Tralee golf club.

Maclock

Hi all. The senior scratch cup is on there at the end of this month and for 2 rounds at 40 euro it sounds like an absolute bargain. I've been told that it's a beautiful course but very tough. The thing is, i've never even set foot on a links course so i'm asking peoples opinions on whether i'm asking for trouble entering the scratch cup and making this my first links experience, especially as it's two rounds. I've heard lots of times that links golf plays completely different to inland courses. The last thing i would want is to be paired with guys who are out to win the competition and here i am hacking my way around because i didn't know how to play links golf, or am i being overly concerned?

Ilik Urgee

Know a lad who played the intermediate Scratch last year and still talks about the place most every round I've played with him since,that's how highly he rates it. Is out there again this weekend.
I don't know what I'm gonna do if he actually plays well this year.

Yeah go on, thank it, you know you want to!:D

Maclock

Ilik Urgee wrote: »

Know a lad who played the intermediate Scratch last year and still talks about the place most every round I've played with him since,that's how highly he rates it. Is out there again this weekend.
I don't know what I'm gonna do if he actually plays well this year.

Yeah go on, thank it, you know you want to!:D

It's certainly on my to play list and yes, I WANT TO:), but with it being a senior scratch, that's what's worrying me. I was talking to a guy last week and he played the junior scratch there. He went around in 90 shots without losing a ball and the same guy is a very strong 5 handicap golfer who plays links courses a lot. That's the kind of story i really didn't want to hear.

Ilik Urgee

The fellow I'm talking about would consistently be shooting around the 80's off 11 but I think he took 95 that day. Just wants to master it(or links golf I'm not too sure).

As an aside if you're good enough to play low single figures why the hesitation? Even TW ballses up links play!

Maclock

[ why the hesitation? Even TW ballses up links play![/QUOTE]

I suppose the hesitation is that i've heard so many things about links golf being much harder to play.
As for TW, of course he ballses up links paly but it's every 200th round:P...

big_drive

Best course I've played. For €40 for two rounds there you'd be mad not to play. Best value golf you'll get this year

SEORG

Just go and enjoy it, as said above €40 for 2 rounds on that course is great value.

Playing the intermediate myself on Saturday, one round for €35 which I think is still a huge bargain considering what other places charge.

Great course with some tough holes & some not so tough. Even if you play sh!te you will enjoy it.

Poker Face

Play in it, you would be mad not to for that price.

I've not played there recently but I've heard that they have let the rough grow this year. There is no semi rough, just fairway and then you are looking for your ball

Miley Byrne

Maclock wrote: »

Hi all. The senior scratch cup is on there at the end of this month and for 2 rounds at 40 euro it sounds like an absolute bargain. I've been told that it's a beautiful course but very tough. The thing is, i've never even set foot on a links course so i'm asking peoples opinions on whether i'm asking for trouble entering the scratch cup and making this my first links experience, especially as it's two rounds. I've heard lots of times that links golf plays completely different to inland courses. The last thing i would want is to be paired with guys who are out to win the competition and here i am hacking my way around because i didn't know how to play links golf, or am i being overly concerned?

Definitely play it. As Ilik says if you are off low single digits you will be fine. It's actually very playable if you don't get too greedy etc. Take the second hole for example. Its a par 5 (index 2 I think). Landing area is generous enough but that's where the fun starts. I've blanked it so many times by hitting 3 woods & 5 woods for my second there. Now I hit a 7 or 8 iron and am left with a wedge or 9 iron in for my third. Anything right with your second is dead really.

So play what's in front of you and you'll be fine. It's actually not the toughest links course you will play. I find Enniscrone a much tougher track. Play it and you won't regret it. Enjoy the scenery too!!

OilBeefHooked2

I don't know, I think the OP has a valid point, if he's already dreading the experience and has serious concerns about how his own play may affect others then maybe it's best he doesn't play at all, Links golf is completely different and has the potential to chew you up and spit you out, even for seasoned campaigners, could you handle that well OP?.

