| Druids
Glen: whimsy, fairy
dust, mystique and awe.
There’s always a sense of whimsy, fairy dust, mystique and
awe in stories about Ireland. And the emergence of County Wicklow’s
Druids Glen Golf Resort, the 5-star luxury playground for those
looking for an escape to paradise, is no exception. Located just
30 minutes drive south of Dublin, you’ll experience that
sense of awe as you enter and explore this modern deluxe facility
which is encircled by lush foliage and gardens, rich history,
manicured golf courses and reminders all around you that your
are intricately woven into the timeless past that is Ireland.
While you have every modern amenity available at any big city
hotel, you’ll feel the peace and tranquility of the countryside
and appreciate the contrast of modern living against the backdrop
of sheep grazing in local fields. Unquestionably, this is Ireland
at its romantic best!
Druids Glen Golf Club, after its
opening in 1995, hosted the Murphy’s Irish Open, the premier
golfing event in Ireland, known as one of the richest on the European
PGA tour, from 1996 to 1999, in 2003, the resort opened the Druids
Heath Championship Course which added to its allure as one of
the great golf resorts in the world. The resort boasts two 18-hole
golf courses where the manicured landscape and gardens of the
glen combine with its history to create a magical experience for
the golfer which helps explain why Druids Glen was voted European
Golf Course of the Year in 2005 and Druids Heath Golf Course played
host to the 2006 Irish PGA Championship.
Let’s drive through the entry
way together and enter the majestic interior of Druids Glen’s
hotel accommodations. The soaring heights of the wood ceilings,
the use of rich woods for the walls, the massive stone fireplaces
and the walls of glass that open the interior to bring the lush
glen into the interior space, combine creating a framework to
feature the outdoors inside. The architecture creates the sense
of being in a ski lodge in Colorado or Vermont which makes the
North American feel at home in these surroundings created from
natural elements and the communion one feels with nature.
And then you step out onto the golf
courses and meander through centuries of history that can only
be Ireland! Druids Glen was the Woodstock Estate dating from the
1600’s and the building that is today its club house was
built in 1770. When the first golf course was under construction,
an ancient Druid altar was discovered where pre-Christian worship
took place. You’ll find a statue commemorating the spot
at Druids Glen’s 12th hole. And don’t be surprised
if you find a leprechaun ready to caddy for you!
When you return from your day of
golfing, a comfortable, well-appointed room will be waiting to
welcome you as well with standards that exceed the expectations
of the Marriott group of which Druids Glen is a member. You’ll
find the dining room well appointed and serving excellent cuisine
and, for lighter fare, you might want to sit on the heated outdoor
deck and enjoy the view.
And if you’re planning that
“destination wedding” or corporate function where
you’ll want memorable photos for your album or yearly report,
check out the stairway in the lobby area! It’s a “Kodak
Moment” waiting to be captured!
For those who think this is just
too much of a trip, keep in mind that it takes less time to fly
from the East Coast of the US to Ireland than to fly from your
chosen East Coast airport to California and it’s less than
half the flight time to Hawaii.
More importantly, it’s well
worth the trip to meet incredible people who will greet you daily
with warm Irish welcomes that make the place, the experience,
and the people impossible to forget. And that starts at the top
with Druids Glen Golf Resort’s CEO, Denis Kane, whose warmth,
charm, wit, and laser-sharp focus on delivering a golfer’s
paradise trickles through every element, every service and every
amenity at Druids Glen, County Wicklow, Ireland. Indicative of
Kane’s innovative thinking, Druids Glen Golf Resort was
the first place in Ireland to implement the First Tee program,
created with funds provided by Tiger Woods, to establish a program
that teaches young people not only how to play golf but focuses
on the valuable “life’s lessons” one learns
playing golf related to honesty, perseverance, constantly bettering
oneself, integrity and clean competition.
This is a Must Visit golfing
paradise in the tranquil countryside of Ireland within 30 minutes
of bustling Dublin. You can’t beat that!
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