By the highlights alone, the Rosapenna Resort should be a magnet for American golfers.
Founded in 1893 and located along the stunning shores of Sheephaven Bay, Rosapenna is the oldest golf resort in the world.
The resort features comfortable seaside accommodations, locally inspired cuisine, and is home to 3 great links courses.
One of those courses was designed by none other than Old Tom Morris.
For most American golf travelers, however, Rosapenna is far from an automatic choice for their golf trip to Ireland.
Its remote location and lack of “bucket list” courses nearby has kept the resort under the radar for many golfers.
But that’s all starting to change…
Demand for Northwest Ireland golf trips is on a steady rise thanks to the newest course to debut at Rosapenna and possibly the last to open in all of Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Links
St. Patrick’s Links debuted at Rosapenna in 2021 to near universal praise.
The shower of early accolades for St. Patrick’s Links includes a place on the GOLF Top 100 courses in the world list.
At #55 on the list, St. Patrick’s Links edged out notable courses like Maidstone, Bandon Dunes, and Kiawah Island in the eyes of the Golf.com raters.
The course sits on land that was once part of a 36-hole complex designed in the early 1990s by Eddie Hackett and Royal County Down assistant professional Joanne O’Haire.
Fast forward to the early 2000s, Jack Nicklaus was hired to redesign the two courses as part of a planned resort development on the site.
The project had big dreams, but ultimately failed during the real estate collapse of 2008.
The Casey family, owners of the Rosapenna Resort next door, purchased the land in 2012 and spent the next decade dreaming of its potential.
John and Frank Casey partnered with architect Tom Doak to draw up a plan that made the most of the dramatic 300+ acre site.
Rather than recreate a pair of golf courses that were “just OK,” Doak cherry picked the best terrain available to craft a spectacular 18-hole layout.
In addition to the incredible terrain and setting, St. Patrick’s Links had another important thing going for it when the project began…
Existing permission from the government.
Environmental restrictions in Ireland and the rest of Europe make new links golf courses all but impossible to get off the ground.
But redesigning an existing course is a different story.
With permits for the site already in place, St. Patrick’s Links was able to avoid the red tape that would derail course construction elsewhere.
As a result, St. Patrick’s Link’s may be the last links golf course ever built in Ireland.
If that’s the case, links golf in Ireland is certainly going out on a high note.
The Course
The scale of St. Patrick’s Links is hard to capture in photographs, let alone with words.
Everything, from the fairways and greens to the bunkers and dunes, is bigger and bolder than any description can do justice.
The same is true of the spellbinding views found at numerous points throughout the course.
From both a visual and playability standpoint, St. Patrick’s Links gives the golfer plenty of variety.
Some holes are routed through the enormous dunes and feel rather secluded.
Others meander up and over the terrain, showcasing the grand scale and setting of the course.
Most players will appreciate the abundantly wide fairways, but that forgiveness shouldn’t be mistaken for an invitation to blast away with abandon off the tee.
The rough is heavy, plentiful, and quite effective at swallowing wildly errant drives.
Depending on your location in the fairway and the pin position, some greens are partially hidden by a dune or ridge, requiring an aerial approach.
Many others are open and receptive to a ball played along the ground.
As for the greens themselves, Tom Doak’s reputation for wild and undulating putting surfaces is well-documented.
The greens at St. Patrick’s Links seem tame by comparison, though this may be due to slower speeds currently in play with the course still maturing.
It will be interesting to see how this changes with time as the course evolves and the surfaces start rolling faster.
Notable Holes
1st Hole
The 1st hole at St. Patrick’s Links offers a “gentle handshake” and a preview of what’s to come during the round.
With the dunes rumbling in the backdrop, the generous fairway is a welcome sight for the first swing of the day.
From there it’s just a short iron or wedge to a green that’s partially shrouded from the fairway by the edge of a dune.
4th Hole
On a course that’s chocked full of great views, the 4th tee offers arguably its best.
From the elevated perch, Sheephaven Bay stretches for miles with the mountains of Donegal looming in the distance.
The par-5 parallels the shore for the length of the hole, though the sea itself is not really in play.
Still, the sight may cause many golfers to subconsciously err to the left-side, where a large sandy waste area stands guard.
14th Hole
The par-4 14th is easily one of the best holes at St. Patrick’s Links
From the tee, the dogleg right stares straight toward Sheephaven Bay, prompting most golfers to reach for the camera before the driver.
The careful play to the left of the fairway bunker leaves a mid-iron into the elevated green, while the bold play over the corner requires just a flick of a wedge.
16th Hole
For the average golfer, a nearly 500-yard par-4 may be a fearful sight on the scorecard.
After one look from the 16th tee, however, those fears quickly vanish.
The hole tumbles downhill with one of the largest sand scrapes on the course flanking the right-side.
Despite the topographical assistance, a long-iron or hybrid will likely be required for the approach.
In short, par here should be celebrated.
Beyond St. Patrick’s Links
Although St. Patrick’s Links has garnered most of the attention of late, there are several other reasons to visit the Rosapenna Resort.
The Old Tom Morris Links is a classic test of links golf with an architectural pedigree that’s second to none.
The course was designed by the Grand Old Man of Golf in 1893, with additional improvements by Harry Vardon, James Braid, Harry Colt, and Pat Ruddy.
Next door, the Sandy Hills Links is over a century younger than its sibling.
In contrast to the Old Tom Morris Links, which plays along flatter seaside terrain, architect Pat Ruddy routed the Sandy Hills Links through the dramatic dunes at Rosapenna.
The result is often a combination of thrilling golf and memorable views, in similar fashion to its brand new neighbor.
Beyond the courses at Rosapenna, golfers can easily access Narin & Portnoo, Cruit Island, Portsalon, and Ballyliffin from the resort.
The Good Life
As for the hotel itself, visiting golfers will find comfortable accommodations and great dining.
The Bay View Junior suites are a spacious, well-appointed choice and feature wonderful coastal views.
At the Vardon Restaurant, fresh local seafood is the specialty and the menu varies nightly.
When the Sheephaven Bay Lobster is on the menu, it’s always a wise decision.
Although there are few other options for dining nearby, those looking for an authentic Irish pub experience will find it just down the street at the Harbour Bar in Downings.
Finally, what’s abundantly clear at Rosapenna is that it’s a true family business.
Despite running a sprawling resort, visitors are likely to find Frank and John Casey in the pro shop or behind the front desk upon arrival.
If anything speaks volumes to the hospitality on hand at Rosapenna, it’s an engaged ownership.
Rating Rosapenna.
Since the course opened, our Expedition Planning Managers have faced a common question…
“Does St. Patrick’s Links live up to the hype?”
The problem with this question is golf course ratings are a highly subjective business.
For every person who thinks St. Patrick’s is over-ranked at #55, you’re likely to find another who thinks it should be higher on the list.
The better question to ask is also an easier one to answer…
“Is Rosapenna and St. Patrick’s Links worth the trip to Northwest Ireland?”
For all of the reasons shared above, the answer is a resounding “Yes.”
Our free guide includes over 40 pages of valuable insight, plus links to nearly 50 additional resources, on Golf and the Good Life in Ireland.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to Ireland, visit the pages 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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