Holiday homes on the edge of any of Ireland's leading golf courses have always had a top-of-the-range cachet. Mount Juliet, the K Club, Galway Bay and Druids Glen have been the clear leaders in what estate agents call "front-line golf property" - most of them second homes with views over superb golf courses.
Galway Bay differs from the others in that its 18-hole course (designed by Christy O'Connor Junior) forms the centrepiece of a rugged peninsula on the eastern side of Galway Bay. Though surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic, it is still a classic parkland course with water hazards, ancient trees and interesting bunking throughout the beautiful terrain.
This weekend the final six homes which have already been built alongside the course go for sale through Galway estate agent Mulryan.
Three of them are two-bedroom, 860 sq ft homes costing from £128,000 (€162,526) while the others are three-bedroom, 1,720 sq ft homes priced from £265,000 (€336,480).
This final batch of homes brings the total in the Renville holiday village to 145, most of them owned by professional and business people. A handful of them are used for corporate entertainment and a great many of them are rented out when not occupied by the owner. They are in demand for most of the year unlike the thousands of tax-driven houses completed at seaside resorts around the country which are now used for only three or at most four months in the year.
The launch of the final phase of houses at Galway Bay comes almost seven years after the opening of the club by Ballymore Properties and businessman Herb Stanley. Apart from a particularly fine two-storey clubhouse, there is also a 120-bedroom hotel on the grounds with an excellent restaurant.
The large three-bedroom detached homes have a stunning livingroom and diningroom, ideal for entertaining or for all-year-round living. There is a timber ceiling, wooden floor and large bay window overlooking the first green and Galway Bay in the distance.
The kitchen and utility room are particularly well finished-out, just like the remainder of the house. One of the bedrooms is on the ground floor while each of the two doubles upstairs has an en suite bathroom. The main bedroom also has a bay window opening out on to a verandah.
The two-bedroom back-to-back homes are particularly good value at £128,000 (€162,526) because of their excellent layout and high-quality fittings.
There is a comfortable livingroom/diningroom with double glass doors leading out to a patio and garden. The kitchen too is both attractive and practical.
All six homes are likely to sell out quickly this Easter weekend as many families take their first trip of the year to the west.