Domo86

Front 9 ain't all that linksy in my opinion. Back 9 is beyond glorious. Bring tissues(not the happy kind)

Enjoy it

Miley Byrne

Domo86 wrote: »

Front 9 ain't all that linksy in my opinion. Back 9 is beyond glorious. Bring tissues(not the happy kind)

Enjoy it

Ah it's pure links to be fair. Maybe not as spectacular as the back 9 but you definitely know you have played 9 holes of links golf before you start the back 9.

Not sure how you reckon it's not linksy?

Peterdalkey

Domo86 wrote: »

Front 9 ain't all that linksy in my opinion. Back 9 is beyond glorious. Bring tissues(not the happy kind)

Enjoy it

I agree with Domo, I am a higher handicapper and if you you play within yourself, you can paddle it around quite respectably. It is just one of the most fabulous golf courses you will ever play, anywhere in the world. Totally underrated in my opinion. Enjoy!

Webbs

Maclock wrote: »

It's certainly on my to play list and yes, I WANT TO:), but with it being a senior scratch, that's what's worrying me. I was talking to a guy last week and he played the junior scratch there. He went around in 90 shots without losing a ball and the same guy is a very strong 5 handicap golfer who plays links courses a lot. That's the kind of story i really didn't want to hear.

The conditions for the Junior Cup were brutal especially in the afternoon hence it being a reduction only competition. Going round in 90 was really good shooting for the day it was. I wouldnt use that as a reason to go to what I think is one of the best courses in Ireland

Golfgraffix

Beautiful course, not as tough as it looks but certainly a good test.

http://www.golfgraffix.com/WebApp/traleegolfclub/Course%20Tour/index.php?m=1

Maclock

Thanks very much for all the replies and advice. I'm starting to think that i'll give it a go. Worst case scenario is that i play the 1st round so badly that i'm not allowed out for the 2nd round. I'd be due a partial refund then so the round would only cost 20euro. Now that's good value:D

chalkie 501

This is just my opinion......
Tralee is the GREATEST golf course in the world...go play it,
i played in this snr scratch cup many times over the years and it was always e50 for 18 holes,to get 2 competitive rounds there for 40e is the bargain of the year, its not easy but its the closest i'm ever going to get to heaven:D
enter it and enjoy;)

millerj

Oh my God. Played Intermediate Scratch here today. Blowing a gale and heavy showers. Almost too tough for Intermediate standard today in my opinion. Rough too long.Played with two members who said they are supposed to be cutting it on Monday..!!!, two days too late for me..!! Felt like I didn't do anything too drastic and still could only manage 96 gross. Toughest round I have had in a long long time..!! Reckon 90 or 91 would probably win it.

SEORG

millerj wrote: »

Oh my God. Played Intermediate Scratch here today. Blowing a gale and heavy showers. Almost too tough for Intermediate standard today in my opinion. Rough too long.Played with two members who said they are supposed to be cutting it on Monday..!!!, two days too late for me..!! Felt like I didn't do anything too drastic and still could only manage 96 gross. Toughest round I have had in a long long time..!! Reckon 90 or 91 would probably win it.

One of the guys in our group had an 87, can't see it being beaten myself.

It was absolutely brutal out there today. When signing in this morning the guy at the desk was telling everyone if you go in rough off the tee on front 9 hit a provisional because the rough was so bad. Was good advice!!

Went around in 92 without doing too much wrong, don't think I've played in tougher conditions.

millerj

87 has to be a winner. That is great shooting.....in fact 92 was great shooting, I would have expected that to be there or thereabouts!!!!

