Irish Links & Parkland rankings

drollab

Backspin Golf Magazine
Irish Golf Course Rankings 2008

Imaginative approach:
BACKSPIN has broken fresh ground by becoming the first golf magazine ever to treat Ireland's links and parkland courses separately in a rankings survey.
This unique survey will portray Irish golf in an entirely new light to the golfing world at large. It will showcase the quality and variety of two distinctly different golf products in Ireland.

Voting panel:
Our panel of 52 voters included Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup players, championship winners, PGA Irish region competitors, members of the Irish golfing media and other Irish golf personalities. All four provinces were represented on our voting panel.

Touring & PGA Irish Region Pros
Gary Cullen, Eamonn Darcy, Eddie Doyle , John Dwyer, Noel Fox, Peter Hanna, George Henry David Higgins, Francis Howley, David Jones, Brendan McGovern, John McHenry, Gary Murphy, Christy O'Connor Jnr, Peter O¹Hagan, Denis O'Sullivan, Glen Robinson, Des Smyth, Mark Staunton, Paul Thompson , Simon Thornton , Barrie Trainor, Philip Walton

Irish Amateurs
Declan Branigan, Michael Burns, Moira Cassidy, Eddie Dunne, Jody Fanagan, Mark Gannon, Loyal Goulding, Tony Heverin, Ken Kearney, Shane Lowry, Adrian Morrow, Garth McGimpsey, Mary McKenna, Liam MacNamara, Paddy O¹Looney, Eddie Power, Eileen Rose Power

Golfing Media
Cathal Dervan, Paul Gallagher, Mark Jones , Seamus Keenan, Brian Keogh, Charlie Mulqueen, Declan O'Donoghue, John O¹Sullivan, Philip Quinn, John Redmond, Colm Smith, Liam Spratt

Format:
Panellists were provided with a complete list of parkland and links/shoreline courses in the 32 counties. We included shoreline courses in our links category and sought clarification from the four branches of the GUI on which courses are categorised as links/shoreline in each province.
Voters were asked to nominate their 15 favourite courses in both categories. Special emphasis was placed on design, presentation, setting, challenge and the personal enjoyment factor.
It is important to make the point that some outstanding new courses are likely to command higher positions in future Backspin surveys as they become more established.

Points system:
Voting forms offered the following points to nominated clubs in both categories: 1st - 250pts; 2nd - 225pts; 3rd - 200pts; 4th - 175pts; 5th - 150pts; 6th - 140pts; 7th - 130pts; 8th - 120pts; 9th - 110pts; 10th - 100pts; 11th - 90pts; 12th - 80pts; 13th - 70pts; 14th - 60pts; 15th - 50pts.

Backspin¹s Top 3 Clubs - Links/Shoreline category:
* Royal Co. Down - C¹ship course (9865 pts) received 14 votes of 250pts and 8 votes of 225pts
* Portmarnock Old (9700 pts) received 13 votes of 250pts and 12 votes of 225pts
* Royal Portrush - Dunluce (8810 pts) received 10 votes of 250pts and 4 votes of 225pts
* All 52 panellists voted for RCD; 50 voted for Portmarnock; and 48 voted for Royal Portrush

Backspin¹s Top 3 Clubs - Parkland category:
* Mount Juliet (9345 pts) received 12 votes of 250pts and 11 votes of 225pts
* The K Club - Palmer course (8655 pts) received 9 votes of 250pts and 9 votes of 225pts
* Adare (8035 pts) received 11 votes of 250pts and 11 votes of 225pts
* 49 of the 52 panellists voted for Mount Juliet; 47 for K Club (Palmer); and 42 voted for Adare.

Links/shoreline courses were ranked 1 - 30 and Parkland 1 - 40 as there are considerably more parkland courses in Ireland

Verification of results:
The 52 voting forms were given to Cooney & Co, Dalkey, Co. Dublin (Accountants & Registered Auditors) for a full and comprehensive audit prior to publication.

