List of 9 hole courses in Ireland

Ally McIntosh · 13-03-2014 3:02pm #1

Hi all,

The annual Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 list puts together a ranking of the “best” courses in the country. As naturally happens when looking at the “best” of anything, some unheralded courses miss out, maybe because they are short, or maybe because they are quirky or maybe because they are kept on a shoestring budget. Sometimes playing these courses can offer as much or more fun than playing some of the big guns, even if they are not technically as good. Some of them may even be personal favourites for the exact reason that they are not long, tough, championship slogs.

It is my opinion that we should celebrate these courses. I especially believe that we need to promote some of our excellent nine hole courses in Ireland and remind people that just because a course comes with less than 18 holes does not necessarily make it an inferior experience. So I’m hoping that this year GDI might consider a little sidebar to the main Top-100; namely a Top-10 nine hole courses.

To aid in this, I wonder if you could help in listing any and every nine hole course you know. Only stipulation is that it is more than a pitch and putt or Par-3 course. It needs to have at least some teeth because it will have some stiff competition. I will start:

1. Cruit Island
2. Connemara Isles
3. Spanish Point
4. Rush
5. Bushfoot
6. Otway
7. Mulranny
8. Castlerosse
9. Buncrana
10. Castlegregory
11. Achill
12. Glengarriff
13. Fintona
14. Blacklion
15. Borris
16. Sutton
17. Foxrock
18. Raffeen Creek
19. Donerile
20. Lisselan
21. Ballaghadereen
22. Ballyhaunis
23. Castlerea
24. Strokestown
25. Boyle
26. Frankfield
27. Glenlo Abbey
28. Ross
29. Lismore
30. Carrickmines
31. Helen's Bay
32. Blessington Lakes
33. Cill Dara
34. Stepaside
35. Glencullen
36. Virginia
37. Tubbercurry
38. Ballymote
39. Belturbet
40. Clover House
41. Swinford
42. Ballyheigue Castle
43. Berehaven
44. Glengarriff
45. Elm Hall
46. Dunmore Demesne
47. Ballinastoe
48. Djouce
49. Killiney
50. Hazel Grove
51. Kilcoole

Thanks,
Ally

Rikand · 13-03-2014 3:07pm

Spanish Point Golf Club is another - Co. Clare, near Milton Malbay

Wichita Lineman · 13-03-2014 3:12pm

I've never played it but I know that Borris, Co. Carlow is a 9 hole course too.

John Divney · 13-03-2014 3:16pm

One of the oldest, Sutton

alxmorgan · 13-03-2014 3:31pm

Raffeen Creek, Cork

Manach · 13-03-2014 3:35pm

Donerile, Co. Cork. A lovely course

peepee · 13-03-2014 3:52pm

Lisselan

Just outside Clonakilty in west cork. super course, tough track.
Has one of my favourite par 5's in golf, the 8th hole.

Telecaster58 · 13-03-2014 3:54pm

The only one on that list that I've played is Rush at No.4 and that wasn't hectic. Doesn't say much for the rest of them

Guisseppeth · 13-03-2014 4:04pm

Most of the courses in my area are 9 holes:

Ballaghaderreen
Ballyhaunis
Castlerea
Strokestown
Boyle

Only played the 1st 3 and Ballyhaunis would be the best of these. Quite hilly but really dry in comparison to the other two especially considering the amount of rain we get. Ballaghaderreen is my home club and it can be pretty wet over the winter!!!

burnhardlanger · 13-03-2014 4:13pm

Frankfield. Cork.

Dr_Colossus · 13-03-2014 4:14pm

Glenlo Abbey
Never played it mind but think it's currently undergoing works.

golfguy1 · 13-03-2014 4:20pm

Ross gc in killarney
Castlegregory (links) in kerry best nine hole ive ever played.
Lismore in waterford

ForeRight · 13-03-2014 5:08pm

Hazel Grove in tallaght.

Hidden gem

Kevinmarkham · 13-03-2014 5:43pm

Carrickmines, Dublin
Helen's Bay, Co. Down

First Up · 13-03-2014 5:45pm

Stepaside

ForeRight · 13-03-2014 5:56pm

Glencullen

princess poppy · 13-03-2014 7:57pm

Blessington lakes and cill dara

sydneybound · 13-03-2014 8:21pm

Blacklion
Virginia
Tubbercurry
Ballymote
Belturbet
Clover House
Swinford

cairny · 13-03-2014 9:17pm

Ballyheigue Castle
Berehaven
Glengarriff

brick tamland · 13-03-2014 9:30pm

Elm hall in Celbridge

scrubber72 · 14-03-2014 9:02am

Dunmore demense in north galway.

derra · 14-03-2014 12:50pm

Ballinastoe
Djouce
Kilcoole

BraveDonut · 14-03-2014 1:07pm

Killiney

Ally McIntosh · 14-03-2014 2:18pm

Thanks all,

This may not be as easy as I had hoped as there are a number of courses here that I have not the faintest idea about. I guess I'm going to try and generate a final list of about 20 that are genuinely worthy and then see if I can take it from there. Any help appreciated.

Kevin - perhaps you need to get on the road again so you can write an addendum to the next revision of Hooked.

