The European Club
An hour south of Dublin, in the dunes at Brittas Bay, Pat Ruddy built one of the great modern links of Ireland and ranked it, with quiet confidence, beside Portmarnock and Royal County Down. Famous for its sleeper faced bunkers and its twenty greens, it is now closed for a Kyle Phillips redesign and a new name, the Brittas Bay Club, reopening planned for 2027. Here is its story, and how to play it when it returns.
Photo: The European Club, Brittas Bay, via Google.
Current status, June 2026. The European Club has closed for a complete makeover under the architect Kyle Phillips and is being rebranded as the Brittas Bay Club, with the work scheduled for completion in spring 2027. The course is not playable in the meantime, and pricing for the reopened club has not been announced. Everything below describes the celebrated Pat Ruddy links as it was, and what to expect when it returns. Always confirm the latest before planning a visit.
The verdict
The European Club was the life's work of Pat Ruddy, the golf writer who taught himself to design and then built, owned and obsessively tended a links of his own on the dunes at Brittas Bay in County Wicklow. It opened in the early 1990s and, almost from the start, Ruddy was unafraid to rank it among the very best in Ireland, beside Portmarnock, Ballybunion and Royal County Down. Time has largely agreed with him. Big, muscular and unmistakably modern, with railway sleeper faced bunkers and bold, rolling greens, it is one of the most admired links built anywhere in the last half century.
Our verdict is that the European Club is a must play on any east coast Ireland trip and a thrilling, slightly idiosyncratic counterpoint to the older links, a course with the courage of its convictions in every contour. It is also a place in transition: the Kyle Phillips redesign promises to refine the routing, add par 5s and lift the conditioning while keeping the dunes and the best holes, and the closure means the next time most golfers play it, it will wear a new name. For now it is a course to understand and look forward to, the most exciting reopening on the Irish calendar.
The European Club at a glance
- Opened
- Early 1990s
- Designer
- Pat Ruddy
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- Around 7,355 yards
- Green fee
- Historic high season around 250 to 275 euros; closed for redesign
Designer, par, yardage and the twenty green layout verified June 2026; the historic visitor green fee of around 250 euros on weekdays and 275 euros at weekends is a pre closure figure for the April to October high season, and pricing for the reopened Brittas Bay Club has not yet been set, so always confirm the current rate directly before booking once the course returns in 2027.
The holes worth the trip
Ruddy's signature was the sleeper bunker, faced with stacked railway ties that give the European Club its instantly recognisable look and a real sting; find one and you are often pitching out sideways. The greens are large, bold and full of movement, the fairways tumble through tall marram dunes, and the wind off the Irish Sea is a constant editor of the strategy. It is a stern, honest test that rewards the player who plots a route and respects the trouble rather than taking it on.
The most famous feature was the routing itself: alongside the regulation eighteen, Ruddy built two extra holes, the 7a and the 12a, giving the course twenty greens in all and letting golfers play bonus links holes on a single loop. The 7a, a par 3 set among dramatic dunes, was one of the most photographed holes on the course and is reported to survive the redesign. The stretch through the heart of the dunes, and the long par 4 finish toward the clubhouse, gave the round its rhythm of big, demanding holes broken by moments of real beauty.
The redesign by Kyle Phillips, the architect behind Kingsbarns in Scotland, is set to reconfigure the scorecard, with reports of four par 5s where there were once only two, while keeping the course around 7,400 yards and playable for the higher handicap golfer as well as the professional. The dunes, the sea and the best holes are expected to stay; the changes aim to smooth the routing and broaden the appeal. The result, due in 2027, should be a more rounded version of the links Ruddy made famous.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current status | Closed for a Kyle Phillips redesign and a rebrand to the Brittas Bay Club; reopening planned for spring 2027 |
| Historic green fee | Around 250 euros on weekdays and 275 euros at weekends in the April to October high season, before closure |
| Access | A visitor friendly pay and play links when open, bookable in advance; new club pricing and policy to be confirmed |
| Getting there | Brittas Bay, County Wicklow, about an hour south of Dublin and Dublin airport |
| Pairs well with | The links and parkland of Dublin and the east coast, from Portmarnock to The Island and the County Wicklow courses |
The course is not playable while the redesign is under way, so treat it as one to book for 2027 and beyond; fees shown are historic pre closure figures and new pricing has not been set, so always confirm the current rate and access directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Brittas Bay sits on the County Wicklow coast, the Garden of Ireland, within easy reach of both Dublin and the wider east coast golf. Many golfers base in or near Dublin and play the European Club as part of a links rich itinerary, with the city's hotels at one end of the trip and the quieter Wicklow countryside, with its country house hotels, closer to the first tee.
The course rarely travels alone. Dublin and the east coast hold a remarkable cluster of links within an hour or so, Portmarnock, The Island, Royal Dublin, County Louth at Baltray and Seapoint among them, which makes a multi day stay built around several courses the natural way to play. When the Brittas Bay Club reopens, it will slot straight back in as the southern anchor of that run.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Dublin and Wicklow coast.
Play the Brittas Bay Club on an east coast Ireland trip
Tell us when you want to play and who is travelling, and one concierge builds a Dublin and east coast links tour around the reopened Brittas Bay Club, books the courses, the stay and the caddies, and costs it to the head with no obligation. The new course returns in 2027, so register your interest early.
The European Club questions
Is The European Club open to play?
Not at the moment. The European Club has closed for a complete makeover under the architect Kyle Phillips and is being rebranded as the Brittas Bay Club, with the work scheduled for completion in spring 2027. The new owners have said registered parties will be contacted before a booking launch, so for now the course is not playable. Always confirm the latest reopening and access details directly before planning a visit.
Who designed The European Club?
The European Club was designed, built and owned by Pat Ruddy, the golf writer turned architect, who opened it in the early 1990s on the dunes at Brittas Bay in County Wicklow. It became one of Ireland's most admired modern links, known for its railway sleeper faced bunkers and its unusual routing of twenty greens. The current redesign is being carried out by Kyle Phillips, the architect of Kingsbarns.
Why does The European Club have twenty greens?
Pat Ruddy built two extra holes, numbered 7a and 12a, in addition to the regulation eighteen, giving the course twenty greens in all. They act as relief or bonus holes, a quirk that let golfers play extra links holes on a single round, and the celebrated 7a, a par 3 framed by dramatic dunes, was always one of the highlights. The acclaimed 7a is reported to survive the current redesign.
How much did it cost to play The European Club?
Before it closed for redesign, the indicative high season visitor green fee, roughly April to October, was around 250 euros on weekdays and around 275 euros at weekends. Those are historic figures from before the closure, and pricing for the reopened Brittas Bay Club has not yet been announced, so always confirm the current rate directly once booking reopens.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, par, yardage, the twenty green routing and the current redesign and rebrand verified June 2026; green fees are historic pre closure indicative figures. Last reviewed June 2026.