Are these courses good?

Zak Flaps

Hi, I received an email from teetimes.ie informing me of forthcoming offers in the next 10 days or so. I'm back playing golf after many years away so my handicap would be somewhere in the mid 20's.

Anyway, I'm lucky enough where I can play midweek and they have some great offers , eg, Turvey €9 , St Matgarets €15, Donabate €11, Slade Valley €15, Balcarrick €15, Corballis €12.50, Dunmurry Springs €11, Knightsbrook €15, Hollystown €10.....

My question is this....are these good courses or are they €10-€15 for a reason? I'm not familiar with Dublin courses.
I'm not looking for amazingly challenging courses due to my standard, just wondering were they any good, or nice to play on?

Zak.

Conor J

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Hi, I received an email from teetimes.ie informing me of forthcoming offers in the next 10 days or so. I'm back playing golf after many years away so my handicap would be somewhere in the mid 20's.

Anyway, I'm lucky enough where I can play midweek and they have some great offers , eg, Turvey €9 , St Matgarets €15, Donabate €11, Slade Valley €15, Balcarrick €15, Corballis €12.50, Dunmurry Springs €11, Knightsbrook €15, Hollystown €10.....

My question is this....are these good courses or are they €10-€15 for a reason? I'm not familiar with Dublin courses.
I'm not looking for amazingly challenging courses due to my standard, just wondering were they any good, or nice to play on?

Zak.

corballis is great, so is Dunmurray springs, id imagine many of them are good. there are good rates out there at the moment anyway.

have a look at the pics, kevin markham from these boards has a good book that you could have a look at, he details every 18 hole course on the country.

mike12

Have played them all bar slade valley and turvey is the only one i dont like all well worth the money.
Mike

jimjo

Its all down to personal preference at the end of the day. They are all very good value to start so don't worry about that.

But if I had to choose one it would be Knightsbrook, open from the tee and brilliant greens, it is long though, followed by Dunmurry Springs, a lovely little course (off the whites, different story off the blues I’m sure) with interesting holes, one par 5 around this type of long rock and tricky greens. Turvey and Hollystown are about the same, maybe would nudge Turvey above Hollystown.

Kevin on here the guy who wrote hooked, is a big links man so he could well disagree but that’s not to say he is right or I am wrong or vice versa. Different strokes for different…

The main thing is your playing a full round midweek so enjoy wherever you end up.

Kevinmarkham

Hey Zak, you've listed a diverse range of courses, and as Jimjo points out it's all down to personal preference.
If I had to pick one course I'd pick Dunmurry Springs. It's not too long, I hear the rough has been cut back and some great views. If you want to go with top quality, then Knightsbrook is the place with perfect greens - but repeating Jimjo - it is long. St. Margarets has a big reputation - it's solid rather than spectacular - but good routing and plenty of water.
I wouldn't be mad about Balcarrick, Donabate and Hollystown. Turvey would get ahead of them in my list - more colour and shape. Slade Valley is steep and dangerous (cross-overs) in places but a good laugh - and a great opening drive at Dublin City far below.

Which leaves Corballis - a great little links, and probably in good shape this time of year. Not much of a clubhouse though if you want afters.
Hope that helps. Let us know which one you choose.

ShriekingSheet

Yeah D Springs, Knightsbrook and St Margrets are all nice. And Corballis is a cool little links.

Wouldn't be mad about the rest of them.

sweetswing

how times have changed, played knightsbrook about 2 years ago on a tuesday morning in april at 10.30 and was charged 70 euro for the pleasure.

ShriekingSheet

If I may hijack the thread with a similar query, what's The Heath in Portlaoise like these days? Been years since I played it. Used to be good fun to play, wide open with no rough. Always remember it was a little hit and miss as regards upkeep, but as I said, long time since I've been there so wondering has it gone one way or the other?

jimjo

sweetswing wrote: »

how times have changed, played knightsbrook about 2 years ago on a tuesday morning in april at 10.30 and was charged 70 euro for the pleasure.

