Does ‘wettest’ mean the course with the largest volume of water, or the course that possesses the most holes with water in play?
If it’s the former, both of Killarney’s courses can stick their oar in, thanks to Lough Leane, as can Concra Wood, on Lough Muckno. Surely, though, Old Head has to take the award.
What body of water can beat the Atlantic Ocean?
It is a majestic threat on nine of Old Head’s holes. Last year, I was at the course and the group I was photographing would stop so suddenly that their companions would walk into the back of them. It happened on the 2nd. And the 4th. And there was a threat to life on the 18th tee as they looked back up the glorious 17th.
Personally, I think ‘wettest’ refers to courses with the most water-laced holes. The thing is, that’s full of ambiguity because while I would say there’s no water in play on Tulfarris’s 10th hole – the lake is 30-plus yards left of the green – someone with an untamed hook might say ‘hold my beer.’
First, we’re talking about water that is in play – a water cooler doesn’t count, no matter how hard Sergio hits it – which includes ponds, lakes, estuaries, sea, a river or stream, and ditches in their many guises, be they formally adorned or lurking under the trees.
Take a moment. Stop reading and think about what you consider to be our wettest course. Or, at the very least, what’s the wettest course you’ve played.
These are the 12 that spring to mind, listed with the number of water features in play:
14 – K Club (Palmer North)
13 – Headfort (New) – See Course Feature Article
13 – Claremorris
13 – Galgorm Castle
12 – Adare
12 – Palmerstown Estate
11 – Killarney (Killeen)
10 – Ballykisteen
10 – Concra Wood
10 – Lough Erne
10 – Hollywood Lakes
10 – Rathcore
I have no doubt there are others I have missed, and to those I apologise. There will also be those who query my counts for the courses listed.
What about links courses? The sea may be ever-present but it doesn’t come in to play as often as you’d think. Waterville (5), Narin & Portnoo (7), and North West (7) all have multiple holes with water in play, but they don’t reach the numbers of the parklands above. Truth be told, our ‘wettest’ links isn’t threatened by the sea. Dingle possesses a wicked burn that runs through and alongside 11 holes. It makes it a formidable challenge for first-time visitors, especially given the burn’s depth, but, by my reckoning, it is a proper threat on nine of the holes.
Two final thoughts.
Which course has the prettiest water feature? I’m not big on fountains – despite their attractiveness in photographs – but put a weir and a river and a bridge together, and you have a major wow moment. Carton House (O’Meara) has all of that in its version of Amen Corner, as the River Rye runs in front of the 15th and 16th greens, and you stride across the weir between the two. And how many of Druids Glen’s numerous water features could be considered? (The answer is: all of them.)
What is the most famous water moment? It has to be Stevie Williams dropping Tiger’s 9-iron in the pond in front of the 7th green during the 2006 Ryder Cup… which is rather fitting as The K Club is Ireland’s wettest course, with ponds and the River Liffey wreaking havoc on the wayward and the weak. That said, Richard Finch falling into the River Maigue, on the 18th hole at Adare, made a bigger splash. And he still won the 2008 Irish Open.
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