Bray Golf Club, Co Wicklow
DG IRELAND – TOP150 – 2021
Editor, Kevin Markham
This modern, hillside course slots neatly across the slopes rising up to Bray Head.
The higher you are the more the views into the heart of Wicklow impress, and, when you reach the 11th, those views grow ever more spectacular as you look out across the bay.
There aren’t many trees so it feels quite exposed, especially on the front nine where holes rise in gradual steps but the shapes of the terrain add plenty of character. The back nine’s tempo is different and it wins the battle of the nines with some clever and challenging holes.
The 11th is special but so too is the par five 18th which leads back to a very attractive clubhouse, doglegging through a tight chute of oak trees.
The greens here are big, sweeping and shapely so bring a hot putter.
A brand new par three 4th opened in 2020, while the old 4th becomes a short game area.
Favourite Hole: The signature, short par four 11th remains the stand-out hole as you stand at the top of the course and look at a green across the dip with Dalkey and Howth beyond.
What’s in the Bag? An enjoyment of playing golf across a hillside and the shot-making challenges that entails. Greens are big and slick.