The Royal Dublin Golf Club owes much to the famous Capt. William Bligh of the HMS Bounty. He was searching for breadfruit in Tahiti to replant in British colonies to feed the growing kingdom. Bligh also strongly supported the creation of deeper and more reliable access to Dublin via a seawall nearly 2 miles from the shore. The Great North Wall was built, resulting in the formation of a sand bank known as Bull Island. The Royal Dublin Golf Club owns a 160-acre parcel on the island, which makes an excellent base for the third-oldest and truly quintessential — some may say iconic — links course in Ireland.

Bull Island is a true island with two entrances: the very accessible North Bull Island causeway with a lovely road and the old Wooden Bridge to the south, which our driver, Sean, chose. Picture this: We were two foursomes riding in a big white van. As we traversed the Wooden Bridge, players asked out loud, “Are we going to fit? Is this the only way in?” Sean kept sailing like Bligh, ignoring his crew until we got to a bar hanging on chains across the road meant to discourage drivers from the route. Nothing stopped Sean; he scraped the roof, stopped, looked at the bar and scraped on!

When we arrived, the club professional, John Dwyer, welcomed us like old friends; and when he found out Sean had brought us over the southern access, he said, “Brave man.”

On Bull Island since 1889, The Royal Dublin has hosted six Irish Opens. During the Great War the British military took over the course to use it as a shooting and artillery range. As you can imagine, that destroyed the course, and the clubhouse fell into ruin.

After the war the membership brought in world-famous golf course architect Harry Cult to redesign the course, elevate tee boxes to afford views of Dublin and craft the course we know today. Other renovations have taken place since, always trying to stay true to the Cult design. My foursome for the day included Jimmy Spratt, John Ecklund and Gerry Gallagher, and we were paired with great caddies Daniel, Liam, Michael and Aiden.

HOLE 4 | “FEATHER BED”
173 yards, par 3
Many holes offer views of the city of Dublin, but there are repeating views of the Poolbeg Chimneys, twin decommissioned power station chimneys. They are hard to miss as they are tall and painted with red and white stripes. Recently repainted, they are protected as part of the cityscape. They lie directly behind and left of the fourth green.

Hole 4 © Francis X. Gallagher

Jimmy did not let the prevailing wind in his face hamper his shot to the green, avoiding the three bunkers that surround and ring the front of the green. I took a little bailout area left of the green and chipped on for bogey. John and Gerry decided to try the deep bunkers, but it was Jimmy who walked away with a perfectly executed par.

HOLE 6 | “VALLEY”
573 yards, par 5
On this long, curving par 5 you must be mindful of the drainage canals lining areas of the fairway. They appear short and on the left on Hole 6 but are also on many other holes at RDGC. Also note the World War I bunker on the right side of the fairway, a vestige of the occupation by the British Army. This relic from the 1900s remains on the course for its historical significance.

As long as you stay out of trouble, you should score a par or birdie on 6. I drove my ball, landing on the fairway and rolling right behind the relic bunker. Gerry unfortunately found one of those canals short and left. John and Jimmy played strong but off-kilter drives into the high grass on the right. I cleanly hit my second shot, luckily short of the fairway bunker on the right which sits about 100 yards from the green.

Landing on the right side, I had no direct view of the green, but my caddie, Daniel, guided me where to aim. We were fortunate it was not too windy, and the caddies were amazed we were chilly in our jumpers (sweaters and jackets). Two bunkers sit left of the green, one a little short to catch your less vigorous smack. Some grassy bunkers right can make landing and jumping onto the green a challenge. In the end, I played well, two-putting for par, while the rest of the boys took bogey.

HOLE 10 | “MARNE”
441 yards, par 4
This hole is named after the First Battle of the Marne of September 1914, where Allied forces stopped the German invasion of Paris, pushing them back across the Marne River. This might explain my score on 10, which felt like the battle for a bogey. This is the most difficult hole on the course and has you heading dead straight into the prevailing winds.

Two fairway bunkers sit to the right and are not reachable from the tee box. Gerry found them on his second shot and bounced his way up to within striking distance, only to be foiled by the canal (ditch) that cuts across the fairways and runs up and around the right front side of the green. To the right of the green there is a grouping of trees where I bounced around but did not drop into the canal.

Jimmy and John struggled through, making me and Gerry look like the battle-worn. Gorse at the back and right makes this tough hole even more difficult.

Hole 6 with World War I bunker © Francis X. Gallagher

HOLE 18 | “GARDEN”
463 yards, par 4
A wonderful closing hole … and a little course knowledge would have helped immensely. On this dogleg right, you really need to play to the left so as to not fall into the creek that comes in right where you would land and make your approach to the green. Past the creek on the right side is a large area marked OB, or unplayable. Jimmy could not understand why this area would be marked and played his ball to the green. It did seem a little odd to me.

My drive off the tee went a little too right but not a clean hit to succumb to the water. From there I took a mid-iron to the green, which I then chili-dipped right in to the water. I took the penalty and re-hit, landing on the green; a 5 would be the best, if only I could putt. We ended the day saying farewell to our caddies and having one quick pint at the nice luncheon in the dining room. On the return, Sean took the northern route off Bull Island.

THE ROYAL DUBLIN GOLF CLUB
North Bull Island Nature Reserve
Dollymount Avenue
Dublin, D03 P768, Ireland
tel 353 1 833 6346