The European

The European Club is located on the eastern coastline of the Republic of Ireland, with stunning views over the Irish Sea and across to the Welsh coastline.

Pat Ruddy, the world-renowned Irish architect, was the man behind the design of the golf course at The European Club. Located in tumbling dunes just south of Dublin, it features sweeping sea views from the majority of the 20 holes on the property. 

Yes, you read that right. The European Club has 20 holes. 

There are two extra par 3s at the venue, which can be added onto a normal 18-hole round at the European Club. They are in play most days, affording golfers a 20-hole round. It is also common to see golfers wandering down the beach looking for golf balls, with five of the holes on the course running along the North Sea coastline.


The European Club is currently closed and undergoing redevelopment, with the course expected to reopen in 2027.

Visit The European's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
 

The European Club stands as a testament to the visionary genius of legendary Irish golf course architect Pat Ruddy. Established in 1993, this golfing gem is not merely a course; it is a masterpiece, unquestionably ranking among the premier golfing destinations in all of Ireland.

Throughout its illustrious history, The European Club has graced the global golfing stage by hosting numerous prestigious events. It serves as a revered qualifying venue for the esteemed Open Championship, one of golf's four major championships. 

Pat Ruddy has been known to make continuous improvements to the course, refining it over the years to maintain its reputation as one of the finest links courses in Ireland.
 

The European is a golf course of severe difficulty, especially if you play off a set of tees that are beyond you. It is spectacular beyond belief in certain places, notably on the back nine when a succession of holes runs parallel to the ocean. The course's challenging layout, coupled with the capricious moods of the Irish weather, make it a crucible of golfing prowess, an unforgiving yet exhilarating test of skill for every player fortunate enough to tread its fairways.
 
This is also a course of contrasts and contradictions. Undoubtedly links in character, it begins in a paddock where tropical shrubbery abounds and until several holes have been played you do not get anywhere near the sea. The essence of playing here is that it retains a wild, untamed charm - yet you will not find better greens or more lush fairways at any seaside venue. It is spectacular beyond belief in certain places, notably on the back nine when a succession of holes runs parallel to the ocean.

 

A relatively simple par 4 gets you on your way, before the first of the trio of par 3s at The European. It is the shortest hole on the course, at just 155 yards from the tips, and plays over a quartet of bunkers to a small putting surface. There are only two par 5s on the layout, with the first of those coming at the 3rd. Although it is less than 500 yards, the spliy fairway means that only the very longest of hitters will be able to get home in two.

 

A pair of tricky par 4s, with the 4th also featuring a split fairway, come next, before you take on the challenge of the par 3 6th. 185 yards from the tips, with a burn down the left side of the green, and a large bunker in front - accuracy is vital. What follows is a run of six consecutive par 4s, all of which are more than 400 yards from the tips.

 

7 is the longest of them at almost 480 yards, and played down towards the coastline of the country, before you deal with another split fairway on the 8th. 9 takes you back to the clubhouse, with the 10th running in the opposite direction. Five fairway bunkers are in play off the 10th tee, but at 470 yards, you can't not take driver. 11 is a slight dog-leg left, and again, the key to avoid the fairway traps.

 

The 12th is the last par 4 in this run, and also arguably the most difficult. A total of nine bunkers are in play, before you come to one of the longest greens you will see anywhere in the world. The 12th green is 125 yards long - which means that the hole can be as short as 400 yards, and as long as 520 yards.

 

13 is the longest hole on the course at almost 600 yards from the tips. Starting slightly inland, it takes you back down to the coastline, with the putting surface next to Ardanairy Bay Beach. 14 is the last of the par 3s, and also the longest of the trio at 195 yards. Four bunkers guard what will look like a very small target from the tee box.

The closing stretch at The European is a quartet of par 4s, each getting longer than the last. 15 is a dog-leg left which again, takes you down the coastline, before working your way back in land on the dog-leg right 16th. 17 has one of the wider fairways on the property, and is one of the few holes to not feature any sand. The closing challenge is 480 yards, and moves slightly from right to left. Avoiding the seven fairway bunkers is the key off the tee, along with the U-shaped burn that runs in front of the green.

 

All these idiosyncrasies, and many more, can be attributed to the man who has created The European from scratch, a man who found the site by flying around Ireland in search of virgin linksland. Pat Ruddy is a journalist and course designer of great fame in his native Ireland. Other courses he has designed include the Sandy Hills Course at Rosapenna and the Glashedy Course at Ballyliffin.

The European Club opened in 1993 and to this day Ruddy can still be found out on the links overseeing changes and improvements to his pride and joy. He is clearly an extraordinary man and, since it is so rare to be able to speak to the designer of a true links like this one, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

You have designed a golf course of significant difficulty. What kind of standard do you think a golfer needs to be to play The European competently?
Intelligent golfers - and such a golfer can be found. If they play off the tees that suit their games, play strategic golf rather than aggressive dreamland golf, they will enjoy the game.  But they must realise that when tackling any of our better links they have to hit the ball nicely and in control.

To what extent is it an ambition to see a top professional tournament played at your course?
Zero. We have had our national amateur championships and this year we host the Irish Professional Championship. We're happy to play on and let the future come to us.

