Connemara Golf Club

How remote is Connemara Golf Club and is it worth the journey?

Connemara Golf Club is in Ballyconneely, ninety minutes west of Galway city. The drive through Connemara is part of the experience: bog, mountain, and sea in every direction. The course, designed by Eddie Hackett in 1973, was routed on a principle Hackett described as: "Mother Nature is the best architect." The granite outcroppings and uninterrupted Atlantic views create something genuinely unlike anything else on the island.

What is the story behind the creation of Connemara Golf Club?

Father Peter Waldron was transferred to Ballyconneely in 1969 and immediately identified the coastline as ideal links ground. He tracked down Eddie Hackett and brought him out to see it in October 1970. Hackett agreed to design the course on the spot, telling them: "I'll design the course for you and you can pay me when you can. We'll put pins in the virgin soil." The 18 holes opened on 7th June 1973 — Father Waldron played in the very first fourball alongside Hackett himself.

How do I book Connemara Golf Club?

Book directly through the Connemara Golf Club website or by phone. The club does not use GolfNow. Tee times are generally easier to secure than at Ballybunion or Lahinch.

What should I do near Connemara Golf Club?

Clifden is the nearest town and the natural base. Lowry's Bar on Main Street has won Best Traditional Bar in Ireland three times — it's the place for a pint and trad music in the evening. Mannion's is a near-century-old family pub that does proper Connemara food: lamb, locally caught fish, Doon Castle oysters. The Sky Road loop from Clifden is one of the great short drives in Ireland. Kylemore Abbey is forty-five minutes northeast. For golf, Westport is ninety minutes northeast and Carne in Belmullet is ninety minutes north — both worth a second day.