County Louth Golf Club (Baltray)

Two Loops Through Baltray's Dunes

The golf course at County Louth Golf Club began in 1892, when a nine-hole layout was ready for play on the seashore at Baltray. Thomas Gilroy and G.H. Pentland guided its early development. The course golfers know today took shape in 1938, when Tom Simpson, assisted by Molly Gourlay, redesigned the links. Their routing remains largely intact.

Baltray runs in two loops across natural sandhills beside the Boyne Estuary. The holes face different directions, so the wind presents a new problem throughout the round. Firm ground, rolling fairways, strategic bunkers, and carefully placed greens reward golfers who choose angles before distance. The blind approach at the par-five 3rd and the valley-framed 6th show how the routing uses the natural land.

The short par-four 14th offers another puzzle from an elevated tee, while the closing par five is guarded by formidable bunkers. Simpson's greens bring much of the course's character. Their contours and surrounding slopes place a premium on approach position, leaving demanding recoveries when the correct section is missed.