Brittas Bay Ireland (January 21, 2026):
Early summer 2025 was marked by the news that Irish business man Raymond Conlan and his family purchased the European Club, once recognized as one of the best golf courses in the world. Conlan is pleased to announce today a new future for the property as the Brittas Bay Club with plans to re-establish it among the top golf courses in the world.
With the Irish Sea as it’s neighbour and hard and fast fairways as it foundation, The Brittas Bay Club will remain a public pay-and-play course. The golf course is currently closed as it begins to go through a reimagining under the watchful eye of renown golf course architect Kyle Phillips. Recognized for his bold brilliance at courses like Kingsbarns and Dundonald (Scotland), Yas Links (Dubai), The Grove (England), and California Club (California), Phillips has created great golf throughout the world.
“When I first spoke to Kyle, I was immediately inspired by his vision for the golf course,” says Nicky Conlan, Managing Director speaking on behalf of the ownership. “I think his reputation is second to none when you look at some of the courses he’s designed.”
Understanding the quality of land and extraordinary location he is working with, Phillips stresses that his main priority is to improve the playability of the golf course by opening sightlines to give golfers a variety of options to play each hole. Additionally, the plan is to expose more sea vistas and create a more enjoyable golf round for players of all abilities.
“One of the fun things about links golf is having multiple lines of play,” says Phillips. ”Our intention is to get the most out of the land and the best result we can within this beautiful property.”
Over its history, much of the native plants and turf traditionally found on links golf courses had disappeared from the property that would become Brittas Bay Golf Club. As part of the renovation, agronomists were utilized to return plant species and grasses that would be typically found on the property. Not only will this create a truer links experience for players, but it’ll help reestablish the natural landscape. The club’s goal is to embrace the incredible ecosystem that is home to the course.
Among the club’s initiatives is a plan to donate a portion of every greens fee to the preservation of the Tern, a bird that nests annually in Brittas Bay.
“Our vision is to realize the full potential of this sight,” says Conlan. “We believe we potentially have a world-class golf course on our hands and we treat that with huge respect with what’s gone on before us.”
Turfgrass®, one of the world’s leading golf development, agronomy and project management consultancies, has been appointed as owner’s representative, project manager and agronomic lead for the transformation of Brittas Bay Club, formerly The European Club, as the iconic links course enters this exciting new chapter.
Construction is being performed by Golf Link Evolve whose previous work includes Royal Birkdale, The Old Course at St. Andrew’s and Turnberry.
In addition to the renovations on the course, the Brittas Bay Club plan to build a new 4,000 square foot clubhouse with separate men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, a fully stocked pro shop and a second floor restaurant overlooking the golf course with unobstructed views of the Irish Sea.
Visit our new website, www.brittasbayclub.ie
ARTICLE CREDIT; MATCH PLAY GOLF MARKETING