It’s a funny one. I think it’s a simple case of theres just too many courses around for Knightsbrook to succeed, a pity. It mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it. When you think about it if you come from Dublin the N3 side you got Castleknock, Luttrellstown, Hollystown, Elmgreen before you even leave Dublin. Pass by another two in Dunslaughlin in Blackbush & Killeen Castle. The other side coming from say Kells.. two at the Headfort, Navan & Royal Tara and of course County Meath. The market is saturated. Granted only really Castleknock, Luttrellstown and Headfort New that would be the same quality IMO. Killeen Castle must be a couple of notches above and a place were you would play as a once off, a treat at €100 a round in the summer. Knightsbrook doesn’t fall into any category really, obviously not the cheap side but yet not the type of course that you would drive 35 miles out off your way to play, as there’s equal or if not better types of courses like it around.

Mister Sifter

jimjo wrote: »

It’s a funny one. I think it’s a simple case of theres just too many courses around for Knightsbrook to succeed, a pity. It mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it. When you think about it if you come from Dublin the N3 side you got Castleknock, Luttrellstown, Hollystown, Elmgreen before you even leave Dublin. Pass by another two in Dunslaughlin in Blackbush & Killeen Castle. The other side coming from say Kells.. two at the Headfort, Navan & Royal Tara and of course County Meath. The market is saturated. Granted only really Castleknock, Luttrellstown and Headfort New that would be the same quality IMO. Killeen Castle must be a couple of notches above and a place were you would play as a once off, a treat at €100 a round in the summer. Knightsbrook doesn’t fall into any category really, obviously not the cheap side but yet not the type of course that you would drive 35 miles out off your way to play, as there’s equal or if not better types of courses like it around.

Turn the sat nav on at the N3 junction of the M50 and it's frightening the number of courses within a ten mile radius. In Castleknock you've also got Hermitage and Westmanstown too. Hermitage's website shows prices just now of €80 midweek and €85 on weekends.

Ten minutes up the road you've also got Roganstown, St Margaret's and Corrstown.

jimjo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

In Castleknock you've also got Hermitage and Westmanstown too.

God yeah. You know what I totally forgot about those two courses. Unbelievable amount of courses in the North West Dublin vicinity.

Johnny_Fontane

jimjo wrote: »

It’s a funny one. I think it’s a simple case of theres just too many courses around for Knightsbrook to succeed, a pity. It mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoyed it. When you think about it if you come from Dublin the N3 side you got Castleknock, Luttrellstown, Hollystown, Elmgreen before you even leave Dublin. Pass by another two in Dunslaughlin in Blackbush & Killeen Castle. The other side coming from say Kells.. two at the Headfort, Navan & Royal Tara and of course County Meath. The market is saturated. Granted only really Castleknock, Luttrellstown and Headfort New that would be the same quality IMO. Killeen Castle must be a couple of notches above and a place were you would play as a once off, a treat at €100 a round in the summer. Knightsbrook doesn’t fall into any category really, obviously not the cheap side but yet not the type of course that you would drive 35 miles out off your way to play, as there’s equal or if not better types of courses like it around.

As a member of knightsbrook, I agree totally that there is lots of courses in the area but not sure this argument stacks up at all. I mean look at Wicklow, I was down there this week there was a ton of courses that I could have played - all half decent courses - that were pretty much totally empty - shall I start? bray, woodbrook, roundwood, arklow, blainroe, european, druids glen & heath, greystones, woodenbridge, dun laoghaire, mcginleys course....

the fact is, that most of Ireland is covered with courses. I think its a real positive that we have so much choice. As for who'll stay open, well thats another thread.......

Mister Sifter

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

As a member of knightsbrook, I agree totally that there is lots of courses in the area but not sure this argument stacks up at all. I mean look at Wicklow, I was down there this week there was a ton of courses that I could have played - all half decent courses - that were pretty much totally empty - shall I start? bray, woodbrook, roundwood, arklow, blainroe, european, druids glen & heath, greystones, woodenbridge, dun laoghaire, mcginleys course....

the fact is, that most of Ireland is covered with courses. I think its a real positive that we have so much choice. As for who'll stay open, well thats another thread.......

Granted, but how many of those courses in Wicklow were built recently? Compare that to the courses that Jimjo mentions and there-in lies the problem. Knightsbrook, Headfort New, Roganstown, Castleknock, Luttrellstown - all built/upgraded at the cost of millions and in the main still trying to establish themselves. Most of them also have massive loans hanging around their neck also.

