Royal Curragh?

ShriekingSheet

No, this doesn't actually appear to be a wind up. The Curragh have re-adopted the "Royal" title, given to the club in 1910, but dropped somewhere along the way since. It's now "Royal Curragh".

It was passed by a vote among members. I'd love to hear from anyone who has the inside story. It's hilarious and perplexing in equal amounts on the face of it.

For me, all it does is take a lovely little parkland course and club that no one hugely criticises, nor do they wet themselves at the prospect of playing it, and put it in direct and unfair comparison with huge, famous links courses like Portrush.

There's absolutely no need for the Curragh to try and put itself in that bracket. By trying to, it just looks silly. All this is going to do is make the place famous for being the worst "Royal" course in Ireland, which is totally unnecessary, because its a really decent track.

It's like those people who take the number off the door of their 3 bed semi detached house, and replace it with some high-faluten name, like "Foxbrook View".

dan_ep82

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

No, this doesn't actually appear to be a wind up. The Curragh have re-adopted the "Royal" title, given to the club in 1910, but dropped somewhere along the way since. It's now "Royal Curragh".

It was passed by a vote among members. I'd love to hear from anyone who has the inside story. It's hilarious and perplexing in equal amounts on the face of it.

For me, all it does is take a lovely little parkland course and club that no one hugely criticises, nor do they wet themselves at the prospect of playing it, and put it in direct and unfair comparison with huge, famous links courses like Portrush.

There's absolutely no need for the Curragh to try and put itself in that bracket. By trying to, it just looks silly. All this is going to do is make the place famous for being the worst "Royal" course in Ireland, which is totally unnecessary, because its a really decent track.

It's like those people who take the number off the door of their 3 bed semi detached house, and replace it with some high-faluten name, like "Foxbrook View".

I can't give a link off the app but theres a thread by a member about 3 pages back in the golf forum

Sandwlch

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

No, this doesn't actually appear to be a wind up. The Curragh have re-adopted the "Royal" title, given to the club in 1910, but dropped somewhere along the way since. It's now "Royal Curragh".

It was passed by a vote among members. I'd love to hear from anyone who has the inside story. It's hilarious and perplexing in equal amounts on the face of it.

For me, all it does is take a lovely little parkland course and club that no one hugely criticises, nor do they wet themselves at the prospect of playing it, and put it in direct and unfair comparison with huge, famous links courses like Portrush.

There's absolutely no need for the Curragh to try and put itself in that bracket. By trying to, it just looks silly. All this is going to do is make the place famous for being the worst "Royal" course in Ireland, which is totally unnecessary, because its a really decent track.

It's like those people who take the number off the door of their 3 bed semi detached house, and replace it with some high-faluten name, like "Foxbrook View".

Plus, they have to let the Queen play it without paying greenfees, so not sure they have thought it through fully.

Benny Cake

Sandwlch wrote: »

Plus, they have to let the Queen play it without paying greenfees, so not sure they have thought it through fully.

I hear she's a nightmare to be out behind, 5 hrs plus to get around....

decko11

yes -- it gave up the royal title

The reason they were a royal club was the connection with the British army


as did Royal Hong Kong in 1997

there are a fair few poorish UK royal clubs

FixdePitchmark

I wouldn't say the lad who put this idea forward is running for Sinn Fein - in next election.

sydneybound

decko11 wrote: »

there are a fair few poorish UK royal clubs

Agree - A few of the Royal courses in England are poor, Epping & Eastbourne spring to mind. Not exactly top draw if you get me.

When playing a Royal you think of Royal Melbourne, Royal Portrush... The Curragh or some course in dodgy Chingford don't spring to mind.

Kevinmarkham

sydneybound wrote: »

Agree - A few of the Royal courses in England are poor, Epping & Eastbourne spring to mind. Not exactly top draw if you get me.

When playing a Royal you think of Royal Melbourne, Royal Portrush... The Curragh or some course in dodgy Chingford don't spring to mind.

