One of Irelands top rated links courses The European Club, located on the Eastern coastline of Ireland in Co. Wicklow has recently been sold for a fee in excess of €35 million.
The course was first created in 1987 by The County Mayo-born golf writer and course architect Pat Ruddy. In the 80s Ruddy was determined to fulfil his childhood dream of creating a golf course so he hired a helicopter, and over a couple of weeks he navigated Ireland from above looking for the ideal location to situate his course, before finding the perfect spot situated on the rugged dunes of the beautiful Brittas Bay just south of the capital city Dublin to turn 193 acres of land into what is now recognised as a top 100 world-wide course; The European Club. Ruddys knowledge of the game and constant hard work is what was ultimately key in the huge success of The European Club.
Despite new owners the European club will still carry the clubs history along with it. Such as Irish golfing legends Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington having won national championships at the venue, while greats of the game like Tiger Woods, Johnny Miller and Gary Player having also played there.
Now in his ninth decade, Pat Ruddy made the difficult decision to sell the property to focus on retirement. The sale marks the end of Ruddy’s long tenure as both designer and steward of the club, a unique relationship in the golfing world. The new owners now face the opportunity to shape the future of this prestigious links course, which has been a cherished destination for golfers worldwide.
While the identity of the new owners has not yet been publicly disclosed, the golfing world is watching closely. Regardless of what lies ahead, Pat Ruddy’s vision has secured its place in the history of golf. The sale marks the end of an era—but also the beginning of a new chapter for one of Ireland’s greatest sporting treasures.