Full Results - Links / Shoreline category:
1st - 9865pts Royal County Down
2nd - 9700 Portmarnock (Old)
3rd - 8810 Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
4th - 7870 The European Club
5th - 7155 County Louth (Baltray)
6th - 7120 Ballybunion (Old)
7th - 6675 Waterville
8th - 6480 Lahinch (Old)
9th - 5215 County Sligo (Rosses Point)
10th - 3295 The Island
11th - 2830 The Royal Dublin
12th - 2820 Enniscrone
13th - 2740 Ballyliffin (Glashedy)
14th - 2080 Portstewart (Strand)
15th - 2070 Doonbeg
16th - 2050 Ballyliffin (Old)
17th - 1800 Tralee
18th - 1380 Connemara
19th - 1290 Belmullet (Carne)
20th - 1255 Old Head Kinsale
21st - 1030 Donegal (Murvagh)
22nd - 955 Portmarnock Hotel & Links
23rd - 940 Cork (Little Island)
24th - 740 Rosapeena (Sandy Hills)
25th - 730 Dooks
26th - 660 Westport
27th - 550 Castlerock
28th - 430 Woodbrook
29th - 425 Arklow
30th - 380 Seapoint

Full Results - Parkland / Inland category;
1st 9345 Mount Juliet
2nd 8655 K Club (Palmer course)
3rd 8035 Adare
4th 6815 Druids Glen
5th 6465 The Heritage
6th 6145 PGA National Ireland
7th 5545 Killarney (Killeen)
8th 4665 Headfort (New)
9th 4255 Fota Island
10th 3475 Carton (Montgomerie)
11th 2995 Carlow
12th 2945 Slieve Russell
13th 2530 Malone
14th 2340 K Club (Smurfit)
15th 1490 Glasson
16th 1440 Luttrellstown Castle
17th 1385 Hermitage
18th 1255 Belvoir Park
19th 1170 Killarney (Mahony¹s Point)
20th 1100 Mullingar
21st 1095 Powerscourt (East)
1095 Knightsbrook
1095 Rathsallagh
24th 900 Tulfarris
25th 885 Grange
26th 840 Carton (O¹Meara)
27th 745 Mount Wolseley
28th 710 Tramore
710 Shannon
30th 695 Woodenbridge
31st 670 Headfort (Old)
32nd 600 New Forest
33rd 575 Powerscourt (West)
34th 570 Dundalk
35th 560 Co. Tipperary (Dundrum House)
36th 500 Moyvalley
37th 480 Clandeboye (Dufferin)
38th 440 Tullamore
39th 400 Druids Heath
400 St. Margaret’s

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THESE RATINGS

A New earth

I would say that the new Dun Laoghaire course should be ranked about 11 or 12 in Parkland courses. Probably not rated this time as it only opened in August 2007

WHIP IT!

I think I'd have the O'Meara Course at Carton a good bit further up the list than that...

copacetic

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I think I'd have the O'Meara Course at Carton a good bit further up the list than that...

would certainly have it higher than the monty course which I didn't like at all.

Nice idea though, haven't played any of the top 9 on either list, but the 10th on both and a lot of them from there down.

f22

How the hell did St Margarets squeeze onto the parkland list?

I can think of another 50 courses I'd put in front of it

Par72

I think it is a little curious to lump links and shoreline courses together. For example Woodbrook & Little Island are in the links/shoreline category but both are parkland courses.

A good number of the voting panel would also have interests in some of those courses which could influence their choices.

putts18

Very interesting to see what the experts think. I am a little surprised at some of the choices! Woodenbridge for example? Let me say I absolutely love Woodenbridge, it is one of the most beautiful settings for a golf course anywhere in the country and I would recommend everyone to play it...but... top 30 parkland course?? I wouldn't have thought so.

Rosapeena(Sandy Hills), this is a fantastic golfers course, I would have placed it higher.

I am happy to report that I have played 19 of the courses listed, only 5 of them links unfortunately. But I'm still young I have time!

drollab

I was surprised to see Mt Juliet win and it scored almost 1000 points more than the K Club.

It was interesting how close it was between Royal COunty Down and Portmarnock.

The GUI were consulted on the grouping of links & shoreline.

I thinks its a fair vote with 52 people from various backgrounds in the game and the scoring system was good. Its transparent, I think.

slumped

drollab wrote: »

I was surprised to see Mt Juliet win and it scored almost 1000 points more than the K Club.

