Perfect lie on the edge of Europe

Feature Atlantic Links, Waterville: John O'Sullivan visits the new course on the edge of the Iveragh peninsula and finds a splendid marriage of natural accident and human design

It's been five years in gestation but next summer the Atlantic Links at Waterville, an 18-hole, Ron Kirby-designed course, will be open for play. The project is the brainchild of Michael "Haulie" O'Shea but his involvement extends far beyond simply financing the 5 million project.

O'Shea will become one of the few golf-course owners who can boast sculpting the land with his very own hands, or to be more precise, the modern machinery from his company TT Cat Landscaping Ltd. The Waterville native was also fully versed in the demands of the undertaking, having done the construction work on the Old Head golf course in Kinsale.

A prominent local businessman and farmer, although he would blanch at that description, the quietly spoken O'Shea inveigled Kirby to come down and look at a piece of land about five years ago, the pair having worked in tandem at the Old Head.

Kirby laughs: "He had about 100 acres at that time and asked me to build a golf course. I said that I couldn't fit one in but if he was to buy that hill over there then we'd be in business. Despite his initial protests about the fact that it would probably cost him a fortune, he did."

The pace of progress has been measured but by October the whole course will be sown. As things stand the first nine holes are virtually competed and by the end of the summer the back nine routing will be moulded and sown.

The land is on the opposite side of the village to the world-renowned Waterville Links, 145 acres of what used to be the Butler Estate before part of it was repartitioned and given to local farmers. It is a magnificent setting, with views of the McGillycuddy Reeks among other mountain ranges and Hog's Head across Ballinskelligs Bay, while the Comeraigh river sweeps down to the sea. Kirby's routing offers a stunning contrast between the initial journey up and down the valley using the mountains as a backdrop and the Fionnaglass river as a natural, meandering hazard, before transforming from parkland to headland for the back nine and the journey along the cliffs that tower over Ballinskelligs Bay.

The course will offer another striking feature in 10,000 metres of traditional dry-clad stone walls. Kirby explains. "Once Haulie got the extra land the ball was in my court. There were 8,000 metres of dry-stone walls and while we had to remove about 10 per cent to facilitate the routing we created another 2,000 metres.

"It was a magnificent and quick method of branding each of the holes with its own identity. I wanted to keep the walls sharp looking but was conscious of not trying to get too busy in making alterations. I want the course, particularly around the headland, to look as if it's been there forever. I want people to think they have just cut the grass on this piece of land.

"We've used pretty much everything that's there, including marshland. I was conscious of being respectful towards the site. I don't want people looking up from the town and seeing this huge landscaping project, feeling that we've taken the hill, torn it up and put down a golf course.

"My objective was for people who look at the headland to have to be told that there's a golf course up there somewhere."

Kirby drew on his experience from his days as Jack Nicklaus's chief designer at Mount Juliet to his taking over of the Old Head project alongside Joe Carr, the complete revamping of Dromoland Castle and latterly work at Greystones, to take cognisance of prevailing weather.

"I have been on the site when the wind has been whistling up and down that valley. There was no point in sticking in hugely contoured big greens. The greens, which will be sown with A4, are small and flattish by and large, with some subtle contouring."

The course is not set up in two loops of nine, but those wishing to play nine holes can play the first seven and then the 17th and 18th.

There is a beguiling quality about the layout, from the par-five opening hole, which wends its way gently uphill. It's not overly long and the prevailing weather will generally make it downwind. A lily pond protects the small green.

The second offers a perfect illustration of Kirby's subtle and clever use of mounding that echoes the shape of the mountains in the background. The third is a gem, a long par three where the golfer must hit his tee shot across the river to a green using the stone walls as a backdrop, with gorse providing the colour.

The fourth employs a stream to create a waterfall effect near the green, a short par four that can be played as a three iron/nine iron or goad the longer hitters to "unsheathe the big dog".

After playing the seventh - it boasts a ring fort that is completely fenced off - down towards Ballinskelligs Bay, golfers will cross a road via an underpass to the eighth tee and it's from here that the backdrop shifts from mountains to ocean.

The 13th green offers an achingly beautiful vista, framed by Ballinskelligs Bay and Hog's Head. The golfer then makes a pilgrimage along the cliff-face that encompasses the tee shot on the 14th, through to the tee shot on the 16th and all points in between. The final hole is akin to playing down a funnel; gorse, river and mounding placing an emphasis on precision.

At 7,200 yards off the back tees, this course would be capable of staging a championship but such thoughts are for another day. Kirby is optimistic that the age-old tradition of golfers being bussed in from Killarney to play the links at Waterville and then shipped out after a round can be altered.

"I think we'll now be able to produce two flavours of golf: the links and a parkland/headland course that give golfers two distinct tests. Hopefully they'll stay in the village (Waterville Links have eagerly embraced the new neighbour) and spend some time here. We didn't have the links land but I think it'll be an enjoyable challenge. It'll be great and mutually beneficial for both courses to get people to stay.

"A selling point will be the diversity of golfing challenge on offer."

So what's the designer's favourite hole? "I think it would have to be the 15th, which will be like shooting into the Postage Stamp at Troon. You'll have to pick a window in Haulie's hotel, the Bay View, depending on the wind. I think it'll end up being what Jack (Nicklaus) used to call the 'calendar hole'.

"I think it has the potential to be in the top 50 courses in this country, maybe the top 25. Golfers will enjoy this experience."

O'Shea's sole focus for now is on the course; when he's finished with that he'll turn his attention to the clubhouse, which will overlook the 18th green. The quality of the turf and the excellent natural drainage mean this course will be playable 12 months of the year.

Even though it remains about 10 months from the projected opening, just walking the land stimulates the golfing juices. O'Shea, Kirby and Turfgrass Consultancy, the project managers, have combined to unearth and polish a potential jewel in the Kingdom's crown.