Golf Courses:

The Smurfit Course at The K Club has already been described as "probably the greatest inland Golf Course to be developed in Ireland". The construction has attracted attention throughout Europe because of its scale and the construction.

Developing the Course
The philosophy in developing the course was to ensure that a comparison with the existing Palmer Ryder Course would be difficult and that the golfers experience would be completely different. When this brief was given to Palmer Course Design Company, they came up with a concept, which was radical with regards to golf course developments throughout the World.

An Inland Golf Links
The best way to describe The Smurfit Course at The K Club is that of an inland links. However, it's true attributes do not stop there. The Course has many dramatic landscapes with dune type mounding throughout. This assists in making the Course into a true Championship Golf Course with many vantage points for spectators to view the Golf Professional at work.
Coupled with this point, some fourteen acres of water have been worked into the design especially through the final phase of Hole No's: 13 to 18. A watery grave awaits many a golfer on the home stretch.

In essence the Course is entirely different from The Palmer Ryder Course located just across the River Liffey. From feedback to date golfers state that it is almost impossible to make a comparison such is the difference in experience.

Landscaping
Even with regard to the landscaping there is a significant difference, whereby on The Palmer Ryder Course there are specifically planted areas using cultivated plants presented in a formal fashion are the norm. On The Palmer Smurfit Course wild species of plants have been used such as gorse, bracken etc. and have been planted in a highly random fashion, more or less as nature would have intended.
Also four islands have been created within the lakes to promote the establishment of waterfowl.

The 7th Hole
The most significant golf hole on The Smurfit Course is the Par 5 7th measuring some 606 yards. This hole will probably be regarded as the most dramatic in Europe. It has a series of water cascades and water features which are just some factors of this development. In its construction, the fairway was dropped some sixty feet below its original height. A large man made quarry / rockface has been developed along the entire length of the golf hole. This was done using technologies developed by a company called Rock & Waterscape who are based in California. Whilst their primary work to date has included Golf Courses, their main core business is working with the likes of the Disney organisation, Seaworld, and Universal Studios. The result is entirely unique and has never been attempted before in Europe. This is obviously the signature hole for the golf course.

Directions for N7 route:
1. From the N7 (Naas Road) take Straffan exit.
2. After approximately 4 miles/7km - over Liffey Bridge - Hotel gates on left.

Directions to The Kildare Hotel & Country Club From Dublin Airport:
1. Take the M1 from the Airport and follow the signs for the M50 to the Westlink Toll Bridge.
2. Immediately after coming off toll bridge, exit at junction 7 and head right to N4- Galway/Sligo & The West.
3. Continue on this road past the Lucan Spa Hotel and on to the M4 Motorway.
4. Exit Motorway at Naas/Maynooth signpost and a junction take left for Naas.
5. Continue for approximately 5 miles/8km - cross Clane Road and follow sign for Straffan
6. Past Barberstown Castle and into Straffan Village - continue through village - entrance to Hotel ½ mile/800 m on right hand side.
Distance: 23 miles/37km - 30 minutes approximately.