Lahinch Golf Club (Old Course)

Klondyke and Dell preserve Old Tom Morris's blind links imagination

SOUTH WEST IRELAND Ort
LINKS Course type
18 Holes
72 Par
TOP 100 WELTWEIT Auszeichnung

Beyond the Scorecard

Course established: 1892
Course designer/s: Old Tom Morris; Charles 'Mo' Gibson; Alister MacKenzie; Martin Hawtree
Known for: Klondyke and Dell's celebrated blind shots
Defining feature: MacKenzie greens among towering Atlantic dunes
World ranking: #32
Great Britain and Ireland ranking: #10
National ranking: #2

Old Tom's Lines Through Lahinch

The Old Course at Lahinch Golf Club began in 1892, when Alexander Shaw, Richard Plummer, and Black Watch officers marked out holes across the dunes on both sides of Liscannor Road. Old Tom Morris arrived two years later and directed play deeper into the sandhills, leaving the Klondyke and Dell as enduring parts of his work.

Charles 'Mo' Gibson extended the sea holes in 1907. Alister MacKenzie then produced a new layout in 1927, adding bold contours and tiered greens that made approach position central to the round.

Martin Hawtree's 1999 modernisation rerouted four holes towards the Atlantic, added two par threes, rebuilt sixteen tees, and reshaped fourteen greens in keeping with MacKenzie's character. He left the Klondyke and Dell untouched.

The course now changes direction repeatedly through dunes, valleys, humps, and hollows. Blind targets ask for trust, while exposed sections bring Liscannor Bay's wind into club selection. The 4th sends the second shot over Klondyke Hill, and the 5th requires a carried tee shot over a dune to a green hidden beyond it.

Why Add This Course to Your Golf Experience

Lahinch provides one of the strongest anchor rounds for a County Clare stay. The village, beach, and clubhouse sit close together, so the day carries naturally beyond the final green.

Kinfern can pair the Old Course with Dromoland Castle or another Clare venue, while leaving time for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, both close to Lahinch. That combination gives golfers a world-ranked links, a comfortable regional base, and enough breathing room to enjoy the west coast rather than simply passing through.