Westport is a charming town in County Mayo on Ireland’s West coast. Located about 1hr 30 mins from Galway, this remote area of Ireland retains its rugged beauty. Few towns in Ireland can match Westport’s charisma and continental flavour. Cheerful, multi-coloured shop fronts jostle for attention with an attractive selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants – not to mention its setting on Clew Bay under the protection of majestic Croagh Patrick. Bustling, vibrant, colourful and cultural, Westport rivals any Riviera town. The wild and rugged beach-laden coastline is the envy of mainland Europe, the Clew Bay islands are more numerous than any exotic archipelago, and the seas are home to countless wildlife wonders, from basking sharks to humpback whales.
Just ten minutes outside of Westport Croagh Patrick stands at 764m (2,507ft) and is the third highest peak in Mayo,. Best known for its association with Saint Patrick, who is said to have fasted for 40 days at the summit in 441AD, Croagh Patrick has been a pilgrimage destination since pre-Christian times.
Clew Bay itself is one of the most beautiful bays on the whole west coast of Ireland. Dominant mountains surround the bay on both sides, which is full of small islands called Drumlins. These were created as Glaciers from the last ice age 10,000 years ago melted and retreated, leaving small sand and shale islands. They say there’s 365 of them, on for every day of the year, though many are no more than a part submerged sand bank. That said though if you’ve every wanted to own your own Island then this could be a good place to look, John Lennon even owned one in the 1970’s.
Enniscrone Golf Club is the course we will play here. Known for having some of the largest dunes in Ireland, the club is situated on a 
promontory that juts into Killala Bay at the mouth of the River Moy Estuary. This provides Enniscrone with one of the most beautiful settings for the uncompromised playing characteristics of Irish links golf. Each golf hole follows the natural contours of the land. It challenges the imaginations of golfers of all abilities, demanding the use of every club in the bag. At Enniscrone, the wind, true links lies and firm elevated greens reward those who can hold a line, hit fairways and execute ‘bump and run’ shots.
The scenery of The Dunes is second to none. Twelve of the Dunes eighteen holes wind through the tall shaggy dunes on the coast. A sense of isolation and tranquility surrounds you, along with tall marram grass roughs. The last four finishing holes are exhilarating and border the Atlantic Ocean. Enniscrone really is a breath-taking course but can be a serious challenge.