Overrated/Underrated

Brockagh

What do you think are the most underrated and most overrated courses in the country?

dnjoyce

overrated = k club palmer course
underrated = tulfarris

G1032

Most overated = Connemara
Most underrated = Don't know really. I think Portumna doesn't get half the credit it deserves.

thegen

Overrated = Druids Glen
Underrated = Arklow, Portunma, Dooks to name but a few.

scrubber72

live in Galway so locally
overrated cregmore
underrated portumna

Nationally
overrated doonbeg
underrated carne

G1032

Portumna seems to be a popular choice for the underrated cousre. Have to agree with Scrubber regards Carne. One of my favourites. Great course.

f22

Overrated: K-Club, PGA National, Heritage

Underrated: Carne, Portmarnock Links

Mister Sifter

I generally find most links courses to be over-rated. Royal Dublin, Portmarnock Links, Baltray all hugley over-rated.

None really come to mind as being hugely under-rated. Perhaps PGA National.

Brockagh

I suppose you have to like links courses. I think they're great links courses, but maybe Royal Dublin is the exception. I think they may have done some work on the course recently, though.

Underrated: Arklow, Strandhill and Enniscrone

Overrated: K Club and PGA National.

BombSquad

Overrated: K club and Doonbeg.
Underrated: European, Mount Wolsely

jimjo

Not sure what to say for overrated but underrated I’d go for the Slieve Russell….

stumpypeeps

I think the majority of the well known courses fall into the overrated category. Much of this must surely come from inflated prices and our sense of expectation.

I find a lot of the older well established members courses that aren't particularly expensive are usually quite underrated. For example Birr. Wonderful selection of holes and quite challenging.

The_Kew_Tour

Mister Sifter wrote: »

I generally find most links courses to be over-rated. Royal Dublin, Portmarnock Links, Baltray all hugley over-rated.

Yes I would agree with that opeing sentence.

I found Ballybunion old couse and Waterville to be just little overratted, dont get me wrong I go back there anyday to play both but dont think there the 10/10 courses that some peope say they are.

Underratted I would go Killarney, and from near home although have not played there in nearly ten years but always liked Mitchelstown when younger it had i think few short par 3 maybe 5-6 par 3 in total but nice summers day and was good course.

Johnny_Fontane

overrated - Royal Dublin (for the money), Powerscourt East
underated - Carne (obviously), naas, old head (people have preconceptions of the place but its just spectacular)

Brockagh

I'm glad to see Carne mentioned, as I'm a member. It's unlike any other course in the country.

Links golf only exists in Ireland and Britain, with a few exceptions in Tasmania, Holland and maybe Chile. It's by far my favourite kind of golf, so it's hard for me to overrate it.

Old Head is an experience. The architecture there is criticised sometimes, but it's a joy to play.

Kevinmarkham

Parkland
Most over rated: K Club (Smurfit), Powerscourt (East)
Most under rated: Portumna, Portarlington, Rathcore, Scrabo, The Heath

Links
Most over rated: Royal Dublin, Baltray, Portmarnock
Most under rated: Strandhill, Rosslare, Narin & Portnoo, Dooks and Carne


Some cracking choices in there - poor old Doonbeg and K Club (Palmer) get a hard time

Brockagh

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Parkland
Most over rated: K Club (Smurfit), Powerscourt (East)
Most under rated: Portumna, Portarlington, Rathcore, Scrabo, The Heath

Links
Most over rated: Royal Dublin, Baltray, Portmarnock
Most under rated: Strandhill, Rosslare, Narin & Portnoo, Dooks and Carne


Some cracking choices in there - poor old Doonbeg and K Club (Palmer) get a hard time

I think Baltray and Portmarnock are superb. The Portmarnock routing is brilliant - a very subtile course. The green sites in Baltray are what makes it brilliant. Just my opinion, of course.

There's some great holes in Doonbeg too.

Donegal is also underrated, I think.

I'm not a fan of the Disneyland type courses like the K Club, PGA National, Dun Laoghaire etc. Sticky sweet nonsense.

Ardglass is also underrated, I think.

