The Links Thread

St Patricks on Saturday and Old Tom on Sunday. And a feed of pints inbetween. Can't wait!

I don't know the cost. My friend booked it and I'm guessing will ask me for money at some point. Everyone else is staying there, so I'd say it's probably around the 65e per round.

I'm just staying one night, so am across the bay.

Played the three courses at Rosapenna recently. There's something fundamentally not right with St. Patricks at the moment in that the fairways are very patchy and scuffy. The greens aren't great either. The 5th and 14th greens seemed to have been recently relaid. Grass growth seems to be poor everywhere. I hope they find a solution soon because it's a fantastic course. Played it last September and it was in better condition then.

I would very much doubt that they're booked out every day. Not on the evidence of when we were there either last week or last year. Only 5-6 groups seemed to be on any of the courses at any time.

I played old tom Morris and St pats over the weekend. Old tom was lovely, felt like a very traditional links. Wind was fairly brutal that day, but i was actually going pretty well considering. I had 24 points after 12. Then I had 3 points on the last 6 holes. A couple of 3 putt 1 pointers, an unlucky lost ball from a drive, 2 very deserving lost balls from drives. But I'd love to play it again.

St pats though the next day - I would hands down say it is the best course I've ever played. It's spectacular. I know there's bedding in to be done, but I wouldn't think it a bad thing if they kept some of the rough and ready look about it. While I'd love to try the other rosapenna course and say I'd love to play tom Morris again, I'd be very tempted to play St pats more than once when I return.

The wind was tough again, but not as bad. I played well on the front 9 and turned with 17 points. Then the tiredness caught up with me - tough week on work, preparing for a holiday, long drive up, a long 18 the day before and pints that night. Around 10 my body just gave up. I actually nailed that drive and just caught the very end of the bunker. But then caught it thin out of it and lost the ball. Did okay with the drop, but three putted on a tough green - scratch. Followed by 4 more scratches! I looked like I just took up the game for a couple of holes. I parred the par threes on the back and almost finished well on 18 - 3 wood just rolled back off the green. A foot further would probably have left me an eagle putt, a yard definitely. Instead I ended up 3 putt bogeying from 10 feet.

But I would just disagree completely with the previous poster who didn't love it. It'll get better. But for me it'll get better from a starting point of being the best course I've ever played.

I was shocked at how quiet it was. Hardly a sinner out on it. I was a bit worried because we'd one lad with us who comes on our trips who's not a golfer. We gave him handicap of 54 and he had 9 points the first day. He's not slow, but if the course is congested it's awkward because he could hit it anywhere or nowhere and if you've had to wait to hit you might have an audience. I don't actually think he realises people care which is good, but I'd be self conscious on his behalf.

But with the publicity it's been getting I expected it to be booked solid. There will come a time when Donegal is thronged with golf tourists. We should enjoy it while we can.

There is definitely a bit of a sour taste in manys mouth about how we supported these big clubs during covid.

I can only speak for Royal Portrush...but i played it 4 times in 2020 and 2021 as they were offering a very good Open Competition for £148.00

Now that the Americans are back there is not one single Open Competition for local golfers to play at a reduced rate.

Would it really be that big of a deal to have 1 or even 2 opens a year. Put them on a Monday or whatever even if you so please.

An offer of goodwill just conveniently timed when they're usual bookings have fallen off a cliff edge...riiiiiiight.

To suggest it was simply an offer of goodwill and they didn't need us is complete and utter nonsense. Fair enough these clubs wouldn't have went to the wall without us...but they would have been in a much more precarious situation.

I've never played Doonbeg and would like to. But from what I've heard I'm always surprised to see it so high up the rankings. I saw one today that put it 62nd in courses in Ireland and the UK. That leaves it ahead of Tralee, Carne, Adare Manor, The European Club a few others that I would say have a better reputation than it.

Maybe the problem is that it does well in these rankings and people are then disappointed when they play it. Or maybe the problem is that people have heard that it's overrated and that's going to be their opinion of it regardless of how it is.

I always hear people give out about the last few holes in Corballis, but I'm convinced that they heard they weren't great and were just primed to not like them. And I'm convinced that reputation of them is from before the course was renovated. Now the better side of corballis is the front 9. But some people say that some of the back 9 aren't really links holes. Maybe you could say that about the 15th green, but that's it. So when that's in their reason for not liking those holes, that's why I'm thinking that they're not really forming that opinion while playing them.

For all courses we go with a preformed opinion and go from there. I wonder would I rank Baltray as highly if I didn't know that those in the know do. And I do wonder with Doonbeg when we hear everyone say that it shouldn't be ranked as highly as it is, has that tag stuck?

I much rather no blind shots. I just don't get them. Especially into greens. But even from the tee I much prefer them.

And it's worst playing a new course, but even if it's your home club they can drive you cracked. You might think a shot it grand, but then turn the corner and it's not on the fairway. And you don't know did you not clear the danger, get caught in the rough short of where you were aiming, or run through the fairway you were hitting to. And you don't have a proper line because you didn't see it land.

As I say, I don't like blind shots!