Ireland Self Drive Golfing Holidays

Ok! You have booked you hire car with Airport Rent a Car Ireland. What to do next? Well, here are couple of suggestions. Remember, these are just my personal opinions but every time I have returned to Ireland, they have worked well for me. Have you booked your flight into Dublin Airport? If you have, here is a good starting point, change you flight in to Shannon or Cork or Galway or Belfast straight away. Yes Dublin is great but there is a lot more to the country than just one city. It's better to get out into the heart of things and see what the rest of the country looks like. This page is all about the places that you wont find in the glossy brochures but because of that the have maintained their charm. With the Ryder Cup taking place at the K Club in Straffan County Kildare this September 2006 seems to have officially been anointed the Irish Year of the Golf! That in itself is not such a bad thing. Golf and Ireland are a great match and a great place for us to start on our little journey. So lets say that we are arriving in Shannon, we get off of our Aer Lingus or Ryanair flight ready for the challenges ahead. First step is to collect the Hire Car from Airport Rent a Car Ireland. No surprises there, great car. Great value, great service and we are good to go. But where to? There are so many choices. From Rosses Point up North to Fota Island outside Cork, even Shannon Golf Club itself, visible from the plane as you land, the choices are endless. East is my option and off we go, out of Shannon, through Bunratty, onto Limerick, through the City itself and out onto the N24. 40 minutes later and we are two miles from Tipperary Town and have pulled up outside the Ramada at Ballykisteen. This 6765 metre Championship golf course designed by Ryder Cup Vice-Captain Des Smith was built about 15 years ago and following extensive renovations last year is now just beginning to mature and blossom. Set in beautiful scenic surroundings with the Galtee Mountains as a backdrop and with lakes and streams featuring on 12 holes, Ballykisteen Golf Course is sure to be memorable as both a challenging and beautiful golfing experience. Packed with signature holes such as the par 4 8th, the par 3 15th and the par 5 18th there are no real easy holes but in saying that nothing that is unfair. Off course facilities include the driving range, restaurants, 2 bars 4 star accommodation and spa.