Bellewstown GC & Laytown/Bettystown GC

Jawgap

Can anyone offer any updates on either of these courses?

I'm getting the sticks out of retirement and will be playing both I'm sure over the next few months with a view to joining one of them in 2010.

Any comments etc appreciated.

Trampas

I would thought L&B wouldn't be open for membership and if you did get in they would want a nice golden handshake.

Bellewstown would be a lot cheaper. You will be fit as a fiddle playing this course after a while

Jawgap

Bellewstown is significantly cheaper. Laytown / Bettystown want 10k joining fee!!!

I'm hoping it might drop next year!

dnjoyce

L&B is a nice course, where you'd be happy to play week in week out - Bellewstown is a bit of a dump to be honest and I reckon you'd be sick of the place after a month. It screams of a farmer who was trying to cash in on the golfing boom and sticking 18 holes on soft, unsuitable, feature-less land.
10k is still ridiculous as a joining fee though.

ThunderCat

Not sure of the exact figures but im sure Bellewstown is a lot cheaper to join. Dont think there is even a joining fee just annual subs. I take it you have played both before.
In my experience even though Bellewstown is a parkland course, it is very rarely closed during the winter so you will get plenty off opportunity to play golf all year round. It seems to be open no matter what the weather. Its a tough course on the legs and fairly long too so it will be testing. It has fantastic views from the back nine and in my opinion a fantastic finishing hole. What may be a drawback for you is that there is no clubhouse as such.
Laytown has a great front nine but i think the back nine pales in comparison as it is much flatter and far more straightforward. Good course nonetheless with a proper clubhouse and facilities. In these recessionary times id choose Bellewstown every time.

whatawaster

10K is ridiculous for L&B, but they can afford to charge that, having basically full membership.
If you have the money though it's well worth it. It's not a long course, but it's extremely tight and challenging and has some of the best greens you'll play on, no matter what time of year it is.

Bellewstown is ordinary in almost every way, but i guess their lower price reflects that. It's not bad though.

golfnuts

dnjoyce wrote: »

L&B is a nice course, where you'd be happy to play week in week out - Bellewstown is a bit of a dump to be honest and I reckon you'd be sick of the place after a month. It screams of a farmer who was trying to cash in on the golfing boom and sticking 18 holes on soft, unsuitable, feature-less land.
10k is still ridiculous as a joining fee though.

As a member of Bellewstown I take offence to calling the course a dump. Its a relatively new course yes, but if it screams of a farmer trying to cash in then why would this so called farmer be planting 400 new trees around the course, dilligently looking after greens by hollow tinning them when needed to better them and making new tee boxes and oh yes why would the Fred Daly qualifiers be held there in April ??
Maybe you had a bad score 'IF' you've played it before, it's not easy, but dont take it out on the course.

whatawaster

golfnuts wrote: »

As a member of Bellewstown I take offence to calling the course a dump. Its a relatively new course yes, but if it screams of a farmer trying to cash in then why would this so called farmer be planting 400 new trees around the course, dilligently looking after greens by hollow tinning them when needed to better them and making new tee boxes and oh yes why would the Fred Daly qualifiers be held there in April ??
Maybe you had a bad score 'IF' you've played it before, it's not easy, but dont take it out on the course.

it's far from a dump, it's just very average imo. Though fair play if they're trying to improve it. Should be much better as all the trees mature etc.

golfnuts

The last post was aimed at jawgap.

Whatawaster, yes agreed the course is nothing spectacular but its a young course and for less than 1k subs with no joining fee its not bad. The views are quite good around certain areas of the course too so imo there are some nice views to be had, unlike some flat courses with nothing to see. We do have teams who will be competing in the inter club competitions this year after our 1st year last year competing in them.

Hopefully in a few years time it will get better when it matures as a lot of golf courses are feeling the pinch now to compete with each other.

golfnuts

"The last post was aimed at jawgap".



Ooops apologies Jawgap not meant for you...It should've been dnjoyce Sorry !!

rafared

L+B is a decent Links course, not as good as Baltray or Seapoint imo but a nice track nonetheless.
Ive played bellewstown a good few times and I wouldnt be mad about the place. It has no clubhouse, is very wet during the winter and will let just about anybody out to rally around in carts. ( I saw guys driving over the tee boxes at full tilt on two seperate occasions:eek:)
It is very hilly and you would get very fit walking around it. It has some nice holes, the par 3 17th comes to mind, but it is overly long and difficult to play in windy conditions due to its exposed conditions.
They charge 950E a year as far as I can remember with no signing on fee.
The last I heard they had around 100 members but I cant confirm how up to date that figure is.
I appreciate how guys who are members can be sensitive to their course being run down but I personally wouldnt pay to play there. While having some nice holes the comment of a farmers converted field is not far from the truth.

golfnuts

New clubhouse already built, climbs on 4th,9th,10th,18th, €920 annual subs, no joining fee, 200+ members

gerp

In my opinion i think to be a member of any links course is worth a huge amount of money.
Bellewstown is to wet during the winter like all inland golf courses a friend of mine is a 5 day member at L&B and he said its 5 grand to get in and another 5 grand when you get in as a 7 day member some 2 years later.

I have to say guys that i grew up on a links course and you could be in the clubhouse playing snooker while it lashing rain for 3 hours outside but the second it stops raining your on the first tee.

I think that is worth any money long term it will pay for its self.

I dont think seapoint is a better course L&B is a tricky course harder to score on.

rafared

I suppose everyone will have differing opinions on courses, I've been lucky enough to play L&B a good few times and have always enjoyed it. Its a tight course and can be a bitch when its windy. Personally I prefare seapoint, which by the way is offering 5 day membership for 3500E, but would be happy to play L&B anytime.