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By David Brice
Golf International, Inc.

It's one of life's oddities that the more we mortals try to keep a secret, the sooner it becomes public knowledge. Conversely, when we have something we feel the need to shout from the rooftops, nobody listens and almost by default, it stays a secret.

Wind, sand dunes, heavy rough and a real test.

That's about the size of the situation at The Island Golf Club, one of Ireland's true hidden gems of a links course, located a mere12 mile drive north of the heart of Dublin. The phrase Hidden Gem, is much overused in the world of golf, but I use it to describe The Island Golf Club, unashamedly and with no apology.

How a great links, perhaps one Ireland's top half dozen or so, can remain unknown to the golfing world after more than a hundred years in existence is a mystery to me as well as most of the golfing Irish. Though I suspect the Irish are not too upset at being able to keep such a rugged beauty all to themselves.

For any golfer visiting Dublin, by all means play the well-known clubs such as Portmarnock, Royal Dublin and The European Club, but if you don't grab the chance to play The Island, you will be missing out on something special.

The Island -- pure linksland offering golf the way it was intended.

This is a good old-fashioned links that saw the first light of day back in 1890, though nobody seems to be too sure who was responsible for the original design. It sits on a slim peninsula of land that juts out defiantly separating the Irish Sea from Broadmeadow Estuary.

Not quite an island, the sea and estuary surround the course on three, almost three and a half sides, creating the ideal linksland, with The Island Golf Club its sole tenant. Gigantic sand dunes, fast running undulating fairways, small quick greens and a devilish wind gusting in from the Irish Sea complete the picture.

Until 1990 the course also had an abundance (or as most felt, an overabundance) of blind holes, a fact that irritated many of the local members. So in its centenary year, with the professional assistance of Fred Hawtree and Eddie Hackett, modifications were made.

Massive sand dunes add to the complexity of the test.

Showing as much respect as was possible to the original layout, Messrs Hawtree and Hackett went to work with scalpels in hand and performed their surgery, clearing all but 4 of the offending blind holes. The end result is the impressive layout that is today's course.

Successfully retained is the feeling of an important piece of golf history and a track that is basically well over a century old. Reminiscent of a crusty west of Ireland links or even one of the toughest seaside layouts of Scotland, The Island very capably delivers on the promise of a real links test -- it may be unforgiving yet it maintains a sense of sportsmanship and fair play.

The combination of holes here is different, with only a couple of par-5's and three par-3's, so there's plenty of opportunity for those with an affinity for two shot holes to get their fill on the 13 par-4's.

The best of the original holes have been kept with all of their unique and often crusty character and nowhere do their true colors shine through more brilliantly than on the back nine.

Hard to believe Dublin city center is only 12 miles away.

There is a particularly memorable sequence running from the 12th through the 15th as the track rounds the tip of the peninsula, bobbing and weaving its way between and over giant sand hills. This is where the blustering and usually temperamental wind will awaken even the most jaded player, wreaking havoc to any scorecard.

The Island proudly takes its place among Ireland's best and though fame may still be lacking, that situation will inevitably change one day. With patience enough to wait over a hundred years so far, the celebrity it deserves can't be that far off, can it?

Take my advice and don't wait for the crowd's to discover The Island - Play one of Ireland's best-kept golf secrets, before word gets out.

For suggestions as to how The Island Golf Club can be included in your Irish golf trip, click here.

© 2007 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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