Opulent splendour sums basically it up. We all know about the K Club – Ryder Cup 2006 venue and home to the Smurfit European Open. The Arnold Palmer-designed challenge is well above par, and with the amount of euros being pumped into renovating, earth-moving and teasing, it will be an even grander proposition come the big day three years hence. Watch out for the 600+yard 7th hole, ‘Half Moon’, a double-dogleg over sand, rough and water with an island green cradled in the forearms of the River Liffey. Dangerous territory. And it might be wiser to take in the impressive views of Straffan House (now the K Club Hotel) than to go for it. The par-five 13th hole, ‘Arnold’s Pick’, should have your alert antennae buzzing. What was the great man known for?

Taking strategic risks and being a bit cavalier. Success here depends entirely on the placement of the drive.
Finally, of course, the 18th. Any Ryder Cup must have an operatic finish (Valderrama has its 17th drama-queen), and throw in a good-sized lake for either the ball to be drawn into or excited Irishmen to dive into (like Paul McGinley at The Belfry) and you’ve created a rich viewing recipe. Back to why Ireland attracts some of the sporting greats to relax and stay a while. Adorning the clubhouse walls are photos of Tiger Woods and his big buddy, Mark O’Meara, grinning like kids with rods in hand.
They are hooked on fishing, so much so they annually fly the boss of the K Club, who has become a close friend, out in their jet to exotic hunting grounds to check that their casting

style is up to scratch. In a world where the Tiger has limited freedom to roam, is it not heartening to know that he chooses Ireland every year. And why? Because it’s a great place and the people have sufficient sense to welcome him and then leave him alone with his mates (and in some deep parts of the country they either don’t care who he is or have never heard of him). There are three types of golf venues in my trip, starting with that flashy but friendly K Club.
Two hours’ drive south into Kilkenny, we reach Mount Juliet. This is idyllic riding country rich in hunting history, and the kennels are alive with the sounds of the hounds. If the Earl of Carrick and his wife, Juliana, were alive today, they would be proud to see how their MJ has developed into a 21st-century mind-body-soul haven.