Ashbourne and/or Roscrea - looking for course tips

ShriekingSheet

I'm playing Ashbourne and Roscrea this month in two singles strokes competitons. I'd like to do well as there are some serious prizes on offer.

Have played them both a good few years ago but anyone with any knowledge of either course that could offer some guidance would be appreciated.

Mister Sifter

I played Ashbourne a few weeks back for the first time. One of those courses that you need to score on the front nine. There's a stretch around the turn which is really tough.

It's normally winy up there as it's on the hill so can play long depending on the day.

There's a good few shortish par fours though and the par threes are all scoring iron length so plenty of birdie opps. Par 5 fourth is also short and a driver iron will have you on in 2 shots.

Plenty of trouble around too though. Good few holes have water and alot of out of bounds. The stroke saver is useful.

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I played Ashbourne a few weeks back for the first time. One of those courses that you need to score on the front nine. There's a stretch around the turn which is really tough.

It's normally winy up there as it's on the hill so can play long depending on the day.

There's a good few shortish par fours though and the par threes are all scoring iron length so plenty of birdie opps. Par 5 fourth is also short and a driver iron will have you on in 2 shots.

Plenty of trouble around too though. Good few holes have water and alot of out of bounds. The stroke saver is useful.

Thanks for that. Good to know there's a stroke saver too.

deko43

When you are playing Ashbourne consider leaving the big stick in the bag on index 1, 2 & 3 ( holes 12 , 3 & 11). They are not long par fours but you can get into all sorts of bother if you are wayward. Good straight 3 wood and mid iron and you will reach all three with ease. The 12th in particular needs two of your best to get home safely.

Patrick_K

Have played Ashbourne a few times SS and there are a few holes that need a bit of attention.

2nd hole, short par 3 has a hill on the left and water on the right. Dont try and come down off the hill as there is a bunker at the botton of it. Front left of the green has a little area which gives a nice members bounce.

3rd hole, par 4. Fairway slopes left to right, anything down right of centre can run away into trouble. Aim it up left and it will come back down. Approach shot requires carry over water, err on long side if anything.

As the lads above said it opens out a bit for a while then until the 10th

10th hole par 3. Dont go right of green.

11th hole par 4. Have to be on the fairway to have a shot at green, good hole this. Aim down right if driving well otherwise maybe lay up.

12th hole par 4. Another good hole. Internal OOB all up left as far as I remember and OOB on right. Obviously accurate tee shot required. Doesnt need a drive to get on unless into wind and off the back. Again approach over water.

Opens out again after this.

ShriekingSheet

Thanks Guys

Exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for.

The comp is on Monday. Will post up how I get on.

Da Golden Goose

Off again sheet?:D

ShriekingSheet

Da Golden Goose wrote: »

Off again sheet?:D

Official A/L days Goose!

WaldenByThoreua

Roscrea is quite a nice golf course.

1st theres no need for driver and theres plenty of room left....

2nd is a straightaway par 5

4th is beautiful par 3 over a lake thats not in play for a well struck shot

5th is a good par 5 with OB all down the left and trees down the right....err to the right if you want as the ball will usually hit the trees and drop down

6-12 are a blur in my memory!

13th is a tough par 4 where a good long drive is essential to give you the easiest approach shot....Don't think theres too much room on the approach either

14th is par 3 with OB all down the left

15th is a tough drive with OB all down left and mature trees on right....has to be very straight..approach shot is into a green that slopes from back to front I think with a dell/valley in front of the green.

16th is a dogleg right par 4 thats quite short and not really a driver off the tee.

17th is the best hole on the course. Par 3 thats a crack of a 3/4/5 iron depending on conditions . Theres a big tree thats just in play on the tee shot on the left as well!

18th is a quirky little finishing hole where the drive is through an avenue of trees(over a marshy piece of land) and you don't really know where you're hitting....Theres OB down the right. Might not be a driver off tee.

ShriekingSheet

Ashbourne was yesterday.

It definitely helped knowing what holes to keep an eye on but two things caught me out all day long.

The greens were unbelievably quick for this weather lately. Obviously the lack of play, good growth conditions and a serious shave on the morning contributed but definitely the fastest I've played all year.

I was +4 after 3 without striking the ball that badly - just couldn't get a handle on the greens.

Shot +9 approx (33 pts) in the end, allowing for a mysterious lost ball on the last par 5 which never looked anywhere but in the fairway. It was a shame because one thing I did well all day was hit 3 out of the previous 3 par 5s in two - one crept into a green-side bunker so I had two 4s and a 5 coming to the fourth one.

The second thing that wrecked my head from start to finish was either the wind catching me out or the yardages being fairly significantly off.

Part of the problem could have been that their "permanent" tee markers (where the yardages are from) were actually moveable. So some green keeper could have shifted them a few times - who knows.

What I do know is on 10, I had 183yds to the flag into a stiff wind. Hit a choke-down 4 iron very low, a shot that i use all the time in wind, which essentially goes 180ish whether there's wind or not given it's low flight and it draws rather than back-spins. Anyway, according to the yardage the ball flew about 205 yards into the wind. Hmmm. That said, I hate when guys blame inaccurate yardages for a bad day so end of rant!

All in all an enjoyable round on what is a decent lay-out with amazing greens and nice fairways. It's a tiny bit bland in places but also has some great holes. Well worth a visit for the Junior Scratch or open week next year.

Mister Sifter

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

The second thing that wrecked my head from start to finish was either the wind catching me out or the yardages being fairly significantly off.

I had the same problem myself a few times when i played it, so it wasn't just you. Mentioned to a member i was playing with and he said it was just me, but glad to hear it isn't!

Junior Scratch is a good one, but only trouble is they mix the intermediate and junior together, which i don't like so much.

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I had the same problem myself a few times when i played it, so it wasn't just you. Mentioned to a member i was playing with and he said it was just me, but glad to hear it isn't!

Junior Scratch is a good one, but only trouble is they mix the intermediate and junior together, which i don't like so much.

Yeah like the fact is I was considerably past the flag on on two par 3s and through the green on two others - no major gradient involved - and for any amateur, that's a seriously strange amount of long misses.


Anyway, I'm looking forward to Roscrea on Friday week. It's the National Captain's Prize winners thing - top 5 play the final in the Algarve. Have a lesson tonight and Medal on Saturday. Reckon after these few comps I'll ditch the clubs and play/watch more football for the winter so would be nice to play well in the last few of the season.

Mister Sifter

That sounds familiar, the par three second and par three 5th i hit perfect irons for the distance and ended up 10-20 yards past the flag both times. Was baffling. I remember being 5 over or so at the turn and felt as though i was playing great!

Good luck at Rosscrea... a trip to the Algarve would be class... particularly with the weather here the way it is.