Disappointed, boys! I love the course and I'd play it ahead of Royal Dublin and Royal Belfast!

Not every Royal course can be top draw - that's not what the designation is about after all - but it puts the course on the map, will attract green fee income and will stimulate some upgrading - how much remains to be seen.

I doubt very much that their green fees will jump from €30 to €90, and a lower green fee should tell potential visitors what sort of standard to expect.

The two UK royals mentioned have green fees well below other Royals and therefore reflect the standard/experience.
Royal Eastbourne green fees: £44-£49
Royal Epping Forest green fees: £20 - £30
vs.
Royal St George's green fees: £100 - £170
Royal Liverpool green fees: £80 - £160

PS. Played Royal Liverpool in 2006, before Tiger ripped it to shreds with a 1 iron, and we (four of us) were unimpressed by the course... so much so I put a bet on Tiger to win and walked away with €400. Doesn't make me like the course any more though!

SuprSi

My Dad is the Captain there next year so I had a quick chat with him and here's the logic;

The Curragh received the Royal title in on Sept 24th 1910 and used it till May 1922 when the British Army left the Curragh. On the handover to the Irish Army it was decided that the use of the “Royal” title was inappropriate and the Club became The Curragh Golf Club with a Mr P O’Shaughnessy as Captain in 1923. Unfortunately there had been no handover of Club Documents in 1922 so the fact of there being a Royal title for the Club did not become apparent again until 1982. Research carried out at that time by the Club’s historian, Col Bill Gibson (Retd) unearthed this important fact and it has been his detailed investigation of the available documents of the time that has led us to the position where we can rightly claim to be a Royal Golf Club. The purpose of re-naming the club is not a political one but purely historical. There are also benefits from a Marketing viewpoint but primarily it is simply reclaiming the history of this famous old Golf Club.

tipptom

SuprSi wrote: »

My Dad is the Captain there next year so I had a quick chat with him and here's the logic;

As a marketing wheeze I suppose it will be interesting to see will it give a spike to the revenues.

Benny Cake

tipptom wrote: »

As a marketing wheeze I suppose it will be interesting to see will it give a spike to the revenues.

To be honest I think the use of "Royal" might actually work against them. It wouldn't encourage me to play it anyway.

tipptom

Benny Cake wrote: »

To be honest I think the use of "Royal" might actually work against them. It wouldn't encourage me to play it anyway.

Might be viewed as a pretentious all right and resurrecting a reminder from our colonial times would not go down well with some people and may lead to some disappointed tourists as well but would be interesting to see if it helped.
Wonder was it a vote put to all members or was it a comitee decision?

Is this the course out beside John Oxx.

m r c

I don't see the harm in returning the Royal bit of the name if that's what it was initially.
It'd be different if it was just some kind of marketing thing to get heads in the gate but if it's 80 years plus I don't think you could claim that here.

Where's the harm in that?

Have to be honest the Royal part of the name has hardly kept anyone from playing Royal portrush or RCD and if it has kept some folk from playing them chances are the membership would prefer they stayed away anyway.
I never really noticed the royal part in those courses names either. I doubt if these days many of the golfing public at least would be overly bothered by that kind of thing.

Maybe I'm well out of touch though, wouldn't be the 1st time.

mcgarrett

tipptom wrote: »

Might be viewed as a pretentious all right and resurrecting a reminder from our colonial times would not go down well with some people and may lead to some disappointed tourists as well but would be interesting to see if it helped.
Wonder was it a vote put to all members or was it a comitee decision?

Is this the course out beside John Oxx.

I'd say you're thinking of Cill Dara.

cgh

I would reckon it will be Royal Curragh for a few years.
Then it will be voted out by the members.

a great course too, my dad was a member there for years.

PARlance

I've played Royal Tara quite a few times and the "Royal" never caused me to take any notice, or increase any of my expectations.

This is a name change and that's about the height of the changes it will bring in my opinion, I don't think it'll have any major down sides or benefits.

