Fota Island is a venue that makes an appearance on both the NCG Top 100s: European Resorts and the NCG Top 100s: Ireland lists.  

 

The course, designed by Christy O’Connor Jr and Peter McEvoy, and with changes from Jeff Howes, offers golfers a true test. 

 

There are 27 holes at Fota Island which can be played as three different configurations of 18 holes. The venue played host to the Irish Open on the DP World Tour three times in the 21st Century.  

 

 

You can read our full piece on the Fota Island Resort here. 

Visit the Fota Island website here.  

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage. 

Fota Island was the private home of the Smith-Barry family dating back to the 12th Century. It was almost 700 years later when golf was first played on the island. 

 

Christy O’Connor Jr and Peter McEvoy designed the original 18-hole layout at the new Fota Island Resort in 1993. A decade later, Jeff Howes came in to add another nine holes, and make some changes to the original layout.  

 

The venue achieved its championship status in 2001 when it hosted the Irish Open on the DP World Tour. Fota Island has played host to the tournament on three occasions, with Colin Montgomerie, Soren Hansen and Mikko Ilonen all winning, the last of those editions coming in 2014.   

Fota Island is home to 27 holes, offering guests and members three different ways of playing 18 holes during their time there. The three nines are Par 35, 36 and 37, and it was the Par 71 Deerpark Course that was the layout that played host to the Irish Open. There are also the Par 72 Belvelly and the Par 73 Barryscourt Courses as well, each of which provides different challenges for golfers.  

 

The Par 73 Barryscourt Course is the longest of the three, coming in at more than 7,350 yards from the back tees, with three par 5s in its first four holes. The Par 71 Deerpark is the championship layout at Fota Island, and measures 6,927 yards from the tips, while the Par 72 Belvelly Course, which takes the back nine from the Deerpark and the front nine from the Barryscourt, measures at more than 7,100 yards.   

  

There are great holes throughout the course and quirks to each layout. For instance, the 7th hole on the Barryscourt Course plays over an old quarry, before the 8th is a short par 3 over water. If you’re playing from the back tees, then the start of the Barryscourt is long. As mentioned earlier, three of the first four holes are par 5s, and all are more than 540 yards from the tips.   

  

The Deerpark Course also has back-to-back par 5s, with the 4th and 5th offering quite different challenges. 4 is a dog-leg to the right, while 5 bends round to the left and has several greenside bunkers. They follow the par 3 3rd, which is the first sighting of water. There’s much more of that to come. 10, 11, 12 and 13 all play around the same water hazard, with a pair of par 3s among them, while the finishing hole on the Deerpark has a green that is surrounded by water on three sides. It is a tricky par 5 to bring a round to an end at Fota Island.

Where is Fota Island located?
Fota Island is in the south of Ireland, between Carrigtwohill and Little Island. It is right by the southern coastline of the country and almost overlooks the Celtic Sea. The venue is just ten miles from Cork.  

  

Cork Airport is the closest, and it is the second busiest in the country, behind only Dublin Airport. The airport is 15 miles from Fota Island and runs a range of daily flights to the United Kingdom and other European countries. For those coming from further afield, Dublin Airport is the best bet, but that is 160 miles away – a three-hour drive.  

  

Cobh is the nearest train station to Fota Island, with Cobh sitting on the train line between Middleton and Mallow, with Cork also on the same line. Cobh is seven miles from Fota, and operates regular trains.   

What golf facilities does Fota Island offer?  
Along with the championship golf course, Fota Island is also the home to a Golf Academy with sublime practice facilities. The practice area at Fota Island sits next to the 5th and 6th holes of the Barryscourt Course on the southeastern side of the resort.   

  

The driving range at the resort is covered and has TrackMan implemented in every bay, while there is also an indoor putting green to allow golfers to practice on the dance floor without dealing with inclement weather. There are also a couple of outdoor tees on the range, along with three chipping greens that are up to USGA-specifications.   

What are the green fees at Fota Island?  
The price of a green fee at Fota Island changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. There are also stay & play packages available at the resort.  

 

For more information on current green fees at Fota Island, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Fota Island website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.