I recently played a Ryder Cup style golf tournament at The Heritage Golf Resort with some old college and golfing buddies and to say I was blown away by the three-day getaway is an understatement. We booked into the Heritage Hotel for two nights and our package included two rounds of golf along with one dinner at the hotel and one evening meal at the Thatch Pub which is located at the entrance to the hotel itself only a four-minute walk from the hotel lobby. The total price of the trip for twenty-four golfers worked out about €385 which included your two nights stay, two rounds of golf, breakfast on both mornings and two evening meals, one at the hotel and the second at the Thatch Pub. The price was incredible considering the quality of the golf course as well as the food and service which I have to say the staff went above and beyond our expectations for the whole three days.
The breakfast each morning was a buffet style setup breakfast, with a huge diversity of options to choose from. It is one of the best breakfast venues I have seen around the country. The staff were plentiful and constantly checking on us to make sure everything was to your satisfaction. After breakfast we headed to the Eddie Doyle Golf Academy which is located beside the hotel car park. Here they have both indoor bays on artificial grass or outdoor bays on grass available to hit from. It is a perfect venue to loosen up before your round at The Heritage because you will want to be warmed up before you tackle the beast of a championship course.
I remember well when Seve played at the Heritage many of years ago at the opening of the resort, he was beaming all day with pride while playing his newly designed course. It was fantastic to watch him play up close and to see the incredible parkland course for the first time. I recall revisiting years later to play during the winter months and I couldn’t believe how dry and firm the course was for a parkland course. If the Heritage was situated about half an hour closer to Dublin, I would have no doubt you would barely get a tee time it would be so popular. In a way having it located where it is means you get exceptional value for both the hotel and for the golf course.
The course itself truly is beastly long from the back tees, but don’t fear they have several of tee box options on each hole to choose from so you can play a shorter more enjoyable course if you are not a long hitter. The course itself has no weak holes in my opinion but it does have some incredible stand out holes especially the 9th and 18th holes which both lay adjacent to each other hugging the opposite sides of a lake that separates both fairways. These are two of the toughest holes at the Heritage Resort as water comes into play both off the tee and for your second shot into both greens. You have to commit to both shots on this hole otherwise you will surely find a watery grave. The Par 5’s are all some of the best our country has to offer it terms of their layout. In particular the second hole and the eight holes both have streams that run across the fairway and run along the fairway towards the green. This stream has to be avoided for your tee shots and it also comes i to play for your approach shot. On the second hole you also have a large lake that wraps around the edge of the green that has to be carried to reach the green surface. Should you try to bail out to the right of this green you have bunkers and gorse bushes to contend with. It is always great to have Par 5’s that are so challenging especially when you are challenged from every shot from tee to the green.
Also, the Par 3’s are unbelievable and range from 155 – 225 yards. The third hole in particular is 184 yards from the front tee and plays 214 yards from the back tees. To reach the green you have to carry a large lake that again wraps around the front right side of the green all the way to the back right hand side. The last time I played this hole it was into a stiff breeze and I had to hit a 2 iron that was stuck to perfection however my heart was in my mouth while the ball was airborne until I saw it safely hold the right side if the green. You do have an option to play short and left of the green but beware there are bunkers awaiting if you hit it too far left trying to avoid the lake. It really is such a tough hole and even when you are playing well this hole can bring you to your knees.
The halfway house that sits looking over both the 9th and 18th greens is a small bar that serves a huge array of sandwiches, wraps and snacks off all sorts. Our group gathered here for drinks on both days after our Ryder Cup matches and there is a great atmosphere here where you can relax and have a couple of beers after your round while you watch other golfers in your group make a mess of their round on the 18th hole. In fact, one of our group’s trolleys took off on its own accord and ended up inside the lake that sits below the 18th green. The laughter that ensued from the halfway hut could have been heard from Clare as we watched him jump into the lake to retrieve his belongings.
Both meals we had after both rounds at the hotel itself and at the Thatch Pub were perfect. The hotel served up a beautiful steak perfectly cooked to my liking and was ideal for hungry golfers or even anyone bringing partners who would like a romantic meal. The Thatch Pub decor is extremely cool with several of different areas to eat or drink in. It also has a fully grown tree growing in the main bar that you can sit around and have a few beers together around. It is definitely well worth visiting the Thatch Pub if you decide to stay overnight at The Heritage.
I highly recommend adding the Heritage to your diary for 2025, especially if you have a society or if you are a part of a group of golfers who do an annual night away. The Heritage won’t be beaten for value for money and you will have memories that will last a lifetime both on and off the course. I am still chuckling away here at some of the memories we had on our stay, earlier this year.
