The K Club

K Club Ireland
7102 Yards
Par 72
Designers: Ed Seay & Arnold Palmer

The ‘K’ Club is an opulent resort in the small village of Straffan, near Naas, about 40 minutes from Dublin. The prime mover behind this grandiose development is Michael Smurfit, whose dream was to create a luxury golf resort of the highest caliber and, in turn, a leading destination for golf tours of Ireland. There is no question about the hotel but the status of the course will be determined in time. Its entrance exam to the list of great courses was in 2006 when it played host to the Ryder Cup.

The property itself is rather flat and is spread over 380 acres along the River Liffey. Straffan House-the original estate on the property and now the east wing of the hotel-has a long and colorful history. No expense has been spared to create an instant five star hotel. The furnishings throughout are elegant and plenty, and the staff hat is most hospitable and attentive. One of the best hotel art collections anywhere exists here, featuring the works of Jack B. Yeats, brother of the great poet, and a very fine painter.

Besides golf and every conceivable amenity, the hotel offers fishing, tennis, squash, shooting, archery, riding and so forth. For the equestrians, there is the National Stud and the famous Curraugh Race Course (home of Irish Derby) just down the road.

As for the course, the design called for the creation of fourteen lakes and innumerable valleys and hills so a monumental one million tonnes or so of earth was moved about. When it first opened in 1991, severe drainage problems were at once apparent and much work was done to correct this. The existing trees – at least those that were left after a severe storm in 1989 – were allowed to remain, and an aggressive tree planting program has given the course added character.

To be sure, the K Club is not everyone’s cup of tea. On the other hand, one must credit Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay for making the best of the flat, lush bottomland they had to work with.


For more insight on planning your golf trip to Ireland, visit the links below, read our Ireland golf trip reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.

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