Help with picking a club

lettuce97

Hi all,

I've been trying to decide which club in north Dublin to join this year but haven't been able to make up my mind. I think I have it down to a choice between:

Roganstown (current club, best course, pricey, no club atmosphere really)
Balcarrick (cheaper, bit more of a club, less impressive course)
Corballis (cheapest, nice course, possibly mobbed??)

My main concern with Corballis is the possibility of it being very busy. And what do people think of Balcarrick?

Thanks a million for any help/pointers anyone has.

Oh, and while I'm starting the year playing off 20, I plan to win the Open within 24 months...!

not yet

Corrstown...nice course. good clubhouse etc but I've heard it's dreadfully busy.

St margarets, brilliant layout, dreadful upkeep, good atmosphere.

castleknock, great course, always busy

JOSman

Two things that are very important in the game;

1. Course should be close to where you live, so you can pop out at short notice for a few holes.
2. That your friends are also members of the same course. They will be the guys you'll practice with etc.

Best of luck on your choice.:)

FixdePitchmark

I've been struggling too, to pick a place .

Northside a bit tricky to tick all the boxes for me. Good course that I can get out on easy and not too far a drive. (I'm being too picky, but i don't think i'll play enough if not right.

Play corballis a good bit , and it is very bust at peak times and very quiet at other, would like to hear from a member too ? Would like to join Portmarnock Links. But I know it is still mad money and in NAMA. I've been going on about it too much, need to move on it.

Deco1983

Corballis can get mental busy during summer weekends...5-6 hour rounds

Little gem of a place though

TRS30

Depends on where you live and how much you willing to pay- however i have been in Beaverstown for the last few years and love it.

Great course, always in top conditions during the season, easy to get to in the evening for a few holes and nice bar with always a few people around.

FixdePitchmark

Deco1983 wrote: »

Corballis can get mental busy during summer weekends...5-6 hour rounds

Little gem of a place though

Would agree there, but outside weekends I've gone in summer and had the place to myself.

So if outside weekends don't rule out .

All year golf, i think during week in winter is busier than most other places due to links golf.

Corballis is not a place to join if you like your drives, you can lose loads of balls if you play silly.

Only on holes 3, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18. Do you have a drive. Even at that not exactly open on most of them. You have to be happy hitting 9 irons, 8 irons 4 irons off tees. Some people love to drive the ball to open space. Slicers like me.

Again any member on here ?

Barnseire

Depends how much you intend on playing and what your priorities. I was a member of Donabate for 10 years but left last year for St Anne's. Its on my doorstep and as a result, I've played more in 2011 than I have in a long time. I notice you didn't include Donabate in your original post. Its a nice course with excellent greens and a fairly social club. Corballis is a fantastic course but could wreck your head with slow rounds during Summer. A lot of casual golfers who don't know where they are going on a course with blind holes = lethal combination.

FixdePitchmark

Barnseire wrote: »

Depends how much you intend on playing and what your priorities. I was a member of Donabate for 10 years but left last year for St Anne's. Its on my doorstep and as a result, I've played more in 2011 than I have in a long time. I notice you didn't include Donabate in your original post. Its a nice course with excellent greens and a fairly social club. Corballis is a fantastic course but could wreck your head with slow rounds during Summer. A lot of casual golfers who don't know where they are going on a course with blind holes = lethal combination.

Agree, Corballis is not easy to play, if you don't know how to play it. Lots of lads playing it, as it is public. But it is too hard for pure beginners.

Barnseire , love St Annes's too, not too many fans of it on here. I was close to joining too , but big fee was hard to take. Hear it is very busy now after the new members joining ?

Sorry , I've gatecrashed this thread for my own purpose. But I've been thinking too much about the links of the north county.

There is lots of other threads on Corballis if you need other views.

You should not be able to go out on Corballis till you have played Deer Park 100 times (Joke)

lettuce97

Thanks for the feedback all, sounds like slow rounds/busyness is only an issue in Corballis on weekends. While that could be frustrating, my main worry would be a backlog of people on the 1st if I nipped out after work around 6ish midweek. I assume Balcarrick is good and quiet bar weekend mornings.

lettuce97

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Agree, Corballis is not easy to play, if you don't know how to play it. Lots of lads playing it, as it is public. But it is too hard for pure beginners.