It was interesting how close it was between Royal COunty Down and Portmarnock.

The GUI were consulted on the grouping of links & shoreline.

I thinks its a fair vote with 52 people from various backgrounds in the game and the scoring system was good. Its transparent, I think.

I wonder if our OP "drollab" has any connection with Backspin??

See this thread (page 2) where he commends Backspin

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054959073&page=2

Come on drollab - how do you know Declan O'D???

Mister Sifter

Hmmm... well he's probably just done them a did-dervice if that's the case.

I'd probably have bought the magazine for the listings. Don't need to now though eh!

Although, i think it was published in the indo yesterday, so it may well be a press release that Drollab has posted.

Either way, cracking post.

WHIP IT!

Just noticed, no Faithlegg...

copacetic

slumped wrote: »

I wonder if our OP "drollab" has any connection with Backspin??

See this thread (page 2) where he commends Backspin

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054959073&page=2

Come on drollab - how do you know Declan O'D???

Seems like a good thread, that is of interest to people. If you suspect or think there is an issue with posts please report them, stop putting comments like this on thread.

f22

drollab wrote: »

I was surprised to see Mt Juliet win and it scored almost 1000 points more than the K Club

Can't see what anyone would be surprised here, it's easily the best parkland in the country. Last time the AMEX was played there Woods commented that they were the best greens he's ever played on.

K-Club is way overrated in my opinion and only for Smurfits financial clout it would never have staged as many major events as it has. Even after countless millions spent the drainage is still very questionable.

PhilipMarlowe

Special emphasis was placed on design, presentation, setting, challenge and the personal enjoyment factor.

= Mount Juliet.
It's simple really

Obni

I would agree with the last few posters about Mt. Juliet.
No contest.

I still don't get what's so great about Druid's Glen.

1-3 Poor
4-8 Excellent
9-11 Average
12 Most over-rated 'feature' par 3 in the country
13-15 Excellent
16-17 Good
18 Excellent

Skimming down through the list, I've played 16 courses below it on the list, and I'd rather play again 13 of those courses before I'd play DG again.

putts18

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Just noticed, no Faithlegg...

Now there is one of the most over-rated courses in the country. I wouldn't have it in the top 200 never mind the top 40.

Mount Juliet is definitely top of the heap. I think some of the comments on Druids Glen were a bit harsh, its a good course thats a bit over hyped maybe.

Brockagh

A New earth wrote: »

I would say that the new Dun Laoghaire course should be ranked about 11 or 12 in Parkland courses. Probably not rated this time as it only opened in August 2007

I thought it was a pretty standard Americanised parkland. Lots of fake-looking water features etc. The rudest membership I've ever come across.

K Club is way over-rated in my opinion. The hospitality to the raters was probably very good, though.

Headfort New is one of my favourites of the modern courses, as is Esker Hills. Mount Juliet is an excellent course, I beleive. Very fair.

irishcrazyhorse

I really would of had Fota further up on the list, played there recently and the new facilitys and 9holes are outstanding!
Strange to see Cork golf club up there (even though it is one of my favourite in the country)

Johnny_Fontane

copacetic wrote: »

would certainly have it higher than the monty course which I didn't like at all.

Nice idea though, haven't played any of the top 9 on either list, but the 10th on both and a lot of them from there down.

I'm the opposite here, the monty is a superb course and a great test of golf. The o'meara has three stunning holes and the rest whilst good, don't really match up. The Monty is just too hard for most high handicappers hence people don't enjoy it.

waterville72

Good post. Have to agree with the parkland. Juliet is the best parkland course in the country...and why? Jack Nicklaus thats why. The man is a legend and a great designer. However I believe that its more than just the golf course. When I drive into Mount Juliet I get excited by the atmosphere of the place. They are lovely people to deal with and they have that balance of professionalism and common sense customer service just right. K club too stuffy for me.
I rang the K club about four weeks ago and they wanted 360 euro per person. Thats just outrageous. At least Juliet make a game of golf affordable to everyone at 150 ish I think. The K club can stick it as far as I am concerned. Hope they build a second 18 in Juliet.

As far as the Links go Co. Down is class as is Portmarnock. Would have waterville in the top 5 though...wonderful course.