Cruit Island Golf Club

Across Cruit's Rock and Wind

The golf course at Cruit Island Golf Club opened in 1986 after local founders set out to build a course on the island's northern edge. Michael Doherty, then the professional at City of Derry Golf Club, prepared the nine-hole plan. Local man Tony Boyle led construction with a small group of helpers, giving the course a hand-built origin suited to its remote setting.

The routing covers compact, rugged ground linked to the mainland by a narrow bridge. Seven par fours and two par threes make up the par-34 loop, yet the challenge comes from uneven lies, exposed greens, and wind moving in from the Atlantic. Rocky outcrops remain part of the playing landscape rather than sitting beyond it.

The par-three 6th provides Cruit's defining moment. Its tee shot must cross a sea-cut chasm to a small green set among cliffs, with the required club changing sharply as the wind shifts. Elsewhere, raised ground opens views towards Arranmore and Owey Islands, with Mount Errigal inland. The short layout feels far larger because the coastline remains involved from one hole to the next.