Golf travel information and factfile

Green fees (at time of visit)

Glasson €45 to €60 (£37 to £50); Athenry €20 to €25 (£16.50 to £21); Galway Bay €45 to €60 (£37 to £50).

Glasson is included in the Lakelands 3 Golf Pass which also offers Esker Hills and New Forest Golf Clubs for €100 (£83) and it's always worth checking with the club websites and Irish Tourist Board for similar deals.

Travel

Getting to Ireland is always a joy if you go by Irish Ferries (irishferries.com) which may take a little longer than flying, but it's worth it while the renowned Irish hospitality was very much in evidence at Glasson and two nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the party city of Galway was great fun with a visit to the exceptional McSwiggan's Restaurant a highlight.

For those preferring a tighter budget, there is excellent network of B&Bs offered by the Irish Tourist Board and a good starting point is discoverireland.com with a dedicated golf page "Golf - Time to Play" which has links to value offers and golf passes.

Factfile

Glasson Hotel and Country Club, Killinure, Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. Tel: +353 90 6485120 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting, Fax: +353 90 6485444, Email: info@glassongolf.ie. Website: glassongolfhotel.ie

Galway Bay Golf Club and Resort, Oranmore, County Galway. Tel:+353 91 790711/2; Fax +353 91 792510; Email: info@galwaybaygolfresort.com; Website: galwaybaygolfresort

Athenry Golf Club, Palmerston, Oranmore, County Galway, Tel: +353 91 794466. Email: Email athenrygc@eircom.net; Website: athenrygolfclub.net

Useful websites

radissonhotelgalway.com mcswiggans.com irishferries.com discoverireland.com