PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell is a leading championship parkland course near Ballyconnell in County Cavan. It forms part of a peaceful 300-acre estate containing around 50 acres of lakes, with fairways winding between mature woodland, natural water features and the rounded drumlin hills associated with the Cavan countryside. Its central position also makes it a useful base for combining golf in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands with courses across Northern Ireland and the north-west.

Created by respected Irish golf architect Patrick Merrigan, the 18-hole course plays to a par of 72 and measures approximately 7,053 yards from its longest tees. Several teeing positions allow golfers to choose a more comfortable distance, ensuring the course remains enjoyable for holiday golfers while offering a serious championship test from the back markers.

Merrigan used the natural drumlin valley rather than attempting to flatten the landscape. Fairways rise and fall across gently rolling ground, while lakes, streams, ditches and well-positioned bunkers influence the safest route towards the greens. The design is strategic rather than simply punishing, encouraging golfers to challenge hazards for a better approach angle while still providing a more cautious route around the trouble.

Accurate approach play is particularly important because the greens are one of Slieve Russell’s strongest defences. Their slopes, changing levels and difficult flag positions can leave long or sharply breaking putts after a shot finishes on the wrong section. Finding the fairway is only the beginning here; controlling the distance and direction of the second shot is often what separates a comfortable par from a frustrating bogey.

The 434-yard second hole provides an early driving challenge, with water influencing the preferred line from the tee. The back nine then becomes increasingly dramatic as the lakes play an important role on holes 11, 12, 13 and 16. These holes demand sensible course management, particularly when the wind moves across the open water and changes the effective playing distance.

Slieve Russell has a strong tournament history. It hosted the Irish PGA Championship in 1996 and staged the North West of Ireland Open on the European Tour in 2001 and 2002. Its annual PGA Pro-Am has been played since 1997, while the resort received the PGA National Ireland designation in 2019.

The course returned to the international amateur spotlight in July 2026 when it hosted the European Ladies’ Team Championship. Spain won the title, with France finishing second and England third, adding another major event to Slieve Russell’s record as a championship venue.

Alongside the main course is a nine-hole, par-three PGA National Academy Course. Practice facilities include a putting green, chipping area, practice ground and three-bay floodlit driving range. The Raflewski Golf Europe Academy also operates a modern performance studio at the resort, offering coaching under the direction of the club’s PGA professionals.

Visitors can hire golf buggies, electric trolleys, pull trolleys and clubs, while secure bag storage and battery-charging facilities are available beside the golf shop. The clubhouse is connected to the main hotel and includes a professional shop, spacious changing rooms and the Summit Bar & Restaurant, which overlooks the course and surrounding countryside. Advance tee-time booking is recommended.

The adjoining four-star Slieve Russell Hotel makes stay-and-play golf breaks particularly convenient. Guests have access to several restaurants, the Ciúin Spa, a leisure centre with a 20-metre swimming pool and more than 200 rooms, allowing golfers to remain beside the course throughout their stay.

At Hashtag Golf Travel, we recommend PGA National Ireland Slieve Russell for golfers who enjoy polished parkland courses where water, positioning and approach control matter more than raw power. The attractive lakeside holes and difficult greens make it memorable, while the academy course, practice facilities and on-site hotel make the resort ideal for couples, societies and mixed-ability golf groups.