Links Recommendation relatively near Dublin

BennytheBall

Hi, I want to arrange a golf game with some business colleagues, and want to play on a links course within an hour or 90 mins of Dublin.

Apart from the really expensive ones (Portmarnock, Baltray, Island, Royal Dublin and the likes of those), are there any mid-priced links courses that you would recommend? Last year we played Seapoint and am looking for something similar to that, but wanted to play a new course this time.

All suggestions welcome.

TIA

DubGF

St.Annes is a great course, http://www.stanneslinksgolf.com/, close to Royal Dublin on Dollymount strand...

Check www.teetimes.ie and you may get a special offer, or even open fairways, they do discounted green fees all over Ireland and the Uk

Riskymove

Corballis

Mister Sifter

Riskymove wrote: »

Corballis

god no, unless you want the deal to collapse!

PhilipMarlowe

The European Club?

Playing there tomorrow, my second time.... first was probably in the mid 90's.... 1990's that is.

One Cold Hand

To the south....
European Club is probably up there with the best, as already stated.
Wicklow GC. Bit cheaper, but not as good.
Arklow GC. Maybe a bit too far south. Also if I remember correctly it's only about half links, and the back 9 is more parkland?

In Dublin....
St. Annes (never played this)
Portmarnock
Royal Dublin
Corballis (never played either)

To the North....
Co. Louth - cracker of a track near Drogheda. A while since I played it
Laytown & Bettystown (never played this)


Edit/ My bad: I missed the bit about not playing a really expensive one! Sorry OP.

Obni

Some of the expensive ones also protect their fairways during the winter, so you have to drop your ball in the semi-rough.

I would recommend Arklow. Even though they have two temporary greens (1st and 6th) at the moment. Played it last week, and both the fairways and greens were in fantastic condition. Yes, the back 9 wanders inland a bit, but the back 9 also includes a run of four tough finishing holes, especially 15 & 18. I was someone's guest, but I think it was only €40. Nice clubhouse and about 45 mins from where the M50 becomes the M11.

Corballis is a great course for a quick, inexpensive round. We have a Xmas competition/p**s-up there each year. It's ideal for that sort of thing.

Have you considered link-ish courses like Glen of the Downs (€50) or Druid's Heath (€70)

One Cold Hand

Obni wrote: »

Some of the expensive ones also protect their fairways during the winter, so you have to drop your ball in the semi-rough.

I would recommend Arklow. Even though they have two temporary greens (1st and 6th) at the moment. Played it last week, and both the fairways and greens were in fantastic condition. Yes, the back 9 wanders inland a bit, but the back 9 also includes a run of four tough finishing holes, especially 15 & 18. I was someone's guest, but I think it was only €40. Nice clubhouse and about 45 mins from where the M50 becomes the M11.

Corballis is a great course for a quick, inexpensive round. We have a Xmas competition/p**s-up there each year. It's ideal for that sort of thing.

Have you considered link-ish courses like Glen of the Downs (€50) or Druid's Heath (€70)

No!!
Glen of the Downs is utterly sh!t!
and Druid's Heath is impossibly long!

BennytheBall

many thks for the replies to date , all others welcome....

f22

Northside

---

Portmarnock Old - great course, very expensive
Co. Louth - great course
Portmarnock Links - good course, cheap green fees on Tuesdays
Laytown/Bettystown - good track, reasonable rates
Seapoint (half of it's links)
Corballis - some great holes and a few not so great
Royal Dublin - nice and expensive
St. Annes - overrpriced and pretty bland, the poor neighbour of above
The Island - good track, deals available sometimes

Southside

---

European club - stunning, rates vary
Arklow - great course

I'm a northsider!

PhilipMarlowe

I played Arklow twice, the first was a friendly fourball, and we only played the first 15 because golf was eating in to our weekend-away drinking time....
2nd time was in barton cup and we won on the 16th (2 down after 11, won the next 5)... so I haven't seen the last 2 holes yet but the place would get a strong recommendation from me too... nice clubhouse/facilities, those members that we met were spot on at least...
I know they would have a large membership there (lots from dublin).

CLADA

Graeme1982 wrote: »

god no, unless you want the deal to collapse!

+1

agree with you there Graeme, played it for the 1st time last week, lost a years supply of balls in 3 hours:(

milltown

The Monty at Carton? €70 a head at this time of year and very nice post golf surroundings.

PhilipMarlowe

Played the european club today in an alliance for €60 small ones. Great value for a smashing though difficult course. Played with a +2 guy (off scratch in the competition because pros were playing it too off scratch) who had 7 birdies, 39 points in a windy ho*r of a day...
A few quirks about the course I wouldn't be crazy about but only in terms of rating it among the best in the country. Facilities are basic but plenty good enough for golf. If you wanted to wine and dine guests maybe not?
Not sure what people think about it's difficulty but I found it a very tough but fair test (off 4)

Hunty

DubGF wrote: »

St.Annes is a great course, http://www.stanneslinksgolf.com/, close to Royal Dublin on Dollymount strand...

Bahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Are you serious! St. Annes?? Great course!?

Eh....................no!

pnd82

The heritage is doing a deal at the minute for golf with a fry up after nine holes and a steak dinner after 18 holes would be good for a business day out and ya won't go hungry fairly decent value at 100 euro

WHIP IT!

pnd82 wrote: »

The heritage is doing a deal at the minute for golf with a fry up after nine holes and a steak dinner after 18 holes would be good for a business day out and ya won't go hungry fairly decent value at 100 euro

How weird is that? Who wants to stop for breakfast after nine holes??

PhilipMarlowe

I remember playing in Wentworth in Feb 96..... typical cold winters day, feet and hands freezing, ball going nowhere... after the 8th hole on the west course there is a 'half-way' hut (also close to the 9th hole on the east I believe).
I can to this day taste the sausage sandwich mmmmm drool.... certainly one of the highlights of the round. A very basic hut really, simple cooking facilities, bathroom and a couple of chairs and tables...
Most everyone stops in for a tea/coffee and sandwich so it doesn't affect play really - if you don't want to stop you pop your head in and ask the guys in front if you can play thru. I tell you while you are in there it's no worries at all about letting guys on thru while you're ordering up second helpings

ratem

why not try the course at Ardglass and stay at the Slieve Donard Hotel or play Royal Co Down both are cracking courses and very friendly esp Ardglass. with the new roads they are as accessible as any of the east coast courses.

madds

Royal County Down is very expensive so not an option for the OP I believe.

Co. Louth would get my vote.

Obni

WHIP IT! wrote: »

How weird is that? Who wants to stop for breakfast after nine holes??

As Licksy pointed out above, a quick warm-up after 9 can be a life-saver. The Heritage has no mature trees as yet, so the icy wind from the midlands whipping across the open course can really take its toll over 4 hours staright.