Miley Byrne

Played today aswell. Never seen the rough so bad there. 3 yards off the fairway was lost ball unless you were very lucky to find it. Another Boardsie Reganovski was in the group behind me.Dunno how he scored but I hope it was better than me!! Timesheet was running around 45 minutes late when I finished so i'd say the late groups will struggle to finish

edit to say 87 is a super score on the day. Anyone who plays to their handicap there today deserves a medal

Maclock

I like a challenge lads but with today's conditions it must have been torture?

fearruanua

Just in the door in Galway after playing in todays intermediate scratch cup in Tralee. Man it was a long day. Wind was brutal, rough was bordering on the ridiculous, over 5hr round, just about broke 100 but oh my God what a course!!! Definitely the finest course I have ever played.

SEORG

I see from goflnet that the ISC on Saturday was reducition only with CSS 74......not many cuts there I'm thinking

peepee

What were the winning scores?

fearruanua

peepee wrote: »

What were the winning scores?

We were one of the last groups in and an 87 gross was winning at that stage.

paulos53

87 was the winning score

http://traleegolfclub.com/index.php/members_men/results/

fearruanua

paulos53 wrote: »

87 was the winning score

http://traleegolfclub.com/index.php/members_men/results/

Some shooting considering the conditions. It was almost unplayable at times with balls moving on the greens and not being able to stand without being blown over. I'd do it all again though in a heartbeat

Ilik Urgee

Webbs wrote: »

The conditions for the Junior Cup were brutal especially in the afternoon hence it being a reduction only competition. Going round in 90 was really good shooting for the day it was. I wouldnt use that as a reason to go to what I think is one of the best courses in Ireland

How is this decided or are all Scratch cups reduction only?

Poker Face

It all depends on the scores that are brought in on the day. If scores are very poor it will be a reduction only competition.

Poker Face

Found a few videos showing a few holes in Talee

dball

anyone know where i can see a index of the holes in tralee - I cant find it on their site?

Thanks

Ardillaun

Great fun and a gorgeous course, one of the most scenic I have ever played on. I don't do links courses in Canada at all but was hitting so well that day (in ideal conditions) my companions began to doubt my handicap until I veered into the thick stuff on 16.

PARlance

dball wrote: »

anyone know where i can see a index of the holes in tralee - I cant find it on their site?

Thanks

They have changed a few recently, will post up this evening. Played it yesterday, breathtaking course.

Kevinmarkham

PARlance wrote: »

They have changed a few recently, will post up this evening. Played it yesterday, breathtaking course.

Yep, it'll do that to you. How did you find the greens? I reckoned they were a touch slow because if they were any faster balls would just be rolling off them... some serious slopes.

MarcusP12

Was a member of Tralee for years and was a handy junior player in my day....was a member of the junior league team which was a league for all the main clubs in Kerry,ie ballybunion, Killarney , ceann shibeal,kenmare etc whereby a team of 8 I think from each club would play each course and the top 6 scores for each club would be totalled each round blah blah...my enduring memory was always that the guys from the parklands like Killarney and kenmare traditionally would struggle big time in Tralee and ballybunion such was how tough Tralee could be when the wind blew. However when we played in Killarney, we'd gobble then place up....for example when I was playing an exchange in Killarney,having struggled all summer off 10 in Tralee and got a shot back, I shot 6 over gross having opened with a double and disappointingly another double on the last.
Tralee like most links courses is very scorable but you have to treat it with respect and keep the ball in play....it was regularly ranked in the top 20 courses in the country before the deluge of "championship" courses which the Celtic tiger gave us. In addition there's a couple of holes which have featured in the top 1000 holes in world golf...possibly the 12th or 17th....very proud to have cut my golfing teeth in Tralee and to have been a member for so long...annual fees are actually ridiculously cheap for the standard of course but when you're only playing once or twice a year,it was hard to justify paying it...

PARlance

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Yep, it'll do that to you. How did you find the greens? I reckoned they were a touch slow because if they were any faster balls would just be rolling off them... some serious slopes.

They were definitely a bit faster than BallyB the day before but they weren't too fast. Running nice though. A lot of rain the night before so the ball was holding on them.
But there are some serious slopes and contours on the greens out there. I had a SW onto the 4th and fatted it leaving me short. The lads were all on the green and I wouldn't have swapped my chip for any of their putts.

yipsnomore

MarcusP12 wrote: »

annual fees are actually ridiculously cheap for the standard of course but when you're only playing once or twice a year,it was hard to justify paying it...

