief Goosen, Stephen Dodds and Colin Montgomerie were the three men to be victorious on the layout.

The Palmer South Course plays as the inland links course at The K Club, with several water hazards in play throughout a round. The course sits to the south of the River Liffey, on the opposite side of the river to the Palmer North Course. From the championship tees, the Palmer South pushes to almost 7,300 yards, but thankfully for us amateurs, there are 6,900-yard and 6,400-yard options as well.  The opener tees off over the first of those water hazards, and features a large fairway bunker on its left side. Three more small, circular bunkers guard the green. The 2nd is the first of the short holes, and the tee shot has to carry to the green on this 175-yard par 3 thanks to a bunker sitting in front of the putting surface. The 3rd is the longest hole on the course, pushing over 600 yards from the championship tees. There is sand left and water right off the tee, so accuracy is required to find the fairway. Lay up your second shot to the right of the large bunker before the hole turns left towards the green. Three solid shots can yield a birdie chance. The 4th is a birdie chance, a medium-length, dog-leg right par 4. Cover the two bunkers on the inside corner to find the fairway, and to provide yourself with the best angle and view of the green, one protected by water on its right. 5 and 6 are both length par 4s. The former moves slightly to the left, while the 6th turns right around bunkers. Water comes into play again on the par 5 7th, while the River Liffey looms if you go too long of the green.  The shortest hole on the Palmer South is the 8th. At just 140 yards, this is a low-to-mid iron, but accuracy is required to what is a shallow target. The 9th takes you back to the clubhouse with a dog-leg left around the Liffey. Aim your tee shot at the bunker on the right of the fairway for safety, before needing to avoid water once again with your approach shot. The 10th is a gettable par 5. It has one of the more generous fairways on the property, The green does sit next to another of the water hazards on the course, and needs something safe to give yourself a birdie chance. 11 is a birdie chance, and one of the shorter par 4s on the course. The green is shallow, and requires an accurate approach. The 12th is a long par 3 (more than 210 yards from the tips), and again, it is a wide but shallow green to attack. A quartet of par 4s take you through the middle part of the back nine. The 13th deals with water throughout, with the tee shot being played across a hazard to a narrow fairway. The same hazard then runs down the right side of the cut grass, before cutting back across the fairway in front of the green. 14 is a sharp dog-leg left played around a large bunker, while the tee shot on 15 is played over water once more. The 16th is also difficult, with water on the left of the fairway throughout. The same hazard then winds its way in front of the green, making a long approach even more difficult. The penultimate hole is a lengthy par 3, and once again, the drink is in play. It is all carry to get your approach on 17 to the green, while bunkers also sit either side of the putting surface. The closing hole on the Palmer South Course is a lengthy par 5, and plays as a true three-shotter. Thanks to the angle of the tee shot, it is played over water to a narrow landing zone. Then, find the right distance for your lay up, before hitting your third shot to an island green. Keep it dry and you'll be smiling!

Michael Atkinson: I personally preferred the Palmer South to the Palmer North Ryder Cup course. Certainly, as challenging with beautiful water features and some great carries over the ponds

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Where is The K Club located?  
The K Club is located just outside the village of Straffan in Ireland, on the banks of the River Liffey. The resort is situated 20 miles west of Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, and just five miles from the M4 which runs west from the capital city.   There has not been a train station in Straffan since the late 1940s. Instead, the nearest stations are Sallins & Naas or Hazelhatch and Celbridge, both of which are around five miles by road from the resort. Thanks to its proximity to the nation’s capital, Dublin Airport is therefore the closest international airport to The K Club. It is just over 20 miles from the resort and the busiest airport in the country. How many courses are at The K Club?
The K Club is home to two courses, both of which are named after Arnold Palmer. They are the Palmer North and the Palmer South - the latter formerly being named the Smurfit. Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Ireland venues nearby?
Carton House - home to the Montgomerie Course - is just eight miles to the north of the K Club. Royal Curragh, Killeen Castle and Powerscourt (West), along with the plethora of clubs on the Dublin coastline, are all within 30 miles.
What golf facilities does The K Club offer?  
Along with two championship golf courses, The K Club also has K Club World, which provides the perfect indoor practice facilities via simulators. Practice, games and more are available on the indoor simulators, which can be booked out by the hour. 
What are the green fees at The K Club?  
The price of a green fee at The K Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. There are also stay & play packages available at the resort.   For more information on current green fees at The K Club, visit their website here.   You can view our full piece on the K Club Resort here. Visit The K Club's website here. Go back to the NCG's Top 100s Homepage.