Barnseire , love St Annes's too, not too many fans of it on here. I was close to joining too , but big fee was hard to take. Hear it is very busy now after the new members joining ?

Sorry , I've gatecrashed this thread for my own purpose. But I've been thinking too much about the links of the north county.

There is lots of other threads on Corballis if you need other views.

You should not be able to go out on Corballis till you have played Deer Park 100 times (Joke)

Not at all FixdePitchmark, you're more or less asking questions on my behalf, cheers!

Barnseire

Yeah. St Annes is busy at the mo coz of the limited time sheets coz of short days, and the bigs ones during the Summer fill up fast, but you'll always get a game.
OP - if you are thinking about nipping out for a few holes in the evening, pick somewhere that's close to where you live, or is end route from your work going home. Do Corballis have subscription where you can play unlimited golf without paying for each round?

lettuce97

Barnseire wrote: »

Yeah. St Annes is busy at the mo coz of the limited time sheets coz of short days, and the bigs ones during the Summer fill up fast, but you'll always get a game.
OP - if you are thinking about nipping out for a few holes in the evening, pick somewhere that's close to where you live, or is end route from your work going home. Do Corballis have subscription where you can play unlimited golf without paying for each round?

Anywhere around Donabate/Swords falls into the en route category. Corballis are doing 700 for full membership (no green fee), I'd go for that as I like being able to go out for a few holes without feeling I have to get in as possible to get my money's worth!
Is there anything in the way of practice facilities at Corballis or Balcarrick does anyone know?

the lawman

Deco1983 wrote: »

Corballis can get mental busy during summer weekends...5-6 hour rounds

Little gem of a place though

Aren't you the guy that said you didn't or have never played golf?

Barnseire

lettuce97 wrote: »

Anywhere around Donabate/Swords falls into the en route category. Corballis are doing 700 for full membership (no green fee), I'd go for that as I like being able to go out for a few holes without feeling I have to get in as possible to get my money's worth!
Is there anything in the way of practice facilities at Corballis or Balcarrick does anyone know?

Corballis has a big putting green, no other facilities and Balcarrick put in a big practice area about 3 years ago. Why not visit ?

lettuce97

Barnseire wrote: »

Corballis has a big putting green, no other facilities and Balcarrick put in a big practice area about 3 years ago. Why not visit ?

Definitely plan on trying to play a few holes on both of them before picking one - this is where the lack of light in the evenings gets really annoying!

stringy

Donabate has 27 holes so you'll always get out. It has a practice chipping/pitching green, a large putting green, and a large practice area with a green at each end.

The greens are top notch. It's rarely closed due to weather conditions. Large clubhouse with a growing younger membership, so there's a good club atmosphere.

Singles on Mondays and Saturdays.
Fourballs/Team event on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Online time sheets too.

Oh and I'm a member

lettuce97

stringy wrote: »

Donabate has 27 holes so you'll always get out. It has a practice chipping/pitching green, a large putting green, and a large practice area with a green at each end.

The greens are top notch. It's rarely closed due to weather conditions. Large clubhouse with a growing younger membership, so there's a good club atmosphere.

Singles on Mondays and Saturdays.
Fourballs/Team event on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Online time sheets too.

Oh and I'm a member

Thanks stringy, Donabate's not a bad setup at all but considering the fee is the same as Roganstown I don't think I'd be tempted as they're both the same distance from work/home for me. I like the idea of one singles, one team event on weekends though.

Ollieboy

not yet wrote: »

Corrstown...nice course. good clubhouse etc but I've heard it's dreadfully busy.

St margarets, brilliant layout, dreadful upkeep, good atmosphere.

castleknock, great course, always busy

I'm a member of Corrstown for 10 years and play at least 3 times a week and always get out twice at weekend and once during the week around 5:30 to 6:30. So once you're a bit flexible you'll always get out. We do have 780 members and during the big comp's (Medals etc) a round could take 5 hours but usually 4:15 to 4:30 hours which I think it ok. During the week I hop around in 1:40 to 1:45 for 9 holes. Its also got 27 holes.

