Set on 840 lush acres of the Adare Manor Estate, Adare Golf Club was designed by legendary golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and offers a magnificent parkland layout. From his first perception of Adare Manor as having all the flavour of Augusta National, he has created a true masterpiece and one of the leading parkland golf courses in Ireland.

The Adare Manor Estate has a long history but was purchased in 1987 by the Kane family of Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. Major work on the Manor ensued and the golf course opened for play in August 1995. Measuring over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, Adare Golf Club is an American styled course, with rock walled streams, subtly undulating greens and Jones' signature cloverleaf bunkers. A 14 acre lake dominates the outward nine holes while the River Maigue meanders its way through a densely wooded back nine. Its testing design and manicured greens have already assured Adare Golf Club's position as one of the finest Irish inland golf courses.

Water comes into play at ten holes, including the opening two, which are menaced by a meandering little stream waiting to punish wayward approach shots. This is nothing however, compared to the huge lake, which anchors the front nine holes. It cleverly protects the right hand side of the par 5, 7th where the fun is in cutting off as much as the hazard as possible without actually entering a watery grave. And so it continues every hole is a worthy challenge.

The closing stretch at Adare is particularly challenging. Precision is essential on the relatively short par 4, 15th, while on the short 16th, you are confronted with a lake between the tee box and green, located some 170 yards away. The 17th is a superb hole, which requires a threaded drive through mature trees. Trent Jones sees the closing hole at Adare as one of the finest finishing holes in golf a potential birdie hole and card wrecker at the same time. At 510 yards in length, two well hit shots to the fairway will leave a tantalizing pitch to a narrow green. For those who fancy getting home in two, remember it's a potential card wrecker.

Text provided by Online Golf Travel Tailored Golf Vacation throughout Scotland and Ireland