The Links Thread

slave1

I prefer Cashen too, Old is a top course but I like the roughness of Cashen and greens

Benicetomonty

Cashen is a thrill of a course, the ridiculous and the sublime epitomised. The par 3s are exceptional, especially 16, which may be the best short hole in the country. The 8th hole is a brilliant, fabulous hole, an amazing par 5.

But then you have some v mediocre holes (the first few, the 9th), then you have some flat out awful, even unfair, holes like 6, the green in particular. Whatever way you look at it, 25e is incredible value if the weather is in anyway decent.

Miley Byrne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260913#Comment_119260913

Not to get into a coarse rating debate but you are doing a massive injustice to Lahinch by saying there isn't much of a difference between it and Doonbeg. I could name at least 20 links courses on island that a superior to Doonbeg. Fair enough the mere mortal will find it impossible to play Lahinch for a comparable rate to Doonbeg but the reason for that is, quite frankly, Lahinch is miles better that Doonbeg in every aspect. Anyone who hasn't played Lahinch and gets an opportunity to should grab it with both hands. Put it like this, if I was in Dublin and someone rang me to say I could play Doonbeg tomorrow for E50 I would pass. If the same person said I could play Lahinch for E120 I'd be in the car and on the road in seconds.

slave1

I agree, Doonbeg is not a bad course by any means but there are way better out there and also better value, I played Enniscrone after work last month for €45, way better course and much better value for money. Doonbeg is very much elite pricing but without the elite course status IMHO

slave1

So, any sightings of lads from the JP hitting various Irish links courses before heading over to Scotland?

blue note

I've never played Doonbeg and would like to. But from what I've heard I'm always surprised to see it so high up the rankings. I saw one today that put it 62nd in courses in Ireland and the UK. That leaves it ahead of Tralee, Carne, Adare Manor, The European Club a few others that I would say have a better reputation than it.

Maybe the problem is that it does well in these rankings and people are then disappointed when they play it. Or maybe the problem is that people have heard that it's overrated and that's going to be their opinion of it regardless of how it is.

I always hear people give out about the last few holes in Corballis, but I'm convinced that they heard they weren't great and were just primed to not like them. And I'm convinced that reputation of them is from before the course was renovated. Now the better side of corballis is the front 9. But some people say that some of the back 9 aren't really links holes. Maybe you could say that about the 15th green, but that's it. So when that's in their reason for not liking those holes, that's why I'm thinking that they're not really forming that opinion while playing them.

For all courses we go with a preformed opinion and go from there. I wonder would I rank Baltray as highly if I didn't know that those in the know do. And I do wonder with Doonbeg when we hear everyone say that it shouldn't be ranked as highly as it is, has that tag stuck?

slave1

They're just opinions, I had my lowest ever round in Doonbeg but I would still put a dozen links courses ahead of it, even likes of Cashen/Portrush Valley/Castlerock which hardly ever feature

callaway92

Having played Doonbeg and Lahinch (from that side of the country) I only have Lahinch ahead of it in terms of its legacy etc

As far as a challenge goes, if you’re a very casual golfer who has no interest in history of a course etc I’d say Doonbeg is a better shout to play. Far more approachable course

If paying the same price I personally would play Lahinch every time, but there was something really nice about Doonbeg and I have to say, staff were really really chill there and the clubhouse didn’t have the same ‘upper class’ vibe that Lahinch has. Course was in beautiful knick too

slave1

Totally agree on playability, hardly anything blind, flat enough and wide enough off the tee, very well setup for the "casual" golfer, just that elevated par 3 green from memory that would catch out the casual/society golfer

blue note

I much rather no blind shots. I just don't get them. Especially into greens. But even from the tee I much prefer them.

And it's worst playing a new course, but even if it's your home club they can drive you cracked. You might think a shot it grand, but then turn the corner and it's not on the fairway. And you don't know did you not clear the danger, get caught in the rough short of where you were aiming, or run through the fairway you were hitting to. And you don't have a proper line because you didn't see it land.

As I say, I don't like blind shots!

callaway92

Oh actually it’s worth noting

If having a caddy isn’t your thing - In Lahinch, 1 Caddy per group minimum is mandatory if there’s no member playing in the group

In Doonbeg, it isn’t mandatory to have a caddy as a green fee/competition entrant

That again may entice some

I will admit though if I didn’t have a member playing with me in Lahinch I’d have struggled a lot more, like people said, because of blind shots (which I hate)

Whiplash85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119295899#Comment_119295899

The thing is you wont get a person to say to you you can play Lahinch for €120. So it is a moot point. You will however be able to play Doonbeg for €50 which is extraordinarily good value. It is clear Lahinch is a superior golf course but the overall experience in terms of staff, value, setting means Doonbeg is able to compete on those terms. It doesn't carry same level of pretentiousness either and doesn't take itself too seriously. Any Americans I talk to that play there dont differentiate much in terms of the relative merits of Lahinch or Doonbeg. They do however have Ballybunion head and shoulders above them all though.

dk1982

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303013#Comment_119303013

Ballybunion the most overrated course I've ever played. Played it last summer and was so underwhelmed. First 6 holes so meh, practice facilities really poor, clubhouse just grand. Played Waterville the following day and thought it was on a different planet to it in every aspect. All opinions though of course

Whiplash85

Yeah I played Waterville and its a phenomenal course in every aspect although I cant recall much by way of a practice area there. I think Ballybunion is as much about the history and tradition and it comes into its own with some great holes on the back 9. The final 3 holes in Waterville are as good as what's out there in my opinion.

