Carne Golf Links

Conditions were good and the course was quiet and was looming forward to a game on a real links course. First issue was the electric trolly that had been booked and paid for was not working and that was the only one they had. Not great for such an expensive and hilly course. The pull trolley had nothing to attach to the bag so kept twisting and slipping off on the very hilly course. Course navigation was a challenge as the signage was limited with no line of sight markers and both of the courses overlapping. In the end these physical challenges plus the fact that any shot off the fairway resulted in the high chance of a lost ball combined with my limited ability meat a frustrating end to the round. Wish I was good enough to play this because low handicap players will love it..

upon completing our round on the Hacket 18, lad in the pro-shop said another 9 on the Kilmore was complimentary. take advantage of the offer! the Kilmore is exceptional.

Perfect course along the coastline, some great views over water and a wonderful layout. Carne is a must play. Always windy and difficult. I had a very good on course and off course, with the staff being very kind and friendly as well

Hadn't heard of Carne until a few months prior to this trip. It's a bit of a hike, but if you're up anywhere near that area you must find time to go play.

For starters, it's a difficult walk, especially from where I was hitting the ball that day. But the dunes are magnificent and make for some dramatic holes and shots along the way. The par 3s are particularly great and the holes out near the water are breathtaking.

Also helps that the staff was so incredibly kind and welcoming. They were legitimately pleased that we were there to visit.

Carne is off the beaten path, but upon arrival you’re immediately greeted by the friendly staff. Of the five courses we played, this was the most difficult, primarily because of the massive elevation changes that wore down this jetlagged golfer. Walking 18 here, one of us discovered, was the equivalent, of hiking up 55 sets of stairs, so this isn’t the type of track you’d want to have on a 36-hole day. In any case, it’s a beautiful course with a memorable closing stretch on 16-18 that is as dramatic as it gets.

Tom Coyne said this was his favourite course on the island; many agree with him that it’s the best. It’s surely a beauty that I will visit again, I’m not sure about the best, but up there.
All three 9s seemingly have the same approach to design – they found these crazy dunes, cut the grass and put flag in the midst of a quasi-flat spot. The course is wild - up and down, left and right, blind shots off the tee and to the green, and plenty of challenge. Land your ball in the wrong spot and you’ll have a blind shot up a dune that seems as tall as Toronto’s skyline. The rough is tough, but not as wild as some; the fairways seemed a touch more forgiving than other courses. Views near the ocean and from the many high points on the course are amazing – those dunes are tall and provide panoramic vistas that mean you don’t care where your shot ends up.
Hacket course (opened 1993) – the original 18 – the front 9 is much more subtle and tame than the back. Anywhere else, it would be a spectacular 9 holes, but it’s followed by the back 9 and that makes it seem rather ordinary. The back 9 provides much more elevation changes, tougher shots, and greater views as it goes out along the ocean and into the highest point in the dunes.
Kilmore 9 (opened 2013) – this new 9 starts between the front and back and crosses the back 9 between and over the same tall dunes. The holes are wild and terrifying at times – the 213 yard par 3 7th has you teeing off from the top of a dune to a green a top the same dune, with only the walking path connecting the two. It’s not an island, but may as well be one – I wasn’t going to climb/fall down 30m of dune going after a ball.
Conditions on all three 9s were similar – not lush and green, but like all links very firm. The greens weren’t in the best shape – multiple grasses seems to have taken hold making putting tough at times.

If you're only doing 18, play the back 9 of the Hacket course and the Kilmore 9. [But really, you came all this way, play all 3.] Keep fueled up, the walk is a great workout that will give you your leg and glute workout for the day and completely justify the seafood chowder in the bar (best in Ireland).

Only the most dedicated and determined Americans find Carne, a golf outpost in Gaelic-speaking country in the remote northwest of Ireland. My caddie told me (in English) there isn't another golf course within a half-hour's drive. There are no nearby highways, only narrow Irish roads. My decade-long pursuit to get to Carne was worth the wait. A three-club wind made for a perfect links experience. The Hackett course - the original 18 holes designed by legendary Irish architect Eddie Hackett - features a front nine framed by smaller dunes near the inland farm fields before diving into the massive sand hills overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the back. The par 3s - one uphill, one down - on this nine are glorious. These dunes, as big as any in Ireland, make walking and playing a formidable challenge coming home, even without the wind. I didn't get to play the new Kilmore nine, opened in 2013, but I explored it with a cart to take photos. It might be the best loop on the property, so be sure to play it, too.

Probably one of the greatest golf courses in the world, play it!

Carne was a fantastic experience.In a natural setting next to the Atlantic.The staff and members were very friendly.For the most part I kept the ball in the fairway,trouble all around if you dont.The greens were fast and true.A lot of blind tee shots.Elevated tees and greens.Tough pin placements when I played. If your in Ireland its well worth the drive to Belmullet.