Druids Glen and Druids Heath

The Glen and Heath courses are part of the Marriott resort here, just 40 minutes south of Dublin City Centre off the N11. The first course to open was the Glen in 1995, and was designed by Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock. The course is routed over 175 acres of County Wicklow rolling countryside, Wicklow is know as the Garden of Ireland with good reason. Playing the course is like playing in a luscious garden with a variety of mature trees, shrubs, flowers, and the ponds throughout. It measures 7,026 yards from the championship tees all the way down to a 5,509 tee. It's literally like playing in a grand estate's private garden, and is extremely well maintained, and more expensive than the Heath course. The Heath opened in 2003, and it's a good bit tougher than the Glen. One of its main defences if the length, some 400 yards longer than the Glen. 11 of the two shotters from the tips are well over 400 yards, one over 500! The course has dramatic elevation changes, 109 bunkers, water on only four holes, gorse, trees, two rock quarry holes, and heavy heather and fescue rough. The greens are generally large with confounding undulations and approaches. This is a great companion to the Glen, much less expensive, and a very interesting assortment of holes.