Even though British monarchs have anointed golf clubs with “Royal” status since the 19th century, castles with their own courses are a fairly recent occurence. Castle hotels with courses offer many bonuses for non-golfers to enjoy as traveling companions play their rounds—sumptuous lodgings and the acreage to pursue plenty of other sports from medieval favorites like falconry to kayaking Here we look at three of Ireland’s best-known castle hotels with courses that are located in the western part of the country. Courtesy of Adare ManorThe 18-hole golf course, which hosted the Irish Open in 2007 and 2008, also has a new design spearheaded by Tom Fazio. The nine-hole, 2996-yard, par-35 golf course, formerly the estate’s deer park, was designed by Eddie Hackett and can be played year round. Courtesy of DromolandAnd, of course, golf.

Source: Forbes May 27, 2018 12:00 UTC