Neville Hotels has broken ground on a new golf course, designed by Dana Fry and Jason Straka, in Curracloe on the east coast of Ireland.
This story was originally reported by Golf Course Architecture magazine.
Curracloe Links will be located on land that had previously been used for farming, a few hundred meters from Curracloe Beach, the filming location for Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, and next to Neville Hotels’ newest property, Ravenport Resort.
The 18-hole layout will be the first in Ireland to be designed by Fry and Straka, whose previous work includes Erin Hills in Wisconsin and Calusa Pines in Florida.
“The ancient linksland of Curracloe Links, with its rolling hills, long sea views and rugged natural bunkers, will offer a quintessential Irish golf experience and lure people from all over the world to its fairways,” said Straka.
“There are fewer and fewer parcels of land like this available in the world and we are thrilled to be given the privilege to reveal the golf course that lays there,” said Fry.
The routing map for the course reveals that the opening hole will play to a green alongside a lake, which also comes into play on par-three seventh.
Golfers will then cross the resort road to play holes eight to seventeen, before returning to the southern section of the course for the closing hole, which plays over the lake to a fairway shared with the first.
The $27.1 million project will be Neville Hotel’s second golf-oriented property in Ireland, following the completion of the restoration of the Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock-designed course at Druids Glen Hotel and Golf Resort in 2023.
“Our family has deep ties to County Wexford, and to be able to create Ravenport – a world class golf course and hotel, along with golfing cottages – in the region is hugely satisfying,” said Seamus Neville.
“With this, their first opportunity to work in Ireland, we’re confident Jason and Dana will create a golf course that’s as special as the site upon which its built. We looked at many golf design firms all over the world and are certain Fry/Straka will build something truly unforgettable.”
