The European Club Key Information
A fine modern links where glorious sea views and distinctive sleepered bunkers abound, and where the emphasis is very much on fun, despite the course being more than capable of testing the very best, as it did when hosting the Irish PGA Championship for three years from 2007.
The long and testing 7th, flanked by reeds and imposing dunes, has achieved worldwide renown and takes you down to a run of five memorable holes set along or close to the beach, among them the head-turning par-3 14th, with its well-bunkered plateau green nestling in the dunes.
REASONS TO PLAY THE EUROPEAN CLUB
- An exciting modern links with visual drama aplenty and sea views for much of the round
- Enough little design touches to distinguish it from other modern links, including those sleepered bunkers
- The chance to play 20 holes for the price of 18 as the two extra par 3s are in play most days
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 18
Back in the 1980s, Irish golf writer and golf course architect, Pat Ruddy, who also created the fine parkland course at Druid's Glen, was determined to have a golf course of his own, maybe even one that would rank highly in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland biennial list.
Perhaps fearing that the scope to develop classic linksland into little pieces of golfing heaven would only diminish over time, he set out on a helicopter reconnaissance mission in 1987 to find the perfect spot.
The fruits of that mission turned out to be Brittas Bay in County Wicklow, and six years later, dream became reality when his European Club opened for play there. It has enjoyed a place in the upper echelons of our rankings from the start and also ranks very near the top when it comes to the best golf courses in Ireland.
My first game here was 20-odd years ago on a Ping press trip when I was the magazine's equipment editor. I remember playing with one of their club engineers called Mike Nicolette, who surprised me by telling me he was a PGA Tour winner - the Bay Hill Classic (now Arnold Palmer Invitational) in 1983, where he beat Greg Norman in a play-off!
He also finished 13th in the US Open that year and made the cut at Augusta but, suffice to say, he had little more luck than me in avoiding the European Club's famous bunkers that day some 20 years after his heyday. However, my chances of winning even the club medal were never that great, even in my 'heyday'.
My memories are of a course unlike anything I'd seen before, with several features and moments clearly betraying the twinkle Ruddy must have had in his eye when dreaming them up.
This is a course where glorious sea views and distinctive sleepered bunkers abound, and where the emphasis is very much on fun, despite the course being more than capable of testing the very best, as it did when hosting the Irish PGA Championship for three years from 2007. Padraig Harrington won them all!
On the topic of fun, the widening of the fairways in recent years has enhanced that element for many, and there are also a few quirky touches that speak to the creator’s character and make things just a little bit different here.
For a start, there are two cracking extra par 3s at 7a and 12a which you are more than welcome to play most days. Then there’s the tongue-in-cheek 127-yard-long 12th green that sends the potential for misclubbing into a whole new dimension.
The long and testing 7th, flanked by reeds and imposing dunes, has achieved worldwide renown and takes you down to a run of five memorable holes set along or close to the beach, among them the head-turning par-3 14th, with its well-bunkered plateau green nestling in the dunes.
Ruddy’s dream was to build a glorious links playground of his own, and golfers everywhere should be eternally grateful that he took to the skies in 1987 to fulfil that dream.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
The European Club, with its demand to play strategic golf and not lose oneself in the sea views, is balm for the soul. Hands-on course architect and owner, Pat Ruddy, one of life’s true gentlemen, dominates the place with his larger-than-life personality and kindness, his never-ending course tweaks, energy and attention to detail... even in his 90s and on to his fifth hip! And then you go home and read the book on The European Club that he has given you, and his wit, gift with words and indomitable spirit resonate even longer. The greens, at a modest links pace, rolled magnificently flat and true. The pot bunkers are topped with clumps of marram grass, which look delightful, preferably when viewed from afar and not from within.
A thrilling experience and the welcome is second to none, particularly as in included a relaxed chat with Pat Ruddy. It teests every facet of your game to the limit and plays with your mind, especially when the wind gets up. Several holes seem deceptive to the eye. The sleeper-faced bunkers leave you often playing out backwards (or wishing you had!). It would be a joy to come back, with the determination to stay clear of the bunkers next time.
The European Club location
Contact The European Club to book a round
The European Club Course Scorecard
Best Courses Near The European Club
Best Places To Stay Near The European Club
Arklow Bay Hotel and Leisure Club, Arklow - Book now at Booking.com
Overlooking the sea and just a short walk from Arklow town, this hotel offers tasty food, an impressive leisure club and 91 rooms, some with spectacular sea views. The Arklow Bay Hotel and Leisure Club’s impressive leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room and a gymnasium. Arklow is a charming and historic town six miles from the European Club surrounded by hills and beautifully located by the sea.
The Meetings B&B, Avoca - Book now at Booking.com
The Meetings B&B is located directly at The Meeting of the Waters. Guests can enjoy the property's communal balcony, which directly overlooks the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers. Situated in Avoca, this bed and breakfast boasts a bar and a shop, and offers guests free on-site parking and free WiFi. The property is ideally located for exploring Wicklow, and lies seven miles from the European Club.
The European Club Gallery
THE EUROPEAN CLUB HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2025/26 - 18
- 2023/24 - 19
- 2021/22 - 19
- 2019/20 - 18
- 2017/18 - 19
- 2015/16 - 20
- 2013/14 - 17
- 2011/12 - 14
- 2009/10 - 15
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the European Club hosted any tour events?
No, it hasn't yet hosted any tour events, although many of the game's biggest stars have played here including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. What it has hosted is the Irish PGA Championship for three years from 2007 the week before The Open. Padraig Harrington won all three, the final one by seven strokes, and it's probably no coincidence that he also went on to win The Open in two of those three years.
Which courses has Pat Ruddy designed?
Ruddy's first design was at Castlecomer in the Irish midlands in 1969. As well as his own course at the European Club, he also designed Ballyliffin's Glashedy links and Rosapenna's Sandy Hills links from concept to completion. Among the other Irish courses he has made significant contributions to are County Sligo, Ballyliffin Old, Rosapenna's Old Tom Morris/Pat Ruddy links, Portsalon and Donegal.