Benicetomonty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303318#Comment_119303318

Would tend to agree re the 1st 6 except for the 3rd, the par 3 down the hill, which is a fine hole. The two par 5s back to back are fairly indistinguishable and 6 is quirky.

7 is a great hole, 8 has some charisma, was never a huge fan of 9 tbh, green is too severe imo. 10 is a lovely hole, 11 is the best links par 4 in the country, 12 and 13 are super holes. 14 is average, 15 and 17 are spectular, 16 and 18 and solid holes.

Never played Waterville but I love Ballyb. Beyond the course, Ive never found a hint of elitism down there that Ive come across in the environs of other prestigious venues.

Pdoghue

I see Rory and Tiger are playing Ballybunion this morning.

dk1982

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303492#Comment_119303492

Don't get me wrong, some incredible holes and couldn't have been made more welcome there and I know its a great course but just didnt live up to expectations for me. I'd have Enniscorne, Carne, Narin/Portnoo and The European ahead of it. And Waterville obviously, which just blew me away.

Shank Williams

The Kerry courses way overrated in comparison to the northwest courses- long may it continue for those of us who like value

slave1

These courses nicely cover US visitors into Shannon, do a loop of links down as far as Westerville, throw in Adare or Dromoland, get back on plane and chat to buddies back home that you played X.

Donegal/top of Antrim better courses overall but hard to get to for US golfers on tight vacation time

thewobbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305130#Comment_119305130

i disagree. The average American thinks of a 4 hour drive the same way an Irish person thinks of a 1 hour drive.

the biggest difference between the southwest and northwest is infrastructure. Kerry’s “build it and they will come” approach to hotels and restaurants is decades ahead of Co Donegal.

slave1

Have a look at the continetal US golf packages to Ireland, predominately Kerry/Clare from Shannon or Dublin up to Portrush from Dublin, rarely go outside this loop. It's not about the drive, they've never heard of Carne or Narin/Portnoo or Portsalon or even Donegal or Strandhill, as for Sandy Hills??

thewobbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119305843#Comment_119305843

But also have a look at how many 5 star hotels are in Kerry. Then count them in Donegal.

Kerry’s infrastructure is decades ahead, and its marketing has to support it.

——

package providers don’t care if they turn left or right once the bus leaves the airport. They only care the bus is full.

slave1

So it was Tiger and Rory in BB, Shane and HV3 in Portmarnock

blue note

There are a couple of very good hotels in Donegal - Rosapenna, Harvey's point & I think there's a third very fancy one too. There's more in Kerry I'm sure and hotel infrastructure is just one part of the infrastructure needs, but I'm not convinced it's the infrastructure that's holding them back presently. There's enough for the current demand. I think it's reputation and that will take time to change. And the other side is that the packages are set up already for Kerry / Clare and East coast. There are suppliers, they've got relationships with hotels, pubs, buses, etc. That needs to be set up on a bigger scale in Donegal. And to improve the reputation, this needs to happen too. It will all take time.

I think having a Tom Doak course along with the Gil Hanse one will push things forward though. People will request to play these courses in greater numbers and that will feed through.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307114#Comment_119307114

DJ due to play The Island today I believe.

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119307867#Comment_119307867

Went out a few minutes ago with Shane and HV3

zocklie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119298319#Comment_119298319

JT, ricky fowler and spieth in tralee before the pro am. Saw a vid of a guy I know at the pro am asking JT what he thought, seemed impressed.

Miley Byrne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119303013#Comment_119303013

Fair enough, but you made the point that there isn't much of a difference between Lahinch and Doonbeg. I would argue that there is a world of difference between them with the only two things they have in common is that they are both in Clare and they are both links courses. Staff and setting in Lahinch are both top class from my experiences playing there, admittedly not since pre covid. I wouldn't have Ballybunion "head and shoulders" above Lahinch either but that is probably down to personal preference as much as anything.

FixdePitchmark

All anyone any tips on booking st Andrews next summer?

Any secret info.

Just apply on website ?

Guess a bad time to ask this, but is it even too late for next year ?

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327660#Comment_119327660

Went in 2013, but registration opened in September. Wasnt any secret info, put in our interest and were flexible with dates and times within those dates. Got confirmation relatively shortly afterwards, think was November, with the good news. Unless it's changed, just be ready to register ASAP. Will likely have to pick 1 or 2 other courses to play too, won't allow just the Old Course.