Guisseppeth · 14-03-2014 3:25pm

GUI lists 83 9 hole courses on its website. To see them just click here, choose 9 holes and click on "Find a Club".

Dbu · 14-03-2014 4:54pm

Ringenane was a lovely little 9 hole in Kinsale, closed now

manutd4life · 15-03-2014 2:57pm

There's two in Deer Park, Howth

carnsoreboxer · 16-03-2014 9:39am

In my opinion the best of them all is Cruit but was told of another hidden gem yesterday which I'd love to play

http://www.connemaraislesgolf.com

First Up · 16-03-2014 9:44am

manutd4life wrote: »

There's two in Deer Park, Howth

Three in Dun Laoghaire.

slave1 · 16-03-2014 9:46am

Tullybeg near Tullamore

Alpha Dog 1 · 16-03-2014 9:47am

Templemore, in Tipp.

Montgolfier · 16-03-2014 12:25pm

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Templemore, in Tipp.

Technically thats an 18 hole because of the extra tee boxes. Reality its a 9 hole.

Kevinmarkham · 16-03-2014 5:37pm

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Glenlo Abbey
Never played it mind but think it's currently undergoing works.

I'm back from Galway today and was talking about the golf situation up there with various people - as you do when you're on a golf course - Glenlo Abbey may be about to get cut in half by a road that's being planned.

Ally McIntosh wrote: »

Thanks all,

This may not be as easy as I had hoped as there are a number of courses here that I have not the faintest idea about. I guess I'm going to try and generate a final list of about 20 that are genuinely worthy and then see if I can take it from there. Any help appreciated.

Kevin - perhaps you need to get on the road again so you can write an addendum to the next revision of Hooked.

Ally, I gave a list to Linton some time back (a year maybe).

Always wanted to add Borris, Mulranny and Cruit Island to the book, plus a few others... maybe it'll happen

carnsoreboxer wrote: »

In my opinion the best of them all is Cruit but was told of another hidden gem yesterday which I'd love to play

http://www.connemaraislesgolf.com

Heard this may have just gone. Lovely location and a couple of great holes but not maintained to a high standard.

Montgolfier wrote: »

Technically thats an 18 hole because of the extra tee boxes. Reality its a 9 hole.

I got fooled by this a couple of times on my travels - Clogher Valley most notably. If there are nine holes and eighteen tee boxes, it's still nine holes... I tend to find the word 'holes' is the giveaway.

Finlay Harp · 16-03-2014 8:34pm

Temple County Down.

jcon1913 · 19-03-2014 2:59pm

When I look at the list on the GUI site I realise that I have played a good few of them. It's handy to get out for 9 holes rather than 18 5 hours out of a day is too long IMHO.

Anyhows heres a list of ones I have played and comments:

Ballinscorney - Parkland, just the far side of the M50, an okay course, but on the side of a hill, so all holes have a predominant slope. Nothing special apart from the fact that its handy to Dublin. Good club atmosphere when I was there. AFAIK it's privately owned and the club have a lease.

Carrickmines - parkland close to M50, the land is the way God left it. Easy to get a timeslot early on Sunday morning, when its casual tee times. Clubhouse a bit stuffy and old-fashioned, it's a matter of some pride that the club can't prepare hot food on the premises. Green fees a bit pricey for what is a plain enough track. The holes are nothing spectacular, but a good view of the M50 if that is your thing...

Glencullen - nice parkland, near to Johnny Fox's, it's privately owned. there are a few nice holes with tricky shots needed. Distant views of Dublin Bay from the 4th or 5th I think. Lots of hill-climbing. Usually not too busy even on weeknights, I don't know what it's like on the weekends. Johnny Foxes good a bite to eat or a pint before heading home.

Killiney - Nice parklands, very mature, lovely clubhouse. Some very long holes. They could get a few more holes in TBH. €25 for 9 holes from what I remember, good value. Great grub afterwards in the bar, here again the crowd is not the friendliest, like most private clubs.

Cruit Island - links course with the sea on both sides. I was staying close to this, looks like a lovely course, friendly crowd. Raging I didn't play it but I didn't have clubs etc. Daniel O'Donnell reputedly had a house bordering the course but sold it some time back. The course has some lovely ( but deadly=-looking ) greens that undulate like mad, I'd say a nightmare to putt on. I had a good look because the road goes right through the course.

Glengariff - parklands course, a few very plain holes, and a few spectacular ones, good view of the sea, in a lovely part of West Cork. Friendly crowd in the clubhouse, very handy to the village to slip out for a few holes.

Sutton - links course, close to Dublin city, very tight course, but man is it tricky. Some great holes, a few plainers ones but each of them is interesting in it's own right. Bottomless rough, lakes, the sea, wind, FFS! A real challenge, very smart clubhouse, crowd a bit stand-offish but I'd definately play it again it I got a chance.

chicofuentes · 13-08-2014 9:05am

Cruit Island is definitely one of the best 9 hole courses in the country.

Spanish point again is worth the visit

I played Connemara Isles Golf course last month and and found it on a par with any of the best courses around. The scenery and uniqueness of some of the holes hitting over the sea were fantastic that I forgive some of the ruggedness of the rough.