Photo: Wikimedia CommonsThe K Club (Palmer Course)
Straffan, Co. Kildare · Designed by Arnold Palmer (1991) · Est. 1991
In September 2006 the K Club's Palmer course hosted the Ryder Cup — the first ever staged in Ireland. Europe won 18½–9½, and Darren Clarke, playing only weeks after the death of his wife Heather and chosen as a captain's pick, won all three of his matches in one of the most emotional weekends the game has known. It cemented the K Club as Ireland's most famous inland golf venue.
The resort was created by the businessman Dr. Michael Smurfit, who commissioned Arnold Palmer to lay out two courses across the 550-acre Straffan estate beside the River Liffey. The Palmer (North) course — the Ryder Cup course — opened in 1991 and plays to par 72 over more than 7,300 yards, the Liffey threading through mature parkland and into play down the closing stretch. The par-5 16th, almost 600 yards and double-doglegging past trees, water and bunkers to a green hemmed by the river on both sides, is where the championship swung; the right-to-left 8th, with the Liffey down its entire left flank, is the course's signature.
Straffan House, the heart of the five-star resort, dates to the 1830s and sits half an hour west of Dublin. A second Arnold Palmer course — the Palmer South, long known as the Smurfit — offers an inland-links contrast for a two-round stay.
Holes worth knowing
- 116th (par-5, ~590 yards) — a double-dogleg past trees, water and bunkers to a green guarded on both sides by the River Liffey. The hole the 2006 Ryder Cup was won and lost on.
- 28th (par-4) — curves right-to-left with the Liffey running the entire length of the left side. The course's signature, and a nerve test with the river always in the eye.
Highlights
- 2006 Ryder Cup host — the first in Ireland
- Arnold Palmer parkland on the River Liffey
- Five-star resort 30 minutes from Dublin
Good to know
- →The Palmer (North) is the Ryder Cup course; the second course, the Palmer South (formerly the Smurfit), is a contrasting inland-links design — book both for a two-round stay.
- →The K Club is a five-star resort 30 minutes west of Dublin — green fees are among the highest in Ireland and access is geared to resort guests.
- →Straffan and the Liffey valley are quiet Kildare countryside; the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens at Kildare town are a short drive for a non-golf afternoon.
- →Dublin Airport is about 40 minutes, making the K Club a practical first or last stop on an east-coast trip.
Visitor Information
Getting There
Common questions
Which K Club course hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup?
The Palmer (North) course. It was the first Ryder Cup ever staged in Ireland; Europe won 18½–9½, and Darren Clarke — playing only weeks after the death of his wife Heather, as a captain's pick — won all three of his matches in one of the most emotional weekends the game has seen.
Can visitors play the K Club?
Yes, though it is a five-star resort and green fees are among the highest in Ireland, with access geared to resort guests. There are two Arnold Palmer courses on the estate — the Palmer (North), which is the Ryder Cup course, and the Palmer South (long known as the Smurfit) — so a stay can take in both.
Who designed the K Club and when did it open?
Arnold Palmer's firm designed both courses, commissioned by the businessman Dr. Michael Smurfit. The Palmer (North) course opened in 1991 and plays to par 72 over more than 7,300 yards, with the River Liffey threading through the parkland and into play down the closing holes.
Where is the K Club and what is nearby?
It sits on the 550-acre Straffan estate in County Kildare, about 30 to 40 minutes west of Dublin and Dublin Airport. The Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens at Kildare town are a short drive away for a non-golf afternoon.
Where to Stay
Book directly with the club — no agent, no waiting
Plan your full Ireland itinerary