Shannon Golf Club Feature Review

Review by Golfshake Ambassador Andrew Picken

Shannon Golf Club is located within Co. Clare, Ireland and is part of a magical stretch of golfing landscape. This is a wonderful area to explore for golfers, but there are many other attractions to be found here. The Wild Atlantic Way is a wonderful resource for planning a trip of wild variety and experiences that would suit the entire family.

Flying into Shannon gives easy access to one of Ireland's leading tourist spots, the Cliffs of Moher. They are a site of outstanding natural beauty providing a special protected area for a wealth of different wildlife and fauna. It is also recognised as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark due to its outstanding geology.

I learn with every visit to the Emerald Isle that good food and company are always present. Hospitality and a warm welcome are also evident and there are experiences that can be had at any price point.

The Course

But when it comes to the golf, the course was designed by John D Harris following the vision of Dr William Flynn. He was a doctor who worked at Shannon Airport and organised SAGS Shannon Airport Golf Society. He was a member at Lahinch and Ennis but saw the possibilities for a quality members course set between the airport runways and the Shannon Estuary.

A rainbow over the 14th fairway yesterday evening ??????????????‍??????????‍?? ???? #golfcourse #golf #Shannon #clare #munster pic.twitter.com/ijRNPRctO3

— ShannonGolfClub (@GolfShannon) June 20, 2019

As the airport infrastructure developed and more people were attracted to the area, he embarked upon an ambitious project to build a golf course. This took some imagination as the ground was problematic covered in heavy weeds and inhabited by “bullocks the size of elephants”

It has matured well providing a quality, fun inland course. It is a parkland course of 6,763 yards with fairways of natural meadow grass planted on either side with Spruce, Evergreens and a wide variety of deciduous trees.

The course presents a mixture of sand-based and traditional greens, maintained to the highest standard and protected by numerous sand bunkers to offer the final challenge to each hole.

Water hazards are a feature of the 6^th, 7 ^th, 8 ^th, 14 ^th and 17^th with that being this layout's signature hole, requiring a dedicated golf shot over the Shannon Estuary.

This hole is an absolute beauty using all that mother nature provides. It is a delightful challenge. If you are a plane spotter and a golfer this is a treat as you will undoubtedly see and hear aircraft as they use the nearby runway.

Lovely picture of our 1st tee and 18th green in the background taken the other morning. Summer is almost upon us ????????????????????????‍??????????‍?? pic.twitter.com/PVsCZDwNcR

— ShannonGolfClub (@GolfShannon) April 11, 2019

I liked playing Shannon. There was a warm welcome from the staff and the course itself provided a friendly golfing welcome. The course is well signed and routed; it had a lovely natural rhythm that encouraged decent play. The greens were good and some of the views offered as were walked around were simply stunning.

The Venue

Within the club website -  www.shannongolfclub.ie - there is everything you need as a visiting golfer. They even have access to a bespoke phone application.

You can view the course guide, book a tee time, login to the members section, view the club's live fixtures list, communicate with the club, catch breaking news, check out the local five day weather forecast, measure your distance walked & see who has made the club photo gallery this week. The Web App has been designed to provide a consistent experience for all smart phone users. It's easy to install and totally free. 

We had a morning flight from Heathrow and were on the course by early afternoon. This was due in the main to the excellent service from the professional staff who were able to arrange hire clubs as our airline had “mislaid” our own temporarily.

What more could you want from a holiday golf destination. Perhaps an international airport five minutes away? You got it!

An image from Friday morning of the captains prize. The condition of the course was amazing. Well done to our course staff. What a job they do ?????????????????????????? #golf #shannongolfclub #ireland pic.twitter.com/J9KJpirbS5

— ShannonGolfClub (@GolfShannon) June 17, 2019

If you are playing golf in Ireland and using Shannon Airport, I would definitely suggest you consider building this course into your itinerary. It would work at the beginning or end of the trip.

Review

In conclusion this is a cracking golf club and course that is incredibly well situated for the travelling golfer. Some of the holes are simply superb, in particular the 17th which is stunning in design, location and construction.

The welcome and food in the homely clubhouse was excellent and I would happily revisit when next in the area, creating a real community feeling. With or without my clubs as it is clear that the professional shop can deal with emergencies like a lack of clubs with aplomb and little fuss. 

It is highly likely that I will return to this area as it gives such easy access to the Midwest of Ireland.

This area is blessed with a range of golfing challenges that is difficult to beat. The wonderful links of Lahinch, the home of the 2019 Irish Open, and the stunning parkland layout of Adare Manor with its manicured perfection and service standards that are “beyond everything”.