Royal County Down for £50

Kevinmarkham

I know money doesn't grow on trees (any more), but if you have a few quid that you've set aside for golf, get up to Royal County Down. The experience alone has got to be worth it. It's £50 till the end of Feb and £60 till the end of March. It's a two hour drive from the M50.

And given the weather we're having, the course is in perfect condition and as playable as it can be.

I played yesterday and took loads of photos of the course, not surprisingly. 14 degrees and sunshine.

Played with my 80 year old dad who kicked my butt. There's a video of his effortless swing on my blog, if you're interested. He only missed two fairways all day.

foxyboxer

Thanks for that.
One of the most renowned course in the world for £60. Bargain alert.

Might look to book this for the old man's birthday.

thewobbler

+1 on this. Played it in December and it's extraordinary.

Whyner

Deadly blog, well written Kevin

Poker Face

Kevin on your blog the background photo, where is that from?

HuntingDrog

Hi Kevin

It says on the website that its £75 during March...mind me asking where are you getting the £60 figure?

Am booked in for the 26th March since Xmas....can't wait

Kevinmarkham

Whyner wrote: »

Deadly blog, well written Kevin

Thanks Whyner, great to know it's enjoyed.

Poker Face wrote: »

Kevin on your blog the background photo, where is that from?

Approach to the 5th at Narin & Portnoo. Impressive, huh!

HuntingDrog wrote: »

Hi Kevin

It says on the website that its £75 during March...mind me asking where are you getting the £60 figure?

Am booked in for the 26th March since Xmas....can't wait

OK, that's odd. I'm sure it was £60 when I looked last month - there were 4 of us going to head up and we decided we'd wait till March as it was only an extra tenner. When did you book?

newport2

Wow, looks great. Would love to play it, have heard it's amazing. Must make a note for before the end of March.

HuntingDrog

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

OK, that's odd. I'm sure it was £60 when I looked last month - there were 4 of us going to head up and we decided we'd wait till March as it was only an extra tenner. When did you book?

Booked and paif for just before Xmas with a nice lady on the phone. Bit of a Xmas pressie for me and my father-in-law......really looking forward to it as never played and heard its an experience alright!

No matter, just wondering if the price had dropped....tks (great photo's btw)

dwolf20

Sent request for the 31st march - response received:

Dear Tom
Sorry 31st March is Saturday and no availability on Saturdays as members day. The green fee for March is £75 sterling and April £100 sterling.

Regards

slave1

Good price

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

I know money doesn't grow on trees (any more)

It never did, that's why we're where we're at today:(

westbuteast

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

I know money doesn't grow on trees (any more), but if you have a few quid that you've set aside for golf, get up to Royal County Down. The experience alone has got to be worth it. It's £50 till the end of Feb and £60 till the end of March. It's a two hour drive from the M50.

And given the weather we're having, the course is in perfect condition and as playable as it can be.

I played yesterday and took loads of photos of the course, not surprisingly. 14 degrees and sunshine.

Played with my 80 year old dad who kicked my butt. There's a video of his effortless swing on my blog, if you're interested. He only missed two fairways all day.

Hi kevin bought your book over x mas and think its super. Booked our society weekend away to Sligo and picked strand hill and castle dargan based on your reviews. €175 for 2 nights b+b 2 rounds of golf and 2 meals. Definatly super value to be had.
Cheers Hooked!

onlyfinewine

westbuteast wrote: »

Hi kevin bought your book over x mas and think its super. Booked our society weekend away to Sligo and picked strand hill and castle dargan based on your reviews. €175 for 2 nights b+b 2 rounds of golf and 2 meals. Definatly super value to be had.
Cheers Hooked!

Not to put a damper on it but the last time I was there it was a quagmire and for the Connacht Seniors it was place everywhere last year. Suggest you check the condition before finalising your arrangements.

Consider Rosses Point or Enniscrone for links golf unless you are going later in the year. The difference will be well worth while.

