Course redevelopment/Luttrellstown Castle: Paul Gallagherpaid a visit to Luttrellstown Castle Golf Resort and was not disappointed

'A lot done, more to do.' If memory serves correctly, this lead strap-line from a previous election campaign also fits the bill when referring to Luttrellstown Castle Golf Resort in Castleknock. For although €20 million has been invested in major upgrade work to the championship golf course and a complete redesign of the alpine log-styled clubhouse, the resort owners have no intention of stopping there. In fact don't rule out the possibility of a professional event being staged there one day.

The 560-acre footprint known as the Luttrellstown Estate is steeped in a history which stretches way beyond the current leisurely pursuits of the fairways. Since the 15th century the once opulent Luttrellstown Castle served as a stately home to many of the capital's privileged high society. Such heady days of extravagance surely reached their pinnacle when in the hands of chatelaine Aileen Plunket, granddaughter to Arthur Guinness, she ensured the estate became a playground for the world's rich and famous. She even ran a nightclub in the castle's dungeons during the swinging '60s.

Golf is undoubtedly the primary focus of the resort today and while plans are afoot to return the castle - currently in an unused state - to its former glory, there is little to report at this juncture due to the ongoing planning works in relation to this historic site.

Amid redevelopment work to the course and clubhouse at Luttrellstown, perhaps the most significant change - in terms of what direction the resort takes in future years - has been the estate's ownership. In December 2006 the Primwest Group, who bought the estate from the Guinness family in 1983, sold to high-profile Irish businessmen JP McManus and John Magnier along with their partner in this venture, Aidan Brooks. With such successful visionaries on board Luttrellstown has every chance of realising its potential of becoming a world class golf resort.

Luttrellstown also has Colm Hannon at the helm as chief executive after the Irishman returned home with his family to take up the role in 2005 after 18 years working abroad. The last position he held was general manager at the exclusive Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados. This is the same resort where world number one Tiger Woods and his wife Elin got married and was also the venue for last year's golf World Cup. Oh, and by the way, McManus and Magnier own that too.

Before the redesigned course reopened last September, members were seemingly staring into the abyss for there was no play for almost two years while course architects Donald Steel and Tom Mackenzie carried out their work. However, the wait has been worth it for it appears all concerned are delighted with the outcome of the project.

"At the moment the course is playing great," enthused the quietly spoken Hannon, noting how the course has grown-in and matured so well since the changes.

"The overwhelming response has been fantastic. Number one, people are saying this is the best course in Dublin right now and secondly, give it a year or two and there won't be anything in the country to touch it."

Even taking into account the possible bias of such a bold statement there is no doubt Luttrellstown's stature is growing all the time.

Under the expert guidance of the club's resident professional, Eddie Doyle, this hack (er) was afforded a closer look at the handiwork of Steel and Mackenzie.

"One thing the designers were conscious of when making changes was the impact of modern day equipment," explains Doyle, who has been at Luttrellstown for over 10 years. "A recurring theme in the new design is false bunkering when playing approach shots to the greens. Take several of the opening par fours where you'll find bunkers five or six paces short of the putting surfaces. But with the help of mounding, the bunkers appear right on top of the pin from 130 yards down the fairway.

"All the greens were re-contoured and relocated in some cases - like the ninth. Luttrellstown now possesses 18 high quality greens built to USGA specification," adds Doyle giving praise to course superintendent Diarmuid Saunders, who is responsible for carrying through the work long after the designers have left.

At a menacing 7,347yards (championship tees) the par 72 parkland course is balanced in that two par threes and two par fives are housed on each nine, which in turn are two loops bringing golfers back to the clubhouse midway through the round. And Doyle is left in little doubt which holes stand out.

"The par threes are a key feature in their own right because apart from the 15th, which is still 165 yards, the other three measure in excess of 200 yards from the back tees," notes the pro, whose favourite is the sixth, closely followed by the 14th and 17th, two long par fours measuring almost 500 yards.

"The sixth is a gorgeous par three which contours slightly uphill with gorse bushes running all along the left side and mature trees as the backdrop. In time I believe this will become one of the signature holes at Luttrellstown."

Both nines are distinctive when playing the new-look Luttrellstown. Strategically placed revetted bunkers and gathering slopes around the hazards, particularly on the outward half, combined with the deliberate use of gorse provides the feeling of what is often referred to these days as an inland links.