The common advantage that is being talked to is the Marketing effect:
I know plenty of English golfers and they certainly wouldn't give a moments thought to picking a course just because it has a "Royal" in front of it.
People either know, or do plenty of research before going on a golfing trip, the quality of courses is out there for all to see and learn... I really can't seeing anyone going on a Royal Trip.

The negative that is being talked to is that it may put of some locals.... Really... I haven't played the Curragh yet but I'd like to, I'd be just a keen on playing Royal Curragh.

There may be a short term benefit surrounding the fact that people are talking about this, but once that blows over I think it'll be back to business as usual.

ShriekingSheet

Sir Nick Faldo or Dr. Michael Smurfit.

Both are entitled to their titles, as the Curragh is. But honestly, how do people react to those titles?

A few people on this board may well have qualifications that put letters after their name. What would people think if you start sticking them on the end in general use?

If it was Royal Portmarnock, we probably wouldn't bat an eyelid. If it was Royal Slade Valley, we'd all be in stitches. The Curragh is somewhere in the vast casm between those two courses. This decision has both 'who cares, let them at it' and 'that's a joke' elements to it. Hence why I don't think it's a good move.

Russman

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

If it was Royal Slade Valley, we'd all be in stitches. The Curragh is somewhere in the vast casm between those two courses.

Steady on there, Slade Valley certainly isn't royal, but its not that bad either


Anyway, as I understand it, the Royal doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the course, the title is given for different reasons. Maybe its just us Irish with our colonial history etc who seem to have an issue with it or view it as being pretentious.........?

cgh

such a ring to it..... Royal Slade Valley,
I do think the Royal Curragh will only last a few years, Till the military folk decide to gt rid of it.

PARlance

cgh wrote: »

such a ring to it..... Royal Slade Valley,
I do think the Royal Curragh will only last a few years, Till the military folk decide to gt rid of it.

Picturing Paddy peeking out from a bunker and Mick camouflaged as a flag pole as they launch the mission to reclaim the Royal Curragh.

PARlance

.

golfwallah

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Sir Nick Faldo or Dr. Michael Smurfit.

Both are entitled to their titles, as the Curragh is. But honestly, how do people react to those titles?

A few people on this board may well have qualifications that put letters after their name. What would people think if you start sticking them on the end in general use?

If it was Royal Portmarnock, we probably wouldn't bat an eyelid. If it was Royal Slade Valley, we'd all be in stitches. The Curragh is somewhere in the vast casm between those two courses. This decision has both 'who cares, let them at it' and 'that's a joke' elements to it. Hence why I don't think it's a good move.

How about "Royal Ballymun" as Sillogue is sometimes called? And it's not a bad old course either .... played it many times a few years ago and always enjoyed it!

John Divney

PARlance wrote: »

I've played Royal Tara quite a few times and the "Royal" never caused me to take any notice, or increase any of my expectations.

This is a name change and that's about the height of the changes it will bring in my opinion, I don't think it'll have any major down sides or benefits.

The common advantage that is being talked to is the Marketing effect:
I know plenty of English golfers and they certainly wouldn't give a moments thought to picking a course just because it has a "Royal" in front of it.
People either know, or do plenty of research before going on a golfing trip, the quality of courses is out there for all to see and learn... I really can't seeing anyone going on a Royal Trip.

The negative that is being talked to is that it may put of some locals.... Really... I haven't played the Curragh yet but I'd like to, I'd be just a keen on playing Royal Curragh.

There may be a short term benefit surrounding the fact that people are talking about this, but once that blows over I think it'll be back to business as usual.

Bit differentRoyal Tara in the Royal County, is playing on Celtic Royalty, and the Hill of Tara. (I'd hope)

But in my opinion if the club has such interesting history as the Curragh, and was clearly a part of British military history, and was legitimately designated the title, why should they not call it that?

We can't divest the country of our history. It has as much right to be called Royal as any of them. I am allergic to Golf snobbery and exclusivity, but this has a genuine case as being part of Historical merit, not ideological.

