Fota Island Resort

Fota Island is a real island in Cork Harbour — 780 acres, connected to the mainland by bridge, and historically the demesne of the Barry (later Smith-Barry) family from the 12th century until the last family member died in 1975. The estate passed to University College Cork, then became a resort. The golf course was originally designed by Christy O'Connor Jnr and opened in 1993. Jeff Howes undertook a significant redesign in the late 1990s to bring it to European Tour standard. The Irish Open followed: Montgomerie in 2001, then a four-man playoff in 2002 won by Søren Hansen on the fourth extra hole, then Mikko Ilonen in 2014 who led wire-to-wire and opened with a course record 64.

The course plays in the old parkland style — wide fairways, mature woodland, Cork Harbour visible through the trees, deep bunkers that reward accurate iron play. It is not a links and does not try to be. The 27 holes mean the Deerpark championship configuration can be played on one day and a different combination the next. For visiting golfers, the combination of a genuine championship layout, Cork Airport twenty minutes away, and the wildlife park on the same island makes Fota one of the more practical bases on the island.

Fota Wildlife Park opened in 1983 and ring-tailed lemurs, wallabies, and cheetahs roam in open paddocks beside the golf. It is one of the more unusual things you can see from a tee box in Ireland.