Every critic thinks they can do it better. With Ireland’s European Club, a critic actually put his money where is mouth is and built his dream course on a site deserving of his insight. The results are fantastic. It’s a hard, but it lacks the blind shots and oddities of many other links (it being a 20 hole course notwithstanding). There is also a sense of fun that permeates it; you can tell this is a passion project of somebody who loves golf and doesn’t take things too seriously. Even better, said critic-turned-architect has remained onsite over the past 30 years constantly tinkering, improving and refining. The result is one of Ireland’s best courses, and certainly it’s most vital.