PARlance

John Divney wrote: »

Bit differentRoyal Tara in the Royal County, is playing on Celtic Royalty, and the Hill of Tara. (I'd hope)

But in my opinion if the club has such interesting history as the Curragh, and was clearly a part of British military history, and was legitimately designated the title, why should they not call it that?

We can't divest the country of our history. It has as much right to be called Royal as any of them. I am allergic to Golf snobbery and exclusivity, but this has a genuine case as being part of Historical merit, not ideological.

Ha, you're probably right there Ted.
I suppose I can't bluff it and say I meant that... because being from Mayo, I have reason to hate the Meath Royals and still enjoyed it....

John Divney

PARlance wrote: »

because being from Mayo, I have reason to hate the Meath Royals and still enjoyed it....

Christ, us Dubs too over the years, Bloody Meath

All good at the moment though

PARlance

John Divney wrote: »

Christ, us Dubs too over the years, Bloody Meath

All good at the moment though

Royal Blues.... Maybe I'll start to shout against the Curragh name change after all

SuprSi

Another brief update - I spoke to my Dad again today and he gave me some more info. The name change was raised at the AGM, and voted for by around 90% of attending members. It has been ratified and approved by the army and the government as they effectively own the lands, so had to approve it first.

Uncle Ben

Hi SuprSi, whats the weather like over there, spent 5 happy years there and many golfing days out in La Moye.

SuprSi

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Hi SuprSi, whats the weather like over there, spent 5 happy years there and many golfing days out in La Moye.

Howling winds and rain at the moment - definitely not golfing weather! La Moye is a very good course, my favourite on the island and the scene of my joint best ever round of golf!

FixdePitchmark

Played today - played it about ten years ago , when I wasn't playing much golf. All I remembered was the sheep.

Played today, absolutely fantastic course - from the first hole.

It is just like the heath except a much better variation in course layout and height change.

Very like a links at times - but then it feels like parkland coming home. You have to have a great feel for iron distance due to changes in height up and down to greens.

A tough course from the tee at times - but the only thing is over the fence is in play , and you can get away with murder as most stuff is cut back - perhaps too much at time.

It makes for an enjoyable round , to be able to find your ball and have a shot - but makes the course playable.

The course has a great variety of holes - long , short , doglegs, uphill, downhill. Raised greens , low greens.

Maybe at times - it lacks fairway hazards, water drains , but plenty of ancient grass hollows and bunkers. You can get blocked out by impressively mature trees at times.

The history of the place is fascinating and it is very unusual landscape. The course condition has improved dramatically , with the grazing areas now penned in.

Very mature greens , and clever bump and runs and a variety of a short game is needed.

Would love to go back - the course is score-able, but a good performance is required. Maybe hard to judge that today , as at times very windy.

Will be back - an inland natural links like course.

spacecoyote

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Played today - played it about ten years ago , when I wasn't playing much golf. All I remembered was the sheep.

Played today, absolutely fantastic course - from the first hole.

It is just like the heath except a much better variation in course layout and height change.

Very like a links at times - but then it feels like parkland coming home. You have to have a great feel for iron distance due to changes in height up and down to greens.

A tough course from the tee at times - but the only thing is over the fence is in play , and you can get away with murder as most stuff is cut back - perhaps too much at time.

It makes for an enjoyable round , to be able to find your ball and have a shot - but makes the course playable.

The course has a great variety of holes - long , short , doglegs, uphill, downhill. Raised greens , low greens.

Maybe at times - it lacks fairway hazards, water drains , but plenty of ancient grass hollows and bunkers. You can get blocked out by impressively mature trees at times.

The history of the place is fascinating and it is very unusual landscape. The course condition has improved dramatically , with the grazing areas now penned in.

Very mature greens , and clever bump and runs and a variety of a short game is needed.

Would love to go back - the course is score-able, but a good performance is required. Maybe hard to judge that today , as at times very windy.

Will be back - an inland natural links like course.

