Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort,Sandy Hills Links Course
6th hole / 420 Yards / Par-4
Rosapenna, County Donegal
Architect: Pat Ruddy
by M. James Ward
Links golf is the ultimate examination of one’s golf game – the elements front and centre – the wherewithal to make constant adjustments the ultimate barometer in seeing if one’s game is up to the task.
Rosapenna is in the northwest corner of Ireland and it beckons the adventurous golfer to come to its often windy and unpredictable weather ways. At 7,255 yards from the tips the course has sufficient challenge for all types of players. Be sure to play the course at an appropriate length because the course does not.
Sandy Hills Links is located literally on a plateau of links land left as is until 2003. There is additional golf options at the famed resort and those courses provide sufficient challenge, but nothing like what Sandy Hills provides.
Being able to control the trajectory and shape of one’s golf ball is essential. There is plenty of danger lurking and those inclined to play military golf – left / right / left – will quickly realise they are overmatched.
The 6th is one of golf’s grandest holes. The hole plays slightly uphill to a blind landing area. Talk about making things uncomfortable for the player! Located at the far southern end of the course, the drive goes over a crest and being able to position the shot is mandatory. Go too far right left and high rough awaits. There is a bit more room to the right, but from the angle the putting surface can be blocked out by mounding on that side.
The fairway bottlenecks, but only the foolish attempt to go full bore and tempt fate by trying to get through this sliver of land. The putting green sits at the bottom of the hill and poses an array of interesting puzzles for the player to discern.
When you walk over the brow of the hill and descend to the green the visual rush is beyond words. Sheephaven Bay provides a thrilling sight coupled with Muckish Mountain in the nearby distance. The 6th at Sandy Hills is a constant reminder why golf – when at its best – is a game of eternal fascination.
The feeling in leaving the green and knowing your best play has been amply rewarded is a memory you will long remember. And, for those who come up short, the desire to try again will be all consuming. A tour de force hole casts such an enduring spell.