Gailf

Great thread...

dvemail

Over rated: K Club
Under rated: Murvagh(Donegal), Rosses Point

zztop

Underated Ballinrobe one of THE finest

gerrymadden1

The K Club is getting a bit of a bashing here & I'm afraid I must agree. Played there last year & was seriously disappinted. Very overrated!

Under rated? Hmmm... I'll have to think about that one....

ThunderCat

Overrated = Fota Island, Royal Dublin, St.Annes.
Underrated = Slieve Russell, Headfort New, The Island, Ballyliffin.

G1032

Another one I forgot to mention as over rated is Galway. When you actually dissect it hole by hole it really isn't that brilliant. A few good holes but a good few mediocre ones too. People constantly rate it as one of the best parklands in the country and I don't know why. IMO it's not a patch on Portumna. It always has fantastic greens though. I'll give it that.

jimmystars

Overated - PGA national, Carton house The O Meara with the exception of the last 4 holes, Cork golf club

Underated - Mahon, when compared with Cork GC its a lot more fun. Headfort new, The older 18 at Fota. The new 9 holes at fota are boring. Baltray.

kingshankly

rathcore has to be one of the most underated courses in the country,also think greenore is also underated

Luckycharm

Over rated: Powerscourt, Moy Valley

Under Rated: Knockanally, Glasson

thoscon

over rated- k club
under rated-slieve russell and rathcore

callaway92

Overrated - Faithlegg

Underrated - Ballykisteen

heavyballs

over-o meara,royal dublin
under-portumna,

There are a few recognised top courses e.g European Club in the under rated cat,how is this.Surely not under rated.

kermitpwee

ronaldochokes wrote: »

Another one I forgot to mention as over rated is Galway. When you actually dissect it hole by hole it really isn't that brilliant. A few good holes but a good few mediocre ones too. People constantly rate it as one of the best parklands in the country and I don't know why. IMO it's not a patch on Portumna. It always has fantastic greens though. I'll give it that.

In 2002 i had the opportunity to play Galway of the back tees 10-15 times in the space of a month. The all ireland club finals were coming. With the heavy rough that was there at the time all i could say was that it is a cracker. Definitely the best parkland in connacht imo. Portumna is a good course but imo is leagues below Galway.

zztop

Surely you dont rate galway before Shannon or Ballinrobe

The_Kew_Tour

Does anyone know the cost of green fees for Glaway GC? Hoping be in that direction in few weeks so plan play game there as so many people are rating it here.

Thanks

K club seems be getting hit hard here

soundsham

over-rated

---

Cork G.C.,(&Fota if the new 9 are in play)

under-rated

---

Lahinch & Dromoland (at a stretch,just a place I like to walk around)

kermitpwee

zztop wrote: »

Surely you dont rate galway before Shannon or Ballinrobe

Never played Shannon, have walke some holes on the course but thats 8 years ago so cant comment.

Ballinrobe is a fine course but imo is not up to the level of Galway.

Have you played Ballinrobe off the back tees? If not do. Its tough.

george67

I played K club Palmer for the first time this year and I must say it looks better from the air. If I had paid €360 to play I would have kicked myself ,:mad:
lacked the wow factor that all the other "big" courses have on a few holes .

Very overrated

Kevinmarkham

It's fascinating seeing what people consider under-rated clubs. Lahinch and The European! Not sure how they can be considered under-rated. As for Galway being better than Ballinrobe and/or Portumna. Hmm!

And let's go back to the K Club for a minute. Since it's getting such a bashing, would someone like to suggest an Irish course that has four better par fives.

PhilipMarlowe

From the (too) few that I have played...
Overrated: Mount Wolseley
Underrated: Rosslare

kermitpwee

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

And let's go back to the K Club for a minute. Since it's getting such a bashing, would someone like to suggest an Irish course that has four better par fives.

Perhaps peoples expectations dictate how they rate a course. The K Club is very high profile so when they play it their expectations are too high?

galvin66

jimmystars wrote: »

Overated - PGA national, Carton house The O Meara with the exception of the last 4 holes, Cork golf club

Underated - Mahon, when compared with Cork GC its a lot more fun. Headfort new, The older 18 at Fota. The new 9 holes at fota are boring. Baltray.

