Ireland Golf Tavel

wdm

Ok all you Ireland fellow golfers, hope all is well, I know ya'll are pumped with Ryder Cup this week. Me and some buddies are coming across to Ireland next year. We want to do the Southern Lahinch Ballybunion, and Old Head route . We are going to stay about 6 to 8 days. I know that there are some courses we want to play. As always there are some that sneak through the cracks that do not get as much play and are overlooked. We do want to play Links style. Could you kindly give me the courses that you would play if you had 6 to 8 days in Southern Ireland. This is our first trip and I here driving is pretty tough, would we be ok to navigate around the South or should we hire a driver. Thanks for any insight you guys have. I know this is a very broad question but any info to make our trip better would greatly be appreciated. Good Luck this week, I hate to admit it but I really like your chances in the Cup this year. I have always admired the way the Europeans play as a team, "Relentless". Thanks David

slave1

Check out this blog from day 280.
Might help to know where you fly in and out of also...

Also, look here at the courses Irish Golf Digest create for the South run...

mike12

Hi,
Would you be thinking of playing all 8 days, if you are going to stay in the south then Waterville, Tralee, Trump international would be the other 3 big courses to play. Those 6 would be some of the more expensive courses to play in Ireland.
If you were on for a bit more driving then you could head up along the wild atlantic way to Conemara, Carne, Enniscrone, Strandhill and Rosses Point. Courses less than half the green fee but much the same quality.

If you are flying into Dublin then maybe the day you arrive and the day before you leave Play the European Club and the Island or Portmarnock.

On the car driving is tough enough, how many guys have you coming if more than 4 maybe a bus is the way to go.

d2ww

The other good thing about the north-west courses is much better teetime availability during the summer. You can get out on the likes of Ballyliffin at 9am and have the course to yourselves, zipping around 3 hours, meanwhile down in Ballybunion it will be backed up with 4balls all day long.
Also, please don't think that just because the green fees are half the price, that the courses are in any way inferior. You can blame your compatriots who gravitate there, for the high(by Irish standards) green fees on the southwest links.
Here's a list of better links courses: http://www.backspingolfmagazine.com/index.php?/golfcourseranking/
N.B. The order of the rankings has to be taken with a pinch of salt, many would say Carne over baltray.

elgenerale

If I were you I wouldn't drive. There are a few bus operators who specialise in ferrying golf tourists around the south west.

There aren't any links close to the Old Head (which isn't technically a links either, its a cliff course) so it should either be your starting or ending point.

Kerry really is excellent at tourism in general so it will be very enjoyable. However the courses there charge high prices. The top tier include Waterville, Ballybunion (actually has two courses Old and Cashen which is well regarded), Tralee. Another good course to consider is Dooks.

Then further up the coast closer to Shannon Airport are Lahinch and Doonbeg (now a Trump).

Also if you want one parkland the number one in Ireland Adare is in this area also.

Thats 7

wdm

looks like we will be flying into Dublin and heading south, what are the can't miss courses and the ones with big reviews that I may consider skipping also trying to pin down a month to come any idea on that. Thanks so uch guys if you are in the USA and need help send me a line. Thank You, David. 3 to 4 in group all die hard with 5 and lower handicap overthehill golfers. All considerations and help will be greatly appreciated.Thanks again , David The Sunshine State of Florida.

mike12

Tough call on renting a car or getting a driver with 3 or 4 guys. I'd do it myself for a bit more freedom.
If you are flying into Dublin you will most likley arrive early in the morning i would recommend Lachinch as you first course as it would be the easiest drive from Dublin.
If you are going to play every day it would be a good idea to break up the trip and play a course in Dublin the day you arrive.
You also get a lot of American's playing 2 courses a day when they come here. From April to the end of August it is bright from before 7 in the moring to after 10 at night so you can play drive 2 hours and easily get a second round in.
If money is no option then maybe include something like this.
http://www.thegolfpa.com/tournaments-tournament-packages-4th-great-irish-links-challenge-tournament-package-2014.aspx
http://www.thegolfpa.com/amateur-golf-tournaments-in-ireland.aspx

Webbs

I'd agree on getting a car for the freedom as am sure you will want to do a little exploring around the golf.

If it was me I think I would go from Dublin to Adare (2.5hrs) as is easy enough drive for first day.
So would have an itinarary like:

Adare (parkland but special course)
Ballybunion
Tralee
Waterville
Old Head

Then drive from Old Head back to Dublin
Depends if your looking to play golf every day or have a breather which the above would let you do.

ChippingSodbury

This is my home course, it's a good test and very scenic:http://www.countysligogolfclub.ie


Sligo is about 2:30hrs from Dublin, or 3:30hrs from North Kerry

The best courses in the North West would be (rough distances from Sligo town):
County Sligo Links(Rosses Point): 10 mins
Enniscrone Links (West Sligo): 45 mins
Murvagh Links (South Donegal): 45 mins
Ballyliffin X 2 Links (North Donegal): 2 hrs
Lough Erne Parkland (Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland): 1 hr
Carne Links (Belmullet, Mayo): 2 hrs
Strandhill Links (Strandhill): 10 mins

These are ordered by my preference (no doubt others will disagree!).
As previous posters have said, the cheaper prices and lower traffic definitely add to the enjoyment. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed by their quality on offer.

