“ We want the player to think their way around the course” Jim Wagner of Hanse Golf Design tells us about the renovation of Narin & Portnoo Links in Ireland Narin & Portnoo Links, founded in 1905, is set on the Donegal coast in north-west Ireland. In 2017 the club contacted Hanse Golf Design and the firm has since completed a spectacular renovation. We spoke with design partner Jim Wagner to find out more. What work has been completed at Narin & Portnoo? The original course, when it was a par 69, had six great par threes, which led to our interest in getting involved in the project. We ended up with five par threes as we restored two of them and added three new ones. They all run in different directions and, wind dependent, all range from a wedge to a three iron. We combined holes, added new tees, renovated all the greens which allowed us to rework and create interesting surrounds. With the nature of the site, adding any ‘quirk’ wasn’t really needed. The project was more about trying to do less to show off the uniqueness of the property along with the natural beauty of the site’s location. We also tried to show off the site’s personality and character by adding sandy blowouts around the property which tend to lead to quirky lines of play. From a timing standpoint, these changes allowed us to decrease the round by 30 to 45 minutes. TEE BOX THE INTERV I EW with Jim Wagner Photo: AirSwing Media 16 Golfers can choose a short or long route to the tenth green
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