Elite Traveler Spring 2020

INSPIRE TOP GOLF

IRISH ELEGANCE ADARE MANOR, LIMERICK, IRELAND

In six years, Adare Manor Golf Club will take center stage when the resort hosts the Ryder Cup; however, the course is ready now. In fact, the lush parkland layout — and the entire resort — recently benefited from a multi-year, multimillion- dollar renovation, which convinced the selection committee that Adare Manor was an ideal destination for the Ryder Cup. That transformation began with the hiring of course architect Tom Fazio, who swept in and extensively redesigned every hole, creating a painstakingly manicured inland course that boldly swims against the current of Ireland’s acclaimed golf destinations, most of which are coastal links layouts that remain pleasingly rough around the edges. With artfully shaped bunkers, low-cut turf even off the fairways, and plenty of

babbling brooks, creeks and small water hazards scattered across its 170 acres, Adare Manor draws a number of parallels to Augusta National, which is not an outlandish connection, since Fazio has tinkered with the famous Georgia course in recent years. Like it is at Augusta National, precise shotmaking is a prerequisite for those who hope to post low scores at Adare Manor. The 7,509-yard course also features a significant number of tightly mown run-off areas around the greens — visitors will want to make sure they pack their short games — but the course’s wide fairways will inject amateur players with added confidence off the tee. adaremanor.com

Photos LC Lambrecht, Evan Schiller Photography