JIdontknow

I think with 4 guys ye could manage driving here. Once you have a sat nav you should be okay, only downside is it ye fancy a few drinks after in the clubhouse after the round but ye can all allocate a designated driver each day.
Secondly, if flying into Dublin, then places like The European (about 90km) Heritage (about 90km) are within reasonable distance Mount Juliet is approx 140km (takes about an hour and 20 to do from the airport with the motorway). Note though these are parkland courses but said to be some of the nicest around. Alternatively Arklow is a links course, never played it but its about an hour from dublin (about 10-15km from the European). Further down that road is Rosslare which is also a links course (about 170km or 2-2.5 hours from airport). Perhaps consider some of these options? The joy of Ireland is comapred to driving in America what we consider a long distance 3-4 hours, you may consider a short sunday drive

moycullen14

If I had 8 days and a lot of yankee dollars, here's what I'd do.

Get a coach and driver. Travel after the rounds and stay where you are playing the night before. Don't drive long distances before playing. Distances below are very approximate.

Day 1: Dublin, Portmarnock
Day 2: Sligo, Rosses Point 140 miles
Day 3: Enniscrone 20 miles
Day 4: Lahinch 120 miles
Day 5: Ballybunion 60 miles
Day 6: Tralee 30 miles
Day 7: Dooks 30 miles
Day 8: Waterville 30 miles

If you want to cut this down a bit you could miss out 2 & 3 and head straight for Lahinch. As someone said above the 2nd course (Cashen) in Ballybunion is very good so you could spend a second day there.

And then I'd die a happy, broke and exhausted little golfer!

There is another loop you could do going north from Dublin (or Sligo) involving the great links like Royal County Down, Portrush, Rossapenna, etc but you just can't miss the Lahinch-Waterville leg. Words cannot describe how good these courses are.

Don't bother with any non links courses. Even the good ones are no better than what you can get in the States. The links are unique.

I had some american friends over two years ago and we played the middle four above. I have never seen grown men so happy.

Enjoy!

The_Architect

moycullen14 wrote: »

If I had 8 days and a lot of yankee dollars, here's what I'd do.

Get a coach and driver. Travel after the rounds and stay where you are playing the night before. Don't drive long distances before playing. Distances below are very approximate.

Day 1: Dublin, Portmarnock
Day 2: Sligo, Rosses Point 140 miles
Day 3: Enniscrone 20 miles
Day 4: Lahinch 120 miles
Day 5: Ballybunion 60 miles
Day 6: Tralee 30 miles
Day 7: Dooks 30 miles
Day 8: Waterville 30 miles

If you want to cut this down a bit you could miss out 2 & 3 and head straight for Lahinch. As someone said above the 2nd course (Cashen) in Ballybunion is very good so you could spend a second day there.

And then I'd die a happy, broke and exhausted little golfer!

There is another loop you could do going north from Dublin (or Sligo) involving the great links like Royal County Down, Portrush, Rossapenna, etc but you just can't miss the Lahinch-Waterville leg. Words cannot describe how good these courses are.

Don't bother with any non links courses. Even the good ones are no better than what you can get in the States. The links are unique.

I had some american friends over two years ago and we played the middle four above. I have never seen grown men so happy.

Enjoy!

This is the best advice you've had to date.

I'd leave out the North West (Enniscrone, Sligo) for this trip and concentrate on the others. Add in Doonbeg whilst staying in Lahinch.

Base yourself in 2 or 3 accommodations max in the better towns along the way (note Ballybee aint a great town). I presume you will be playing 36 some days. Make sure you do 36 on the same course rather than travelling at lunch. More relaxing and more able to take in the atmosphere.

You will have better fun if you don't overdo the driving and don't overdo the rushing from one course to another in the middle of a day.

Hence 10 rounds in 7 days... 6 courses...

36 hole musts: Ballybunion Old & Lahinch.

mike12

moycullen14 wrote: »

If I had 8 days and a lot of yankee dollars, here's what I'd do.

Get a coach and driver. Travel after the rounds and stay where you are playing the night before. Don't drive long distances before playing. Distances below are very approximate.

Day 1: Dublin, Portmarnock
Day 2: Sligo, Rosses Point 140 miles
Day 3: Enniscrone 20 miles
Day 4: Lahinch 120 miles
Day 5: Ballybunion 60 miles
Day 6: Tralee 30 miles
Day 7: Dooks 30 miles
Day 8: Waterville 30 miles

If you want to cut this down a bit you could miss out 2 & 3 and head straight for Lahinch. As someone said above the 2nd course (Cashen) in Ballybunion is very good so you could spend a second day there.

And then I'd die a happy, broke and exhausted little golfer!

There is another loop you could do going north from Dublin (or Sligo) involving the great links like Royal County Down, Portrush, Rossapenna, etc but you just can't miss the Lahinch-Waterville leg. Words cannot describe how good these courses are.

