Rosapenna Golf Resort. Old Tom Morris Links.

Rosapenna – Old Tom Morris Links

The Old Tom Morris Links at Rosapenna holds a unique place in Irish golf history. Laid out by the legendary Tom Morris Senior in 1893 — at the personal request of Lord Leitrim who wished to bring golf to his Donegal estate — the course predates many of Ireland's celebrated links by decades. Morris, who had previously shaped Lahinch, Machrihanish and Royal County Down, found the Rosapenna dunes to be perfect links terrain, and his instincts remain evident in the routing over 130 years later.

At 5,950 yards and par 71, the Old Tom Morris Links is shorter than the resort's other two courses and plays in a more traditional, understated manner. The holes follow the natural contours of the dune land, with minimal earthworks and a sense of authenticity that the newer courses, however brilliant, cannot quite replicate. For students of golf history and those who prize tradition above spectacle, this is the Rosapenna course to seek out.

The course was substantially revised in recent decades to restore original characteristics and improve drainage, while retaining its essential Victorian character. It is ideal for those who want a contrast to the more modern Sandy Hills and St. Patrick's courses, and is particularly enjoyable in the early morning or evening when the light is low and the dunes cast long shadows across the fairways.