Within Europe, Portugal has long been regarded as the ideal location for golf holidays due to its year round fine weather and range of championship courses. This does make compiling a top five list quite tricky.

This top five list brings together several on-line surveys along with the personal experience of playing some of these courses while on golf holidays in Portugal.

One club that is ideal for hot summer days in Portugal is the relatively short but enjoyable Estoril course. This 6000 yard course requires careful course management to navigate the bunkers and unforgiving rough that surround most fairways and greens.

The Penha Longa course is one of the championship courses in Portugal to really savor. In 2010 considerable work has been ongoing to make the greens play true and to add enough variety and difficulty on each hole.

The south course in Quinta do Lago is the more mature of the two courses available to play at this resort. Some holes prove challenging due to the stark Atlantic Ocean breeze, while other holes are sheltered by lush vegetation and forestry. Given the courses maturity, the greens play exceptionally true and fast as one would expect.

If championship courses are your preference then the Oitavos Golf Club is one you must play. The course design and challenging greens have played host to the Portuguese Open in recent times and keen amateurs will find the course plays long due to the long par 4's and par 5's.

No trip to the Algarve would be complete without playing the Vale da Pinta. This is an interestingly designed course that is embedded within a natural valley. The fairways undulations make for some odd bounces which some would deem unfair but this does aid golfers playing short off the tee.

It is fair to say that this list cannot be considered as fully comprehensive and no doubt misses out some other charming courses. Hopefully though, it provides a guide to the sheer variety of championship courses of offer in Portugal.

Looking for European golfing breaks? For the perfect golf holiday, the Algarve, Estoril and the other Portuguese regions have it all. Visit the Golf Holidays Portugal website to learn more.

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Visitors to the coastal town of Ballybunion in County Kerry, Ireland, will quickly realise that the majority of Ballybunion hotels are situated in the countryside surrounding the village. The three hotels selected here epitomize the quality of service, fantastic views and mouth-watering food that the region has become famous for.

Ballyseede Castle Hotel is an authentic 15th century castle set within its own estate. Each of the 12 rooms in the castle has a bespoke design and all afford wonderful views of the castle's lawns.

It is possible to see the period features of its past (intricate plasterwork, large marble fire places) throughout the hotel and the guest rooms are all as tastefully furnished as the common areas. Dinner at the castle is a real treat for gastronomes as the personable service means that each dish of modern Irish cuisine is of the highest standard.

Glin Castle is yet another authentic old castle in the region, but on a grander scale with a large variety of guest room styles and sizes. The castle sits within a tree-lined country estate with their own walled garden and beautiful lawns stretching down to the Shannon estuary.

The hotel is also a popular spot for weekend lunches and special occasions with their restaurant menu brimming with hearty Irish dishes that all prepared with a modern twist.

Last, but not least, the Ballygarry House Hotel and Spa is a more traditional destination to stay in. The house is a former country manor with all guest rooms being large, comfortable and traditionally decorated.

The Ballygarry has two key attractions on site. Their wonderful restaurant is popular in the area for its great selection of wholesome Irish cuisine and the wonderful ambiance of the dining room and outdoor dining areas. The recent addition of the Nadur Spa means guests can now pamper themselves with a variety of thermal treatments, mud baths and seaweed soaks.

Part of the appeal of Ballybunion is that it is one of the few villages in the region that has not fully succumbed to being a tourist trap and therefore thankfully retained much of its rural charm. As a result, it tends to have a more laid-back welcoming atmosphere that proliferates into the hotels in Ballybunion.

If you enjoyed reading this post about Ballybunion hotels then check out our website for articles about Ballybunion, Ireland and other destinations

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There are many people all around the world who enjoy playing golf. Many of these people like traveling all around the world to play golf. This gives them the opportunity to visit the most popular golf courses all around the world. There are many golf destinations including Ireland which has move than three hundred golf courses. There are renowned courses scattered all across Ireland. The golfing experience in Ireland is unlike any other.

There are many golf course scattered across Ireland including the Ballybunion Golf Club in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, Ireland which was founded in 1893. The designer of the course was Tom Watson. The championship length of the course is six thousand six hundred and thirty eight yards. The course has seventy one pars in all. This particular golf course is extremely popular with golf enthusiasts all round for world and is even rated as one of the ten best golf courses in the world.

Ireland also has the Baltray Golf Club which can be found in Drogheda, Ireland. This is one of the most popular local golf courses in Ireland. The golf course and club was founded in 1893 but it was eventually redesigned with a new layout which was created in 1938. Tom Simpson designed the golf course. The course spans an area of seven thousand and thirty one yards. This is a seventy three par course. The course can just found just thirty file miles north of Dublin and five miles northeast of Drogheda.

The Castlerock Golf Club which was founded in 1901 is located in Castlerock, Co. Derry, Ireland. It was designed by Ben Sayers and Harry Colt. The seventy three par course consists of six thousand seven hundred and forty seven yards. The Castlerock Golf Club is located just a few minutes from Portstewart and Royal Portrush. This is an extremely popular course that is very classic. It is set amid towering dunes.

The European Club Golf Club which is one of the newest golf clubs in Ireland was founded in 1993. The golf course was signed by Pat Ruddy. The course which is located in Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow, Ireland is a seventy one par course which consists of seven thousand one hundred and forty nine total yards. The popularity of this course has increase greatly in a short period of time and is one of the finest links golf courses in all of Ireland.

The Old Head of Kinsale Golf Club is one of the newest golf courses in all of Ireland begin founded in 1997. The golf course which is located in Old Head, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland was designed by J. Carr, R. Kirby, P. Merrigan and E. Hackett. The entire seventy two par course consists of seven thousand one hundred and twenty one yards. The golf course is considered by many one of the most remarkable developments ever created in the history of golf.

Founded in 1889, the Royal Dublin Golf Club is one of the oldest golf courses in all of Ireland. The course is a seven two par course and consists of seven thousand three hundred and ten yards. The course was designed by H.S. Colt. It is actually the second oldest course in all of Ireland. The course is found in Dollymount approximately five miles northeast of Dublic City along a costal road.

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