Fota Island Resort

Few resort courses in Ireland announce themselves with the same sense of occasion as Fota Island. Laid out across the grounds of a historic Victorian estate on the island of the same name — connected to the Cork mainland by a short causeway — the Donal Healy-designed Deerpark course became the flagship of a facility that has grown into one of Ireland's most respected tournament venues. The Irish Open has visited multiple times, which tells you something meaningful: this is a layout built to test professionals without sacrificing its appeal to the resort golfer.

The course plays through mature woodland and open parkland in roughly equal measure, and the transitions between those two environments give each nine a different personality. Water comes into play on several holes, and the closing stretch around the island's lower ground is where cards typically unravel. The conditioning has consistently matched the ambitions of the venue.

County Cork's golf scene is serious and deep — Old Head, Fota Island, and Cork Golf Club all within reach — and the city of Cork itself is one of Ireland's most enjoyable destinations, making a Fota visit easy to extend into something considerably more than a single round.