19th Hole

Exploring Ireland: Where to golf, drink and stay on the Emerald Isle. Pt. 1. Woodbrook Golf Club, Wicklow

Published

8 years ago

Nov 20, 2018

Having been born and raised in Ireland, I can safely say that this little island offers a fantastic amount of breathtaking natural beauty, some of the best bars in the world, as well as magnificent golf courses.

In these series of articles, I will be taking you around the Emerald Isle providing you with great golf courses to visit that go a little under the radar in some of the loveliest spots in Ireland. I’ll also be highlighting the best and most authentic Irish bars in these spots, as well as places to stay, eat and how to get there. Whether you’re taking a golfing holiday to Ireland in 2019 or are interested in doing so sometime in the future, I’ll make sure to let you in on the best places to spend your time.

Woodbrook Golf Club, Wicklow

@Woodbrook_Golf

Beginning with my area on the east coast, Wicklow, which is situated just below Dublin and therefore very easy to reach. Wicklow offers plenty of stunning views and is home to some beautiful golf courses. After Glen of The Downs shut its doors last year, the cream of those courses now has to be Woodbrook Golf Club, which is an underrated gem.

Right off the bat, Woodbrook shows its uniqueness with its clubhouse. The old pavilion-style clubhouse resembles that of a cricket club, which is due to Sir Stanley Cochrane, the club’s founder, and his fondness for that sport. Inside the clubhouse, you will find all your usual facilities in pristine condition, with the walls displaying plenty of famous faces who have played the course in the past.

@Woodbrook_Golf

Woodbrook has excellent credentials as a course, hosting the very first revived version of the Irish Open in 1975. The golf course is situated on the coast and offers stunning views of the Irish Sea on one side and the Dublin and Wicklow mountains on the other. So no matter how you’re playing, your day out will be a treat.

@Woodbrook_Golf

Always in immaculate condition, Woodbrook offers up a stern challenge, and despite being a flat course, when the wind blows this a true links test. Unusually, the course features five par 3s and five par 5s, and you will want to avoid the nasty fairway bunkers if you can.

18 holes at Woodbrook GC will set visitors back a little over $50.

Food & Drink – the Harbour Bar, Bray

@theharbour_bar

A five-minute taxi will take you right onto the seafront where you will find The Harbour Bar tucked away. A very traditional Irish bar full of character that describes itself as “scruffy, wild and elegant”. The Harbour Bar was once voted the best bar in the world by Lonely Planet, and even gets mentioned in the iconic novel “Finnegans Wake,” written by Ireland’s very own James Joyce.

The music and good times rarely stop in this place, and although most nights you will hear traditional music played in the bar, there are also plenty of occasions where modern artists and comedy acts take to the stage in the lounge.

As far as drinks go, you’re never going to go wrong with a pint of the black stuff anywhere you visit in Ireland. However, if you want to sample a local craft beer, try a pint of Wicklow Wolf, the deep and rich tasting lager that is brewed just up the road. Soak up the booze by ordering the Fish And Chips for about $15 from the Fish Bar located in the same complex that offers up a variety of fishy goodness.

Where To Stay

If you decide to stay in the town, then the seafront of Bray is undoubtedly the most attractive area to spend your time. The Martello is a nice little hotel smack back in the middle of the seafront, and a double room for the night costs around $85. For slightly extra, you can stay in the Strand Hotel just a few doors down, the building which was the childhood home of Irish writer Oscar Wilde.

@IrelandSkycam

A half an hour away from Dublin on the train, Bray is also a great spot to stay to explore the capital at a fraction of the price. There are a plethora of things to see and do in Dublin itself. For general sports fans, my recommendation is to try and catch a game of hurling, Ireland’s national sport, in the 80,000 seater stadium Croke Park.

How To Get There

From the centre of Dublin, this area of Wicklow is easily accessible. It will take about 30 minutes to get here in a car, or you can take the train from the capital right into the heart of Bray. On your ride, you’ll get to admire Dublin bay, and you’ll also get a sneak peek of Woodbrook GC just before your stop.

19th Hole

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

2 months ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

2 months ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

2 months ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”