The wonderful Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort in northwest Ireland set to grow bigger and better

I’ve got some great memories of the Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links in northern Ireland.

I played in monsoon-like conditions on its Sandy Hills Course in 2010 (read about it here).

I came back two years later and discovered just how much fun golf at Rosapenna can be when the wind isn’t pummeling your spirit. I’ve written a ton about Rosapenna, how it’s one of the oldest golf resorts in the world (read here), even though Sandy Hills in one of the top modern marvels in Ireland (read here). I’ve detailed how many good links litter the region (read here and here). I’ve even photographed its beautiful setting on Sheephaven Bay (see here).

And now I’m glad to report the resort is set to get bigger and better. The Casey family have reportedly acquired the 370 acres formally known as St. Patrick’s Golf Links, which is next door to its current 800 acres. The St. Patrick’s site consists of 36 holes of crude links golf, pushing the Rosapenna inventory to 81 holes, second only to St. Andrews in Scotland. Jack Nicklaus started to redesign the two St. Patrick courses, Maheramagorgan and Trá Mór, in 2006 before financial issues derailed the project. Tom Doak, who has already worked at Rosapenna, continues to express interest in getting a chance to redevelop the new land into another stirring links or two. I’ve seen some of the St. Patrick holes while walking Sandy Hills (see the photo of the sixth hole at Sandy Hills above) and those dunes look just as imposing as Sandy Hills.

There are multiple directions the project could go. The new land could stay two standalone links. The 36 holes could be combined into one 18-hole loop, or some of the land could be merged with the fantastic Old Tom Morris nine to create a different 18-hole option. Whatever happens, the message is clear. Rosapenna is poised to rise to become one of the great links destinations in the world.