Against All Odds: Planning Permission for Inch

[Tim Weiman]

Word came today from a reliable source that Dr. Arthur Spring has finally secured planning permission to build on the Inch Peninsula in Dingle Bay, Ireland.

This is a story I’ve been following for several years and had pretty much given up hope. Then, word came last fall that Dr. Spring might actually succeed.  Now, it sounds like he has.

For those not familiar with Inch, it is one of the few sites that might legitimately be called “the best place in the world to build a golf course”.  At least, that is the way Sean Walsh, the late Secretary of Ballybunion, described it to me.  No site is the single best, I suppose, but Inch is surely a serious candidate.

The Inch peninsula can be seen from the links at Dooks and comprises about 700 acres.  There was word that 36 holes might be built, but apparently, that remains unclear.

After struggling for years to gain planning permission, Dr. Spring now faces the challenge of creating a course worthy of the site.  I’d be thrilled to see him succeed.

[Chris_Hunt]

Tim:

Is this the Inch pennisula?  I think I took this looking left at the 5th? hole at Dooks (par-3).  If so, I would certainly rank it up there with the greatest sites I have seen, albeit from long range.  Who is likely to build/design the course/s?



It is nice to hear that every site in the world has been found and/or overruled for golf planning.

[Tim Weiman]

Chris,

Yes, that's Inch.  

As for the design, you can throw out all the names you want, but Dr. Spring put in all the work to make it happen and I'd be very surprised if anyone else was involved.

[Gib_Papazian]

I nearly crashed the car when I first laid eyes on that stretch of land. My wife and I just went wandering out there for a couple hours, after which I asked around to find out who owned it.

Believe me, this has the possibility to be the most outstanding golf course ever built on the planet. That is not hyperbole, just a statement of fact.  

[brad_miller]

Dingle is a great town, played the course about 5-8 miles out of town (to the west) about 4 years ago, late afternoon wind blowing 30+. Beginish Restaurannt in Dingle might have been the best meal I've had in Ireland. Jump in the water with the famous dolphin and he might even cure a bad swing. Isn't about 1.5-2 hours to Bally.

[Tim Weiman]

Gib,

You understand.

In the world of golf architecture, this has to be the biggest story to come along in a while.