Kevinmarkham

I know money doesn't grow on trees (any more)

slave1 wrote: »

It never did, that's why we're where we're at today:(

Ah, but you see it did... why do you think they're called bank branches!

Kevinmarkham

westbuteast wrote: »

Hi kevin bought your book over x mas and think its super. Booked our society weekend away to Sligo and picked strand hill and castle dargan based on your reviews. €175 for 2 nights b+b 2 rounds of golf and 2 meals. Definatly super value to be had.
Cheers Hooked!

Thanks for that - were you staying at Castle Dargan Hotel? If so, what's it like? I wondered if it was one of those places that got thrown up really fast and looked great, but is now crumbling.

onlyfinewine wrote: »

Not to put a damper on it but the last time I was there it was a quagmire and for the Connacht Seniors it was place everywhere last year. Suggest you check the condition before finalising your arrangements.

Consider Rosses Point or Enniscrone for links golf unless you are going later in the year. The difference will be well worth while.

When was the Connacht Seniors? I've played Strandhill in October and November after big downpours and you wouldn't even know it had rained.

I agree on Rosses Point and Enniscrone, but I still think Strandhill's a gem

westbuteast

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

westbuteast wrote: »

Hi kevin bought your book over x mas and think its super. Booked our society weekend away to Sligo and picked strand hill and castle dargan based on your reviews. €175 for 2 nights b+b 2 rounds of golf and 2 meals. Definatly super value to be had.
Cheers Hooked!

Thanks for that - were you staying at Castle Dargan Hotel? If so, what's it like? I wondered if it was one of those places that got thrown up really fast and looked great, but is now crumbling.

onlyfinewine wrote: »

Not to put a damper on it but the last time I was there it was a quagmire and for the Connacht Seniors it was place everywhere last year. Suggest you check the condition before finalising your arrangements.

Consider Rosses Point or Enniscrone for links golf unless you are going later in the year. The difference will be well worth while.

When was the Connacht Seniors? I've played Strandhill in October and November after big downpours and you wouldn't even know it had rained.

I agree on Rosses Point and Enniscrone, but I still think Strandhill's a gem[/Quot

We are stayin in Sligo town best western hotel but castle dargan is still operating they offered a good deal too but wanted to stay in the town. I know people that have stayed there and they said it was really nice.
Playin there in may so jopefully the place will have dried up

onlyfinewine

"When was the Connacht Seniors? I've played Strandhill in October and November after big downpours and you wouldn't even know it had rained.

I agree on Rosses Point and Enniscrone, but I still think Strandhill's a gem "

Hi Kevin,

I agree with you also and was referring to Castle Dargan as being a quagmire not Strandhill which is dry as a bone and a smashing course for an away Society outing.

You will see I only referenced Castledargan course conditions if you look at post number 13 which is headed Castle Dargan. We went there for a couple of days and the course was closed. We walked some of it but it really needs time to settle in because all the fairways were holding water and every step was a splish-splash whether on fairway or rough. The greens however were pretty good at the same time. During the Connacht Seniors (which I did not enter because of the condition of the course during my previous visit) I was told that the course was nearly unplayable and there was placing everywhere.

ThunderCat

Played RCD yesterday. Weather was bad, my golf game was terrible but I still enjoyed myself immensely. It was my third time playing there and the place continues to impress me more and more each time. It was in excellent condition too, but by god was it tough going in that wind. But I honestly dont think there is a weakness there. I know some people think the 17th and 18th provide a weak finish but I dont see them as weak holes at all. The new 16th is a great addition too and pin placement on the day completely dictates how the hole should be played. The fee was £75 by the way, but worth every penny. I think i'll shell out the big bucks just once this summer to play it on a scorcher of a day.