Would you describe the whole of the course as a genuine links? I confess to being surprised by the appearance of the opening hole, and indeed the likes of the 5th and 6th. And the tee shot on 17 almost had a continental Europe flavour to it.
100 per cent links. I'm glad you were surprised a bit here and there. It relives the monotony of rabbit scrapes and daisy infestation often found on links. Don't be fooled by odds and bobs of style.

I was intrigued to hear one of your employees saying you "liked to keep the course green". Why would you not allow the conditions to dictate the colour and nature of the course, as at a traditional links course?
I'm not colour-phobic like some people who seem to think that a links has to look brown and mean and shabby. I like healthy grass presented in a way that allows the ball to run fast on landing. It is important to work at presenting nice golfing conditions. Everything is a matter of degree and taste.

Do you see the course as a work in progress that will almost never be finished to your ultimate satisfaction?
I am very, very satisfied with where I am and where the links is. But there are always thoughts and it is one of the pleasures of my life to have the freedom to continue seeking perfection. While there is strength in my body I will be trying to go further forward and I doubt there is a man in a clubhouse in Britain or Ireland who wouldn't enjoy being in the position I am in. But, I assure you, I'm enjoying it and greatly satisfied with life and the links.

I understand that you believe true and natural par 5 to be hard to find in natural linksland, hence the fact there are only two at The European. But surely given the site and the room you had it would not have been impossible to create one or even two more?
Why do you want two more par 5s? We are one of 23 links in Britain & Ireland with two par 5s. Linksland doesn't often offer the sweeps of flat land you find in parkland and all the more so now that a valid par 5 needs to run for 550 yards or more.

Of course, we could build you four or five or six par 5s if we wished. But then it would be unnatural and you wouldn't like that! All that matters is that all the holes are good and that the mathematics fall someplace between par 70 and par 73 or 74.

Is the pin position on the 12th (where the green is over 120 yards in length) dictated by the wind strength and direction, since the hole can play anywhere between, say, 380 and 500 yards in length?
Wind is one of many reasons for moving up and down. People love it either way and we hear lots or shouting from that green as fellows try big putts or have putting contests after playing the hole.

I believe the 36-hole cut to qualify for the matchplay section of the Irish Amateur you held came at 23 over par. Did it please, or vindicate, you that the scores were so high?
Scoring is always bad at amateur championships where they use card and pencil. What I feel doesn't matter. Where these people get their handicaps I do not know! So, scoring in amateur events is much more a commentary on the standard of play and a crazy handicap system than it is on my links or any other.

That having been said we had a gale blowing in the second qualifying round but the best players all qualified and the two best players in the field got to our final with Rory McIlroy beating Simon Ward. The others have to chase them and a better game. One last point... Tiger Woods knocked it around in 67 off the very back tees in a decent wind.

The conditioning of the course is exceptional. For a designer who sometimes seems, may I say, unsympathetic to the plight of the modern golfer, why is it important to you that the course is so pristine?
I have played enough bad golf to have extreme regard and sympathy for my fellow players. In fact, I think that everyone who plays deserves the same effort at presentation of the links by us as would the professionals in a big event. Why treat those who pay to play worse than those who are paid to play?

Which courses in the British Isles, apart from those that you have designed yourself, do you particularly admire?
I love Royal Birkdale and Turnberry and almost cry every time I go to St Andrews.

How much, if any, linksland do you believe remains in the British Isles that could be made into golf courses?
Quite a bit.  But they are unlikely to be allowed happen. Which is a pity.

Would you agree that walking on to the 1st tee, with lots of plants and trees and general greenery around, is a surprising experience?
I have always enjoyed going to the first tee at places like Royal County Down and Royal Lytham where there is a lovely garden feel before one sets out into the dunes. I have never liked having the door almost blown off the car in a links car park and I have had some bleak days on exposed putting greens. It is nice to have shelter and beauty around you as you prepare for the battle with the beast!
 
I also love the occasional stand of timber around most links as they afford a bit of visual variety, give shelter from sudden showers and are useful shields when nature calls.
 

Where is The European Club located?
The European Club is located on the eastern coastline of Ireland, overlooking Ardanairy Bay Beach and the Irish Sea. It is situated in County Wicklow, around halfway between the towns of Arklow and Wicklow on the eastern coast. The Irish capital city of Dublin is around 40 miles to the north of The European Club.

 

Arklow and Wicklow both have their own train stations, along with Rathdrum which is inland. All three are on the same train line, with services running between Rosslare and the Irish capital. Dublin Airport is the nearest and biggest airport in the country, with international flights departing and arriving daily. The airport is based to the north of the city, making it around a 45-mile drive from the venue.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Ireland venues nearby?
The European is the southernmost of those on the eastern coastline of the country that sit on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. Druids Glen and the West Course at Powerscourt are both within 30 miles to the north. Carlow and Royal Curragh are both also within 50 miles from The European Club.

What golf facilities does The European Club offer?  
As we've mentioned already, The European Club is a venue that has 20 holes. There is also a full-length driving range at the eastern side of the property, along with a short game area and putting green for the final touches.
 

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

 

However, The European Club is currently closed and undergoing redevelopment, with the course expected to reopen in 2027.

Visit The European's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.