Don't bother with any non links courses. Even the good ones are no better than what you can get in the States. The links are unique.

I had some american friends over two years ago and we played the middle four above. I have never seen grown men so happy.

Enjoy!

Can't argue with that, you could fit in Strandhill for a second 18 while in Rosses point.
Next trip you can do Donegal which has so many super links courses along side Portstewart, Portrush and Castlerock.

Kevinmarkham

I'd suggest keeping the travel to a minimum and staying in one or, maximum, in two places. Not sure why the south west is your immediate preference - is it because this is 'trophy' hunting territory, i.e. where the big name golf courses are?

No issue with the courses but as has been said already, you're paying close to double what some other courses charge, without getting twice the product. And then there's the time it'll take to get around the course. In peak season the big courses slow up badly.

As for driving - agree with others that if there are four of you and if you're comfortable driving on the other side of the road - hire a vehicle with GPS/Sat Nav. Be sure to ask for an automatic. If you want to relax and enjoy a bit of comfort while you're here - loads of places do driver packages.

There are five key areas:
South West: Ballybunion and Lahinch are the heart of this region. Tralee, Doonbeg (Trump) and Waterville are much more recent - but each has its merits from stunning scenery (Tralee) to perfect rhythm (Waterville). A couple of gems you could throw in there are Dooks (best scenery in Ireland IMO) and Ceann Sibeal. For something a little different, you could add in Skellig Bay (beautiful location) on the Ring of Kerry. You could reach Old Head from here but it's 2.5 hour drive. Personally, I love the Ballybunion Cashen course - a sensational back nine. You could do most of this from Kenmare or Killarney - two very lively towns.

North West: The best value place to play links golf in Ireland.You don't get bigger links courses than Carne (27 holes) and Enniscrone. Mesmerising stuff, and Co Sligo (aka Rosses Point) is something different again, with a variety of hole styles. Strandhill is a brilliant 'small' links and wouldn't make many American golfing schedules - but it's quirky and quite wonderful. A coupe of the holes will blow your mind. Then, a touch east, is Murvagh (aka Donegal) Golf Club. That's 5 courses and you could look at accommodation in Ballina (Mount Falcon is very golf focused) or check out Harvey's Point. Ballina and Sligo town have some nice hotels too.
Timings wise, check out the Golf Challenges that give you access to certain courses in a tournament format. They're a huge amount of fun. The Atlantic Coast Challenge is run in July, and the West Coast Challenge is another.

Donegal: North of the county has Rosapenna (36 holes), Ballyliffin (36 holes), Portsalon, and North West. Great value again, and Rosapenna has an Old Tom Morris course and then a far more muscular affair. Ballyliffin has a beautiful landscape for links golf and Portsalon, along with North West, is one of the oldest clubs in Ireland. Both courses are under-appreciated. If you had the time and inclination you could head west from there and visit Cruit Island (9 holes but well worth it) and/or Narin & Portnoo.
Only place I know to stay would be the Rosapenna resort itself.
This area has a couple of Golf Challenges too.

North: Royal Portrush (2 courses), Royal County Down. What more needs to be said. Add in Castlerock and Portstewart (next to Royal Portrush) and you've practically got yourself a Royal Flush.

Dublin: Portmarnock (Old), Portmarnock Links, The European, The Island, Royal Dublin and Baltray. Plus you can stay in or around Dublin. Very different styles of links golf course. Smaller courses here would be Arklow, as mentioned above, St. Anne's, next to Royal Dublin, and a municipal course that is widely adored on here - Corballis. You can play it for a tenner.

Some people are suggesting Mount Juliet and Adare - as good as they are and as much as we love them in Ireland, you are far more used to this style of parkland resort in the US.

It comes down to how much time you have and how much you plan to play. Yes, 36 holes a day is possible, but wearing yourself out can dent your enthusiasm towards the end. I played with some Americans at The Island in April. 10 days of 36 holes and I caught them on the last day. Half of them looked comatose on the 1st tee. Break it up and pick a couple of courses you want to play twice. Courses such as Carne, Enniscrone, The Island, Royal County Down have to be played twice so you know what's going on the second time around. Courses such as Ballybunion and Lahinch deserve a second round simply because... they do.

In terms of car hire/chauffeur... I'd suggest keeping the difference in what you'd pay, hire an MPV, and then hire caddies at some of the bigger courses. They add hugely to the experience and will make your life a lot more fun. They'll probably steer you to the best bars and restaurants, too.

Take it easy - after your first visit, you'll be coming back to Ireland soon enough.

If you want to see photographs of most of the courses mentioned, check out my Flickr page - https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmarkham/sets

wdm

Thanks again guys for all the input , is Old Head a must play also what are the publicized over rated southern courses I should scratch. Also if any one coming to the states shoot me a line I have played a bunch of courses over here I live in Northern Florida. Have any of you guys been to the Pacific Northwest to Bandon Dunes it is awesome, also Whistling straits resort and another new Destination course in souther Florida named Streamsong is very nice. Let me know if yall need any info. Thanks David