Zak Flaps

well that did spark quite a bit of activity!!!
cheers guys for the input....
from your comments,it seems as if clubs have been forced to lower their prices due to all the competition...which benefits us all i imagine... looking forward to exploring many of these courses this year and discovering future "favourites".....
off to South County tomorrow morning...can't wait...

zak.

thegen

Zak Flaps wrote: »

well that did spark quite a bit of activity!!!
cheers guys for the input....
from your comments,it seems as if clubs have been forced to lower their prices due to all the competition...which benefits us all i imagine... looking forward to exploring many of these courses this year and discovering future "favourites".....
off to South County tomorrow morning...can't wait...


Zak,

Call before you head up there if there has been frost overnight.

Zak Flaps

thegen wrote: »

Zak Flaps wrote: »

well that did spark quite a bit of activity!!!
cheers guys for the input....
from your comments,it seems as if clubs have been forced to lower their prices due to all the competition...which benefits us all i imagine... looking forward to exploring many of these courses this year and discovering future "favourites".....
off to South County tomorrow morning...can't wait...


Zak,

Call before you head up there if there has been frost overnight.

i will indeed...got caught out there last week...had to play on temporary greens,and 6 holes were closed....so had planned on calling...

cheers thegen.

Swingguru

Any mention of Carton House? 2 courses there. What sort of deals are they doing?

Zak Flaps

Swingguru wrote: »

Any mention of Carton House? 2 courses there. What sort of deals are they doing?

not on the email i received....

Delbhoy74

Hermitage's website shows prices just now of €80 midweek and €85 on weekends.

Played Hermitage last week,got it for 18 euro on teetimes. We had 4 temp greens in place but overall the course was in fantastic shape,great deal for a premier course.

Hallowed

Swingguru wrote: »

Any mention of Carton House? 2 courses there. What sort of deals are they doing?

They have an open competion on Mondays on the O'Meara course so I enquired what the fee was.
€50 for the singles competition and they said it with a straight face!!!!

Crazy stuff

Johnny_Fontane

I think €50 is about right for that course.

If its the montgomery for €50 its a great deal. What do you expect to pay? €20?

cpb

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

If I may hijack the thread with a similar query, what's The Heath in Portlaoise like these days? Been years since I played it. Used to be good fun to play, wide open with no rough. Always remember it was a little hit and miss as regards upkeep, but as I said, long time since I've been there so wondering has it gone one way or the other?

I am a member there but have not played in a while due to back injury so cant comment on the course condition. They have an open singles every Wednesday starting on April 21st.

They play this competition off their blue stakes and the course is a good challenge off these. On a more general note the upkeep has improved but we still suffer with the sheep although the amount of time they are on the course is less that it used to be.

Hopefully will be back playing soon the lack of golf is a right pain.

davidrafferty

If you like good greens, a course that isn't hilly and an enjoyable experience whether a beginner or "low man", you could do worse than trying Balcarrick. Their Greens are about the best around.

f22

davidrafferty wrote: »

If you like good greens, a course that isn't hilly and an enjoyable experience whether a beginner or "low man", you could do worse than trying Balcarrick. Their Greens are about the best around.

That's fairly debatable, I'd actually rank it lowest of all the courses in Donabate (besides Turvey). You won't find better greens than Corballis at the moment.

Pauliee

Hi

Quick question on teetimes. I booked a tee time on the website a couple of years ago for myself and a friend and when we got to the club we were put into a fourball. Not that I'm anti social or anything but sometimes you just want a casual game with a mate. So my question is what is the experience of the members here who have used teetimes. Where you put in group or did you get the booking you originally made?

dixiefly

davidrafferty wrote: »

If you like good greens, a course that isn't hilly and an enjoyable experience whether a beginner or "low man", you could do worse than trying Balcarrick. Their Greens are about the best around.

Some great impartial advice in general on this forum. However in the case of Balcarrick this poster wuld have been etter off replacing "their" with "our"!

A few postings would have had the desired effect but the multi postings just tend to put people off.