In 1891, while a guest of Lord Leitrim at his nearby estate, four-time Open Champion Old Tom Morris surveyed the dunes above Sheephaven Bay and staked out a links; it opened in 1893 together with a hotel, making Rosapenna the world’s first dedicated golf resort. James Braid and Harry Vardon added length and bunkering in 1906, and H.S. Colt contributed further changes in 1911–12.
The Old Tom Morris Links is the oldest and the lowest ranked of the 3 courses at Rosapena. When I was there, I actually had a start time at the Sandy Hills Links, but the course were closed at short notice. I don’t know if I would have had more fun there, but it doesn’t matter because I had a blast that way. And I imagine that also included some of the players behind me, whom I provided with plenty of balls that I carefully hid in the dune grass. Next time I will stay for longer and give the other two courses a try.