I'm always supprise how people don't included this in there lists of north Dublin course, has I think its the best value out of the course mention in the OP plus its a share holders club which makes a nice difference.

We also have a very strong inter-club set-up.

Heard great things about St Margarets this week and that further investment might be going in there from a new member to the place.

The Corbillis set-up/offer is great, but its a public course set-up so you can expect all sort of delays etc when playing it and I don't think it would suit a really keen golfer.

Maybe some new members to golf clubs in North Dublin could post up a report of the clubs they join as feedback to new potential members on the site.

FixdePitchmark

Ollieboy wrote: »

I'm a member of Corrstown for 10 years and play at least 3 times a week and always get out twice at weekend and once during the week around 5:30 to 6:30. So once you're a bit flexible you'll always get out. We do have 780 members and during the big comp's (Medals etc) a round could take 5 hours but usually 4:15 to 4:30 hours which I think it ok. During the week I hop around in 1:40 to 1:45 for 9 holes. Its also got 27 holes.

I'm always supprise how people don't included this in there lists of north Dublin course, has I think its the best value out of the course mention in the OP plus its a share holders club which makes a nice difference.

We also have a very strong inter-club set-up.

Heard great things about St Margarets this week and that further investment might be going in there from a new member to the place.

The Corbillis set-up/offer is great, but its a public course set-up so you can expect all sort of delays etc when playing it and I don't think it would suit a really keen golfer.

Maybe some new members to golf clubs in North Dublin could post up a report of the clubs they join as feedback to new potential members on the site.

Played Corrstown in the summer and it is a nice little course, great greens and great to have 27 holes.

But I think it would be a bit easy and short for somebody below 12 Hcap. But great little place. I'd consider Corballis a harder course.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say there are only 4 special courses on the Northside

1) Portmarnock Old
2) The Island
3) Portmarnock Links
4) Luttrellstown


Royal Dublin is the only one i have not been around and very mixed reports, I've played all the others, but just a view.

f22

Corrstown is around 6900 yards off the medal tees, hardly what I'd term short!

FixdePitchmark

f22 wrote: »

Corrstown is around 6900 yards off the medal tees, hardly what I'd term short!

Did you pick the longest tees and longest combo ? How often do they play the medal tees . I was a visitor.

Anyway , I'm talking about a lower handicap player. It is short.

Ollieboy

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Did you pick the longest tees and longest combo ? How often do they play the medal tees . I was a visitor.

Anyway , I'm talking about a lower handicap player. It is short.

You're right, on a normal configuration set-up it can be short and ideal for middle handicaps, visitors and society golf seem to miss out on the full potential of the course because of this. On medals or majors it's at its max and its long. I think really low handicaps would find it easy, 5 and below. I think 12 is a bit high as most of my mates are 11 downwards and they don't find it short or easy, but it is wide in places allowing people to go for it off the tees.

I hate Portmarnock Links and think its one of the worse links golf course in the country. Many of the greens are elevated like park course are to protect the green, instead of having run on's and off's like most link courses. Don't personally rate it and played it a few weeks ago and walked off saying I'll never play it again. I grew up playing Ballyliffen and North West Golf Club so I love links, but just hate this course.

I also thought the Island was totally over-rated and found it very short, but tight in some places.

I think you would have to included Castleknock and St Margarets at its peak.

Anyway, taking the thread of track.

f22

I'd presume all their major competitions are played off the back tees.

We had senior cup there this year, I can tell you it wasn't a birdie festival.

FixdePitchmark

Ollieboy wrote: »

You're right, on a normal configuration set-up it can be short and ideal for middle handicaps, visitors and society golf seem to miss out on the full potential of the course because of this. On medals or majors it's at its max and its long. I think really low handicaps would find it easy, 5 and below. I think 12 is a bit high as most of my mates are 11 downwards and they don't find it short or easy, but it is wide in places allowing people to go for it off the tees.