I dont believe Cork Golf is overated, its a joy to play. I had heard so much about it being one of Corks Finest courses and once i finally played it this year it lived up to my expectations.. good greens, nice scenery, nicely created layout and then you compare it to Mahon , your having a laugh man.. Mahon is nothing compared to Cork tbh!Mahon isnt kept well, boring to play, just in my opinion it doesnt excite me ,: Cork Golf Club deserves being a highly rated club and no way is Mahon GC an underated club, if i had to choose an underated club in cork it would have to be Lee Vally Golf Club.. Top Class.....

soundsham

agree with you galvin, mahon isn't very good,agree on lee valley too,but on cork golf club I have to say I find a lot of people over-rate the place its a nice layout but v. short,and attitude there is a problem for me from the staff,

p.s. add douglas into over-rated too for me, teenage girls driving the par 4's is always a bad sign:p

Kevinmarkham

soundsham wrote: »

agree with you galvin, mahon isn't very good,agree on lee valley too,but on cork golf club I have to say I find a lot of people over-rate the place its a nice layout but v. short,and attitude there is a problem for me from the staff,

Wow, I think Mahon is a peach. It's a municipal course and it has plenty of stuff to keep you entertained. Really surprised to see it getting bashed. When I played it, it was in superb condition, and I have heard from several people that it's always in good shape. And is there anywhere around Cork offering cheaper green fees?

stumpypeeps

Perhaps I could suggest that the Montgomery course at Carton house is a little underrated. Its obviously pretty featureless being an "inland Links" but I thought it was a good layout and a good challenge.

The one course I hear nothing but high praise for is Enniscrone.

soundsham

well afaik there's 5 par 3's(4 on front 9 which isn't great),2 driveable par 4's one after another, 3 par 5's the first one(about 425yds) could be reached with 5w/4i .......

while length isn't everything it totals about 5500yds. off the whites so what I found having played it once or twice I had very little interest in going back to play it,as after hitting your tee shots its always a wedge for your second,cant think of a hole where rescue wouldn't do other than first 2 holes and second 2 of of the par 5's

wouldn't fault the condition, cork city council keep it well as many of their employees are joined there

jimmystars

Just played the old head of kinsale yesterday and got a real Irish day of wind rain and sunshine. I dont think my shoes will be dry for a week. I can honestly say if it was any other course i was playing i would have not even gone outside never mind spend 5 hours walking around hitting a golf ball. Looked up golf digests list to see it ranked at the 29th best course in the country. This to me is definetly one of the must play courses of the world and totally underated.

Miley Byrne

jimmystars wrote: »

Just played the old head of kinsale yesterday and got a real Irish day of wind rain and sunshine. I dont think my shoes will be dry for a week. I can honestly say if it was any other course i was playing i would have not even gone outside never mind spend 5 hours walking around hitting a golf ball. Looked up golf digests list to see it ranked at the 29th best course in the country. This to me is definetly one of the must play courses of the world and totally underated.

I agree Jimmy, I played it about a month ago but I was a bit luckier with the weather. Blue skies and not a puff of wind. I'd say you would only get a handful of calm days a year there so I was lucky in that when I played there there were no real negatives. The scenery alone is worth the trip and I think you would travel a long way to get a better site for a golf course. What I liked about it too though is that the fairways were generous enough. So it not like its brutally tough or anything.

Anyway, thats my under-rated.

As for my over-rated it's both Mahoney's Point & Killeens in Killarney. The first 4 or 5 holes in Killeens are very nice alright, along by the lake, but after that there are some really bland holes. Wouldn't pay what they are asking for greenfees anyway.

1967

A club i would put in the under rated is Castlecomer great test of golf and very reasonable green fee,also i find it surprising for someone to have a pop at Cork GC i found it to be an excellent course although i would say the clubhouse rules are a bit outdated with collar and tie to be worn after 6 and that type of thing but excellent golf course.

johnny121

over rated - k club
under rated - macreddin

Sammo13

Overrated - Dun Laoghaire (middle 9 is nice) & Rosslare (average links)
Underrated - Arklow (changes this year) & Carlow.