Also the Annesley course looks like huge fun, aswell as a tough test despite it's short length. Far more people playing that yesterday than the championship course. Haven't played it yet myself but it looks like the perfect warm-up for the main event.

mike12

Have played it a couple of times now and it is excellent. Have signed up for the Coasts of Down that is played over Kirkstown castle Ardglass and RCD with the top 136 playing RCD on the final day and the remainder playing the Annesley for £105. Should be good fun, is Ardglass as good as it looks on there Web site? Don't really know much about there or Kirkstown.
Mike

HuntingDrog

Am playing RCD next monday morning for the 1st time.
Now reading about all these blind tee-shots and no distance markers on the course has me worried..........So i think i need some help - Am debating whether to buy a stroke-saver for £7 or the services of a Forecaddie (http://www.royalcountydown.org/Caddies.aspx)for £50.

Q to to all those who remember playing it for the 1st time......what would you recommend to enjoy your day?

tks

thewobbler

HuntingDrog, i'll be honest, I've never used a caddy in my life so I can't offer comparison, but the strokesaver was worth every penny. The bunkers are something you'll not want to revisit, and tend to be difficult to gauge distance against. It's also a lovely memento of the day.

Mike12 - Ardglass is a wonderful course. But it's not really a links, more of a blowy, cliff-top heathland, with breathtaking views - the kind that deserve to be talked about endlessly on internet forums. It's well documented as having an opening stretch that would improve just about any course in the world. On a still day it is quite an easy course as it's not overly long, and the fairways are very firm. I shot 42 points and 22 points on consecutive visits. The wind was the difference.

As for Kirkistown, I'd also recommend a trip there. It's flat and barren, and doesn't have the vistas or charm of Ardglass or RCD, but is genuinely raw links golf, where your ability to punch, and bump and run, will be the difference between scoring well and going home with a bruised ego. I left with a bruised ego but a smile on my face.

HuntingDrog

thewobbler wrote: »

HuntingDrog, i'll be honest, I've never used a caddy in my life so I can't offer comparison, but the strokesaver was worth every penny. The bunkers are something you'll not want to revisit, and tend to be difficult to gauge distance against. It's also a lovely memento of the day.

never used a caddie myself so i was hoping you'd say that...tks a mill. Can't wait

joebloggs123

There are distance markers all over the course. Every ten metres or so there is a plastic disc in the ground with a number indicating the distance. Not sure what these discs are supposed to be, maybe water sprinklers or actual devices for measuring the distance but the last time i played (about 7 months ago) they had these markers all over the course.

redhill

Played RCD yesterday, a mighty course and in amazing nick for early April,we had a massive hailstone shower goin down the first but thankfully not too bad after that. Some of the holes are just mesmerising. I'm back for a two day outing at the end of this month & can't wait. In my personal links ratings(likings) I would have it 2nd behind Turnberry, pushing Portstewart(which I think a lot on this board haven't had the pleasure of yet) down into third.

HuntingDrog

ah its a super track alright. Voted Best Golf Course Outside The U.S. by Golf Digest this month(http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2012-05/photos-best-courses-outside-us#slide=1)......its not the "be all and end all" of recognitions but its good pubilicity all the same

played it there for the 1st time on 26th March. From the moment you drive into the place and see how the clubhouse is well-kept and immaculate, I felt excited and in awe. It was an absolutely gorgeous day-was unreal for March. I'm used to links golf but not to blind shots and I had fierce trouble toning/slowing down my swing and just concentrating on accruacy. As a first timer, i hadn't a clue where a lot of my tee shots had to go but I loved it. Would love to play it again. Accruacy is absolutley imperative on this course-hence some big scores on some holes. That didn't bother me though as my iron play was awful-caught thin every time.
However, thats the way it goes but I loved the layout with its gorse bushes and "old school" links feel about it.

My only gripe was that the greens weren't that great...bit hairy and slow. But heh it was only March - they are probably trying to get them ready for the summer. I imagine they are different prospect then.

Personally I have to say its the best course I've played (but I haven't been lucky to play many of the top courses in these Isles like some others on the forum).

Here's my round if anyones interested http://golfshot.com/Rounds/Detail/86-9267570-9267670

d2ww

Played it during the last week of March as well for £75/head. It wasn't until we were out on the course that we realised that the men's tees had nearly all been brought up to the back of the women's tee boxes shortening the holes considerably, so you were not really getting the full experience at all.