"Gorse was a traditional choice all over the course and it fits well with the new bunkering," explains Doyle. "Sure, we could have used long bunker complexes (instead of gorse) but we opted not to go down that Americanised road."

After the option of recharging the batteries at the clubhouse's halfway house, the back nine most definitely takes on a traditional parkland feel as fairways are channelled through mature oak, chestnut, beech and lime trees. Parkland traits are compounded by numerous water hazards and views across the castle grounds. At the long, bunkerless par four 14th tee shots must negotiate the biggest water hazard on the course before the hole runs past Flanagan's Cottage to a green protected by those mature trees.

When the last putt drops on the final green a short walk takes you to the impressive alpine log clubhouse which was doubled in size during reconstruction to 35,000sq ft and is said to be "the largest log construction of its type in Ireland and the UK".

On the ground floor, the pro shop, spike bar, Golf Services and plush locker rooms all lead off the open plan foyer and general welcoming area. On a visit to Luttrellstown, Padraig Harrington commented on how well the spike bar concept worked. It also "has a strong non-golf lunch trade from local businesses and residents," according to Anne Sexton, sales manager at Luttrellstown who previously worked at Doonbeg in Clare.

Considerable emphasis is placed on quality of service at Luttrellstown and influences were obtained from visits to prestigious clubs in Britain such as Wentworth, the Grove and Queenwood. Part of the experience includes Golf Services where Donal Finn and his team will collect your clubs, have them ready on the first tee or set you up if you wish to use the three-hole practice facility, chipping area or range.

After a round Finn's team will also have your clubs and shoes cleaned. Is this over the top? Perhaps to some but it's the norm in the often pampered world of golf and a recognised essential for a five-star resort.

Mounted in the foyer is the impressive chiaroscuro artwork of Millennium, the famous racehorse from the 1930s owned by Aileen Plunket and stabled at Luttrellstown. The grave of the equine hero is adjacent to the clubhouse and the 160-capacity Millennium Suite on the first floor is named after the horse.

On the same level, the Club Bar is surely the best area to experience the alpine lodge surrounds. The Finnish pine and leather upholstery, combined with the large open log fire and provides a warm, earthy ambiance. Adjacent to this is the 50-seater La Mora Restaurant and, like the spike bar, it is open to the public. The second floor is the smallest level, which houses the members lounge and is the only area of the clubhouse not open to the public.

On reflection, Hannon is extremely satisfied with the direction the whole project is moving. The core product, namely the course and clubhouse, is in place but patience is required with regards to other aspects of the estate. Proposed plans include returning the castle back to its prime and use it as a central facility for the estate.

A brief tour inside the the castle helps conjure images of times since past when Queen Victoria visited the estate (1844 and 1900) and Plunket played host to guests such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Prince Rainier, actors David Niven and former US president Ronald Reagan.

In more recent times, Sheikh Mohammed has used the place as his base when doing business in this part of the world.

Screen stars such as Paul Newman and Fred Astaire plus musicians REM and Faith Hill have all stayed at Luttrellstown down the years.

However, even the relatively recent wedding of David and Victoria Beckham there in July 1999 seems like a distant memory considering its current vacant state.

Back to matters golf and Hannon is pleased with the membership drive and believes Luttrellstown benefits hugely from its location and close proximity to the capital.

"We have 360 members at present and could comfortably take another 100 but we're conscious not to build it up to the point where it becomes too congested," he says.

Annual membership costs €7,000 and it's "totally flexible" with no up front joining fee like there is at so many other golf clubs in Ireland. "This ensures we don't take our eye off the ball in terms of quality of service or product, otherwise our members would simply walk away."

Not that they are of course.

"To be able to get into your car and be in Dublin city centre in 20 minutes is a big draw for us," adds Hannon. "The location is the most unique thing of all for us and that's why we're finding Luttrellstown so popular for visitors, particularly corporate groups who come here. There is definitely a feeling of calm when you drive through the gates, yet we have the benefit of the city practically on our doorstep. It's the best of both worlds.

"The new owners have only had the estate since last December, so it's still very early days in the overall picture. As you can imagine, they (McManus and Magnier) are very busy people so they leave me to run things but they are very much aware of what they have here at Luttrellstown."

Sounds like a case of watch this space.