Straffan Demesne,
Straffan, Co. Kildare
Office
+353 (0)1 601 7200Pro shop
+353 (0)1 601 7321Fax
+353 (0)1 601 7297Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Michael Dixon (Head Professional/Academy Director).Academy
The Michael Dixon School of Golf.The Course:
18 holes. Inland links-style. Gently undulating terrain - easy to walk.
Surroundings:
Rural countryside.
Designer:
Palmer North course: designed by Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay (1991).
Palmer South course: Arnold Palmer Design Company (2003; lead designer Harrison Minchew).
Above distances are for the Palmer South course. Also at the K Club is the 18-hole Palmer North course (par-72; 7337 yds from back tees; rating 76.0).
53.304903
-6.621853
30 km W of Dublin
Leave M4 motorway at exit 3 and follow R406 direction Naas (keep left at roundabout) and then follow signs to Straffan. After 6.5 km (go through Straffan village) entrance to K Club and Kildare House is on your right.
The K Club (Palmer South course): Here at Dublin's most famous out-of-town Stay&Play venue, the Palmer South course was created ten years after the K Club's original Palmer North course. Dr Michael Smurfit (the K Club's owner) again turned to Arnold Palmer to design the course. Originally known as the South course, then as the Smurfit Course, and now as the Palmer South course, the layout was built to exude the style of an open, inland links, with water features also putting in notable appearances.
Like the Palmer North (formerly known as the Ryder Cup course), the Palmer South is a big and bold development, with several exciting features and plenty of golfing challenges. The layout has a more open, rugged character than its older parkland-style sibling. Over time, the rough on Palmer South became increasingly intimidating, while gorse bushes have also helped in promoting a distinctively "Scottish" feel in this small corner of Co. Kildare.
There's water a'plenty on the Palmer South, the bunkering is extensive and the greens are generally fast and large (sometimes very large). Several of the good-width fairways are flanked by expansive water hazards, which have become home to a variety of birdlife. Accompanying some of the water hazards are dramatic rock features, which become almost Disneyesque in size at the par-5 7th. At this signature hole, an artificial quarry flanks the rightside of the fairway and waterfalls cascade down the rocks.
Stay & Play at The K Club: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, combination tickets, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2022].
Players generally walk this course. Non-metal spikes only in winter season (Nov thru' March). Caddies available.
Excellent
Inspired and created by one of Ireland's leading businessmen, Dr Michael Smurfit, the K Club is Ireland's most famous inland golf venue. Although the Smurfit course only opened in July 2003, it hosted the 2004 and 2005 Smurfit European Open Championships.
The K of K Club comes from the region in which it is located, County Kildare.
Palmer South course:
Ireland: 79th best course in Ireland (Golf World, 2019).
Straffan, Co. Kildare
+353 (0)1 601 7200
Visit websiteAt the world-renowned 5-star K Club Golf & Spa Resort you can enjoy two championship golf courses (including the Palmer North course of Ryder Cup fame), a luxury Spa, superb Irish cuisine and an idyllic and tranquil setting alongside the River Liffey. A member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts group.
K Club (Palmer North & Palmer South courses)
Palmerstown House
Carton House; Luttrellstown Castle; Tulfarris.
Straffan, Co. Kildare
+353 (0)1 628 8157
Visit websiteLocated just 25 minutes from Dublin city centre, this historic 13th-century castle and country house hotel occupies a quiet rural setting just outside Straffan, close to the famous golf courses of the K Club. The luxurious bedrooms are decorated to reflect the historic nature of the castle, and are complemented by the hotel's Garden Bar and Barton Rooms restaurant.
No
K Club (3 km); Palmerstown House.
Carton House; Luttrellstown Castle; Tulfarris.
Tournament of Champions: the PGA Tour’s calendar-year starts, as it has done since 1999, with this iconic event in Hawaii. The field is drawn from players who won a PGA Tour event in 2022, or were amongst the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup final standings (Jan 6-9).
Desert Swing: the European (DP World) Tour launches into 2023 with three events in its UAE “Desert Swing”. Up first is the Abu Dhabi Championship (Jan 19-22), followed by the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan 26-29) and the Ras Al Kaimah Championship (Feb 2-5).
Kathy Whitworth: the end of 2022 saw the passing of LPGA Tour legend Kathy Whitworth. Her 88 LPGA Tour victories is more than achieved by any other golfer on either the LPGA or PGA Tours. Amongst her victories were six major championship titles.
Barry Lane: the golfing world was also saddened by the passing of Barry Lane, one of the European Tour and European Senior Tours most popular players. Enjoying success on both Tours, Lane was know for his excellent ball-striking and amiable personality.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Costa’s "Cruise & Golf" allows golfers and their families to combine a unique golfing experience with the relaxation and fun of a cruise on board Costa Smeralda. Golf enthusiasts are offered a choice from 23 top-quality golf clubs; their chosen courses are played during the ship’s port calls in Italy, France and Spain. While the golfers are driving the fairways, accompanying non-golfers are able to enjoy the amenities and activities on-board, or explore wonderful places on day excursions organised by Costa. Read more ...
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.