Correct me if Im wrong but I heard Tralee/BallyB subs are about €400? Im paying 3 times the sub and my course is a league below those. Based on a joining fee of 8K for Tralee? over 10 years i'm paying the same :eek:

If i lived in North Kerry id join in a shot!

MarcusP12

yipsnomore wrote: »

Correct me if Im wrong but I heard Tralee/BallyB subs are about €400? Im paying 3 times the sub and my course is a league below those. Based on a joining fee of 8K for Tralee? over 10 years i'm paying the same :eek:

If i lived in North Kerry id join in a shot!

No idea what the rates are these days but I gave up my membership in 07 and I was paying about 600 for the year....at the time green fees were around 180 to put it into context..I remember student membership was a hilarious 50 pounds...compared to what you'd pay in any half decent course in Dublin,its great value....

Benicetomonty

yipsnomore wrote: »

Correct me if Im wrong but I heard Tralee/BallyB subs are about €400? Im paying 3 times the sub and my course is a league below those. Based on a joining fee of 8K for Tralee? over 10 years i'm paying the same :eek:

If i lived in North Kerry id join in a shot!

My uncle is a member of Ballybunion and the subs are ridiculously cheap. Getting in is difficult though, they only take very limited numbers each year and you'd need to be very much in the right place at the right time.

Played the Pat Mulcare over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was the third time in the last 3 years for me and was delighted to finally get Tralee on a decent day. It really is spectacular; flatten out a couple of dodgy greens and you have a contender for the best in Ireland imo. 2, 3, 8, 10, 12 and 16 are just unbelievably good.

PARlance

Benicetomonty wrote: »

My uncle is a member of Ballybunion and the subs are ridiculously cheap. Getting in is difficult though, they only take very limited numbers each year and you'd need to be very much in the right place at the right time.

Played the Pat Mulcare over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was the third time in the last 3 years for me and was delighted to finally get Tralee on a decent day. It really is spectacular; flatten out a couple of dodgy greens and you have a contender for the best in Ireland imo. 2, 3, 8, 10, 12 and 16 are just unbelievably good.

Played in it too this weekend and apparently we won Tralee Sunday with 84 points... can't believe we won with that score, we played out of our skins but having played behind the winners of Ballybunion on Sat (99 points) and after hearing the Tralee Sat winners had 101... we left thinking we wouldn't even be in with a shout.

I haven't heard anything official and I won't believe it till I see it, I think I may be the butt of a joke.

I would have to add the Par 3 13th, short 15th (for views alone) and 17th (even though I can see why some wouldn't) to your list.

Kevinmarkham

Benicetomonty wrote: »

2, 3, 8, 10, 12 and 16 are just unbelievably good.

PARlance wrote: »

I would have to add the Par 3 13th, short 15th (for views alone) and 17th (even though I can see why some wouldn't) to your list.

Have either of you lads seen the current issue of Irish Golfer Magazine (Paul Dunne on front cover)? Big spread on Tralee, including six of the best holes in Ireland.

Benicetomonty

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Have either of you lads seen the current issue of Irish Golfer Magazine (Paul Dunne on front cover)? Big spread on Tralee, including six of the best holes in Ireland.

Enjoyed that, thanks for the link Kevin. 13th is a lovely hole alright, but less convinced about 15 and 17. Theyre quite similar aesthetically and strategically imo and neither hole really allows you to hit driver unless youre hitting into a gale. Im all for a risk reward short par 4 but i find the 'reward' part difficult to pin point with these holes! Might be able to forgive one of em, but not both, especially when they're so close together within the round. Great views from both greens it must be said.

Benicetomonty

PARlance wrote: »

Played in it too this weekend and apparently we won Tralee Sunday with 84 points... can't believe we won with that score, we played out of our skins but having played behind the winners of Ballybunion on Sat (99 points) and after hearing the Tralee Sat winners had 101... we left thinking we wouldn't even be in with a shout.

