If ever a golf course reflected the personality of its architect, it is surely this Arnold Palmer designed course. It may seem odd to describe a golf course as charismatic and cavalier but from the instant you arrive at the first tee, you are enveloped by a unique atmosphere. This North Course, which is to be host of the Ryder Cup in 2006, has been host to the Smurfit European Open since 1995, Europe’s most sought after trophy after The Open. You may have been forewarned that Ireland’s first Ryder Cup Venue is no ordinary golf course, and that it is widely acknowledged as the country’s most challenging inland layout, but still you will be unprepared for the ensuing drama. The North Course is, quite simply, one of Europe’s most spectacular courses. It charms, it entices and invariably, brings out the very best in your game. It is unlikely that you will be asked to tackle the course from the championship tees, but this should in no way diminish the excitement of pitting your wits against Arnold Palmer, for, in a sense, this is precisely what you are about to do.

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