I hate Portmarnock Links and think its one of the worse links golf course in the country. Many of the greens are elevated like park course are to protect the green, instead of having run on's and off's like most link courses. Don't personally rate it and played it a few weeks ago and walked off saying I'll never play it again.

I also thought the Island was totally over-rated and found it very short, but tight in some places.

I think you would have to included Castleknock and St Margarets at its peak.

Anyway, taking the thread of track.

Good detour but. Well for the boys from the north.

Only played St Mags in summer and it was in sad demise in my view. I think Castleknock has great potential , great greens. But lacks maturity now. In drive for cash the place is packed , could damage the place in the long run. Also the day i was there it was as slow as Corballis on a bad day. But a bit open at moment and sorry to say, a bit too easy on the back nine. Ugly hotel and road on course too.

f22

I think it's fair to say a visitors experience in terms of a courses length and difficulty can greatly differ to members competition setup, especially for major competitions, the island being a prime example.

I take your point on Portmarnock Links, there are many raised and protected greens, most of which eliminate the ability to run a ball in. I have to say it's a fantastic test of golf though and can be brutally tough depending on wind direction, as well as having a 600 yard difference between white and blue tees, excluding the society tees.

BigChap1759

Deco1983 wrote: »

Corballis can get mental busy during summer weekends...5-6 hour rounds

Little gem of a place though

You've probably walked round with your brother eh? :rolleyes:

DodgyDarts

To be honest i think you are all judging corballis a bit to harshly. Yes it can be a bit slow at times ( but thats mainly only because people using drivers when they shouldnt, but its all personal choice at the end of the day ) but ive played a wide variety of courses and they all play very slow. And to be honest everyone blames the regular joe soap punters on being slow when in all honesty it the MEMBERS of every club who hold up there respective courses.

Just my opinion.

Also value for money Castleknock all the way great long course, great greens, lovely nice sized clubhouse ( not a stupid massive thing like donabate ) has the potential to become a fantastic course just needs a little bit more definition

FixdePitchmark

DodgyDarts wrote: »

To be honest i think you are all judging corballis a bit to harshly. Yes it can be a bit slow at times ( but thats mainly only because people using drivers when they shouldnt, but its all personal choice at the end of the day ) but ive played a wide variety of courses and they all play very slow. And to be honest everyone blames the regular joe soap punters on being slow when in all honesty it the MEMBERS of every club who hold up there respective courses.

Just my opinion.

Also value for money Castleknock all the way great long course, great greens, lovely nice sized clubhouse ( not a stupid massive thing like donabate ) has the potential to become a fantastic course just needs a little bit more definition

Was out there today, class. Great when you have it to yourself. It is an art form to know when to go and not. Would do your head in when busy and yes , too many people hitting driver on 2 and 5 and 7 and 11. They seem to be the main problem. You can't blame people for 3 , just hard every way.

I wonder is there any more land they could expand on. Number 7 was at back tees today, what a great hole from there.

DodgyDarts

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

DodgyDarts wrote: »

To be honest i think you are all judging corballis a bit to harshly. Yes it can be a bit slow at times ( but thats mainly only because people using drivers when they shouldnt, but its all personal choice at the end of the day ) but ive played a wide variety of courses and they all play very slow. And to be honest everyone blames the regular joe soap punters on being slow when in all honesty it the MEMBERS of every club who hold up there respective courses.

Just my opinion.

Also value for money Castleknock all the way great long course, great greens, lovely nice sized clubhouse ( not a stupid massive thing like donabate ) has the potential to become a fantastic course just needs a little bit more definition

Was out there today, class. Great when you have it to yourself. It is an art form to know when to go and not. Would do your head in when busy and yes , too many people hitting driver on 2 and 5 and 7 and 11. They seem to be the main problem. You can't blame people for 3 , just hard every way.

I wonder is there any more land they could expand on. Number 7 was at back tees today, what a great hole from there.

Every Friday Open is going to be off the back tees from now on.

Unfortunitly got every bit of land possible to build the new holes. There was talk of turning the 3rd into a par 5 but it would destroy it as a hole as its right up with the best par 4s around