I haven't heard anything official and I won't believe it till I see it, I think I may be the butt of a joke.

I would have to add the Par 3 13th, short 15th (for views alone) and 17th (even though I can see why some wouldn't) to your list.

You dont have us to worry about anyway, 76 points all we could muster. Would be surprised if 84 won looking at that 99 and the 101 from sat, but you never know. Was windy enough on sunday, even the 1st hole represented a very stiff index 14!

Domo1982

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Have either of you lads seen the current issue of Irish Golfer Magazine (Paul Dunne on front cover)? Big spread on Tralee, including six of the best holes in Ireland.

'it may have been a sweet sound bite that the golfing fraternity pounce on' - indeed:rolleyes:

ronjo

I played it once in 1996 and still maintain its the best course I have every played. Absolutely loved it.

Kevinmarkham

Benicetomonty wrote: »

less convinced about 15 and 17. Theyre quite similar aesthetically and strategically imo and neither hole really allows you to hit driver unless youre hitting into a gale. Im all for a risk reward short par 4 but i find the 'reward' part difficult to pin point with these holes! Might be able to forgive one of em, but not both, especially when they're so close together within the round. Great views from both greens it must be said.

Interesting point - and they're the only two on the golf course

shamco

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Interesting point - and they're the only two on the golf course

Great course and one of the most scenic I've played. Didn't like the 11th because of the blind second shot to an area where the rough is very severe. The second shot on the 12th is also very difficult and too severe even after a very good drive.

MarcusP12

shamco wrote: »

Great course and one of the most scenic I've played. Didn't like the 11th because of the blind second shot to an area where the rough is very severe. The second shot on the 12th is also very difficult and too severe even after a very good drive.

I remember playing a practice round when i was a decent standard junior with my buddy at the time and smurfit foresome partner and on the 12th he hit his drive way left to the semi rough and ended up with a major fluffy downhill lie...must have been into the wind as the green was below him if i recall so he didnt catch much of the down hill run...ordinarily for those who know the hole, from there you'd take your medicine and tap a short iron to the bottom of the hill and tap up a wedge to the green. The alternative from where he was and the line he was coming in from was a full 200 yard or so carry into the wind to the green (if you're short you end up at the bottom of what looks like an old borrow pit for sand). Being a practice round he went with for it with a 3 wood......and stuck it to about 6 foot and and made birdie....given all the factors at play, i have to say it was the greatest golf shot i have ever been in the company of...a remarkable shot on that hole....

shamco

MarcusP12 wrote: »

I remember playing a practice round when i was a decent standard junior with my buddy at the time and smurfit foresome partner and on the 12th he hit his drive way left to the semi rough and ended up with a major fluffy downhill lie...must have been into the wind as the green was below him if i recall so he didnt catch much of the down hill run...ordinarily for those who know the hole, from there you'd take your medicine and tap a short iron to the bottom of the hill and tap up a wedge to the green. The alternative from where he was and the line he was coming in from was a full 200 yard or so carry into the wind to the green (if you're short you end up at the bottom of what looks like an old borrow pit for sand). Being a practice round he went with for it with a 3 wood......and stuck it to about 6 foot and and made birdie....given all the factors at play, i have to say it was the greatest golf shot i have ever been in the company of...a remarkable shot on that hole....

You are probably right re second shot iron is required. Going for the green is just too high a tariff

PARlance

Benicetomonty wrote: »

You dont have us to worry about anyway, 76 points all we could muster. Would be surprised if 84 won looking at that 99 and the 101 from sat, but you never know. Was windy enough on sunday, even the 1st hole represented a very stiff index 14!

We walked away from the first with 2 points and it probably served as a much needed kick up the .... 5,6,5 on the next three difficult holes had us back on track.

Turns out a bit of crystal will be making it's way to us after all. Still gobsmacked.