Never played it fix, but from your description sounds like it would potentially be a nice fit for a Boards Outing in 2015

PARlance

spacecoyote wrote: »

Never played it fix, but from your description sounds like it would potentially be a nice fit for a Boards Outing in 2015

Would be absolutely perfect for an Outing Space.
Played with himself today and I'm still "on" the course. Playing a few holes differently in my mind though I'd go as far as saying it was my most enjoyable round of the year.

Would disagree re the need for a water feature or two. The contours of the land are enough. I would go the other way and say that I'd nearly prefer it without bunkers. There are enough natural undulations in and around the greens (throughout the course too) that it nearly was a shame to see a manmade feature interrupt things.

Rough was a bit too forgiving but I wasn't complaining

Can't believe I waited so long to play it and can't wait to get down again.

Intermediate cup the Sun Sept 7th. I'll be going if you're interested?

FixdePitchmark

Would be perfect Space.

Cheap - worth the trip - unusual.

Good food , not too hard , nice cubhouse, great access from M50 - M7 - M9.

slave1

Playing this next week, we'll looking forward now after these few posts...

tigerwood1

it would be a good course for nexts years list stratigically located to all motorways oh and it's 5mins down the road. might even get the mrs to set up the barbeque on the rd after the 8th a fiver a quality nolan,s burger. ps if any boardies are thinking of playing i have a couple of vouchers for free green fee when playing with paying green fee your welcome to them if you pm me.

FixdePitchmark

tigerwood1 wrote: »

it would be a good course for nexts years list stratigically located to all motorways oh and it's 5mins down the road. might even get the mrs to set up the barbeque on the rd after the 8th a fiver a quality nolan,s burger. ps if any boardies are thinking of playing i have a couple of vouchers for free green fee when playing with paying green fee your welcome to them if you pm me.

Do you like course Tiger ?

tigerwood1

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Do you like course Tiger ?

Great course, but then i thought roscrea great aswell:rolleyes:

FixdePitchmark

tigerwood1 wrote: »

Great course, but then i thought roscrea great aswell:rolleyes:

Well which do you think is a better course ?

tigerwood1

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Well which do you think is a better course ?

As hard it is to say i'll have to give it to the curragh, even thought they could do with shorting the 17th for us pitch & putters:).

FixdePitchmark

tigerwood1 wrote: »

As hard it is to say i'll have to give it to the curragh, even thought they could do with shorting the 17th for us pitch & putters:).

Lol,

In fairness it is a good bit ahead of it (imo).

SuprSi

I'll have to feed this back to my old man, he'll be chuffed

cgh

looking forward to the Scratch cup on Sunday.

out early though.

Dealerz

What a quality birdie by spacecoyote on the index 1 17th of the blues..two great smacks and a dribbler of a putt 😜

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

spacecoyote

Dealerz wrote: »

What a quality birdie by spacecoyote on the index 1 17th of the blues..two great smacks and a dribbler of a putt 😜

Couldn't let you be the only man walking off with a bird on the day!!

Lovely 2 for yourself.

The course chewed us up & spat us out today. A pleasure to play, pity bout the scoring

cgh

if only i could have holed a putt.

finished with a Nett 74.
I also three putted 10 times...... which is shocking

cgh

Just a thought here,

is the Curragh worth paying the €950 a year in annual subs.

I'mk thinking of mybe joining in the new year,

what do peeps think??

ArielAtom

Sheet, you must be pleased that this post has ridden the wave!

CarefulNow!

I was a member there for 17 years and loved every year of it! Great course, members, decent facilities. If its local to you I'd recommend it

cgh

its not that local,

I have choices, Im a member in The Heath, have portlaosie, Portarlington, The Heritage, Dumurray Springs, Mountrath, castle barna and tullamore all within a 30 minute drive.

I'm a big fan of the curragh have to say.

CarefulNow!

Unfortunately I moved to north co Dublin, if I hadn't I'd never have left. Its a great test of golf, especially now.