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The majority of links courses in the British Isles were built during a period extending from 1880 until 1930. This was a time when zoning regulations were practically non-existent, golf was becoming increasingly fashionable and the dune-filled, seaside land needed to create a links, was readily available.

European Club - the 17th

But Ireland has experienced a mini-revival in new links course development over the past 25 years.

Ballyliffin, Connemara, Murvagh, Doonbeg and The European Club are a few of the more significant new Irish entries into the world of links golf, with The European Club perhaps being the best of all.

Located an easy 30 mile drive south of Dublin, in County Wicklow, The European Club is the dream and handiwork of the amazing Pat Ruddy, a man with golf in his blood.

European Club - The 18th Hole

Ruddy is not your conventional golf architect. He never studied the subject formally, neither did he work for any large architectural firm and possibly had never seen a drawing board until he acquired this piece of Wicklow coastline and vowed to build himself a golf course.

What Pat Ruddy has accomplished is nothing short of amazing and proof positive that all you need is a dream and the determination, grit and courage to turn that dream into reality.

European Club - the 8th hole

More than 15 years have passed since The European Club opened and in that short time it has risen to be ranked number 7 in all Ireland, preceded only by Royal County Down, Portmarnock, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion and just a hair behind Waterville and Lahinch.

For this young teenager to earn a position among six crusty centenarians maybe tribute enough for The European -- in the world of golf rankings, newcomers are never welcomed with open arms.

It must be said that Ruddy had a good eye when it came to picking out a potential golf site.

European Club is filled with Serious bunkers and sea views

The land he selected skirts Brittas Bay on the Irish Sea and consists entirely of giant sand dunes, the ideal raw material from which to build a links course to be remembered.

And this self taught, determined designer has done just that. Today, The European Club stands as a lasting memorial to pure links golf and one man's determination to build the best.

From start to finish the holes have you weaving your way between, around, over and through the magnificent sand hills.

Massive sand dunes were the raw material for Pat Ruddy's masterpiece

The Irish Sea is always in view and a constant factor, complete with the inevitable wind that seems to blow here with an added gusto. Unlike many traditional links courses, Ruddy has intentionally eliminated any blind holes and presents a refreshing case of, what you see is what you get, that continues non-stop from start to finish.

It is difficult to identify the best holes here, as all are extremely good and half of those can be classified as truly outstanding.

But if any must be selected, the 3rd, a par 5 and a cascading downhill thriller, must be on the list. The 7th is truly spectacular, with an eerie marsh running the full length of the fairway.

The European Club's greens are fiercely protected

The 12th, 13th and 15th are literally played along the beach, providing yet another unique feature. The 17th, plunging through a dune-lined valley is nothing less than exhilarating.

Perhaps the very best of all is kept until last, with a closing hole that almost defies description and needs to be experienced to be believed.

Success begets success and the initial amazement among the golfing intelligentsia at what this amateur designer had accomplished at The European Club, quickly spread.

The location is exposed to the temperamental Irish Sea winds

Before long Ruddy's services were being called upon by others to bring his unique design talents to their projects. An amateur no more, the name Pat Ruddy has become synonymous with quality designs, with a particular mastery of seaside links.

Fortunately, the man has not taken a factory approach, instead carefully selecting which design projects he accepts. This is a designer who is very much hands on and if the Ruddy name is there, he did the work and didn't delegate to others. Find Pat Ruddy's name on a course and you can be assured it's special - Druids Glen, Druids Heath, Ballyliffin's Glashedy Course, Portsalon and the stunning new Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna, only prove the point

But The European Club remains his favorite child -- this was the first and this is where he invested all of his money and effort into making a magnificent links course, so much in fact that little has been done to provide anything but the most basic of club houses.

But that's the way Ruddy wants it, plain and simple, just the way things were a century ago, when those other links courses were mere whippersnappers.

There is no question that The European Club is deserving of its ranking as not only one of Ireland's best, but one of the best links courses in the world.

Want to include The European Club in your itinerary? For a few ideas, click here.