Five Irish Golf Course Rankings

Kevinmarkham

Played no golf over Christmas so spent the time putting together five different Irish golf course rankings from last year:

• Golf Digest Ireland
• Golf Monthly
• Golf World
• Top 100 Golf Courses
• National Club Golfer

If the pic/table below is too difficult to read, it's also on the blog, here with relevant explanations.



Interesting how some courses stay very much in the same place (in where they're ranked in Ireland vs overall GB&I ranking) while others vary considerably. The Island barely moves, whereas Tralee is all over the place.

You could disagree with every one of them!

Rikand

Digest has Adare at 9, but Monthly and World don't have it in the top 100., while the other has it well down the list ( approx 20th of the other irish courses )

We accuse Digest of being links biased, but the others are WAY worse for it!

shabalala

Rikand wrote: »

Digest has Adare at 9, but Monthly and World don't have it in the top 100., while the other has it well down the list ( approx 20th of the other irish courses )

We accuse Digest of being links biased, but the others are WAY worse for it!

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Ally McIntosh

shabalala wrote: »

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ advertisers

Even when it's explained to you outright that the rankings have nothing to do with advertisers, you continue to beat that drum.

Regards the links bias, in the GB&I lists, the highest ranked Irish non-links course other than Old Head is 82. Yet there are approximately 50 to 60 courses in the GB&I lists that are non-links. In other words, it is not a links bias. What it does tell us is the quality of inland courses in Britain - more exactly England - when compared to Ireland.

One thing to note is the Top100golfcourses ranking takes its data from all the other rankings mentioned (plus a few more).

mike12

Ally McIntosh wrote: »

Even when it's explained to you outright that the rankings have nothing to do with advertisers, you continue to beat that drum.

Regards the links bias, in the GB&I lists, the highest ranked Irish non-links course other than Old Head is 82. Yet there are approximately 50 to 60 courses in the GB&I lists that are non-links. In other words, it is not a links bias. What it does tell us is the quality of inland courses in Britain - more exactly England - when compared to Ireland.

One thing to note is the Top100golfcourses ranking takes its data from all the other rankings mentioned (plus a few more).

Would agree that the quality of links courses here is super compared to the UK Royal Dublin would be typical of a British links very few with the views and sand dunes like we have here.
Think we are so far behind when it comes to parkland because we either have modren type courses like the KClub which have very little history or tiny little parklands that have never hosted any sort of a major event, it the UK you have the likes of Wentworth and the Belfray. MJ and Druids glen are the only 2 parklands i have played where i would make a effort to go back to. I would play 99% of the links courses before a parkland.

mike12

We can take it that
RCD
Portrush
Ballybunion
Waterville
Portmarnock
Lachinch
The European
Are the top 7 and i have top say you see very little advertising for any of them.

shabalala

Ally McIntosh wrote: »

Even when it's explained to you outright that the rankings have nothing to do with advertisers, you continue to beat that drum.

Regards the links bias, in the GB&I lists, the highest ranked Irish non-links course other than Old Head is 82. Yet there are approximately 50 to 60 courses in the GB&I lists that are non-links. In other words, it is not a links bias. What it does tell us is the quality of inland courses in Britain - more exactly England - when compared to Ireland.

One thing to note is the Top100golfcourses ranking takes its data from all the other rankings mentioned (plus a few more).

My own club is ranked fairly highly Ally, and regardless of my opinion that the GD rankings are influenced by advertising, nobody has ever answered another query.
The panel that decide the final rankings don't play or review any of the courses, yes i understand how the system works, but it just beggars belief that managers and staff of ranked courses are on the panel, yet rarely if ever visited any of the courses to review them!

If a panel of car reviewers were ranking their top 10 cars for example, yet none of them ever drove the cars just relied on public views alone, and these panellists were employees of the manufacturers.... There would be uproar.

I don't see how its totally un biased.

ronnie3585

I've never played RCD (hope to this summer), just wondering what makes it so good?

mickelson

i played rcd. didn't like it. played tralee. loved it. just my opinion

Ally McIntosh

shabalala wrote: »

My own club is ranked fairly highly Ally, and regardless of my opinion that the GD rankings are influenced by advertising, nobody has ever answered another query.
The panel that decide the final rankings don't play or review any of the courses, yes i understand how the system works, but it just beggars belief that managers and staff of ranked courses are on the panel, yet rarely if ever visited any of the courses to review them!

If a panel of car reviewers were ranking their top 10 cars for example, yet none of them ever drove the cars just relied on public views alone, and these panellists were employees of the manufacturers.... There would be uproar.

I don't see how its totally un biased.

I'm not sure what makes you believe that the panel does not play. I've played or walked the vast majority of the current Top 100. That aside, what I was trying to say about the advertising comment is that it shouldn't be your opinion when it is not true. It is not a matter of opinion.

Regards my previous comment about inland courses, England really is a treasure trove of fantastic inland golf courses. Probably the most underrated golf course destination in the world.

shabalala

Ally McIntosh wrote: »

I'm not sure what makes you believe that the panel does not play. I've played or walked the vast majority of the current Top 100. That aside, what I was trying to say about the advertising comment is that it shouldn't be your opinion when it is not true. It is not a matter of opinion.

Regards my previous comment about inland courses, England really is a treasure trove of fantastic inland golf courses. Probably the most underrated golf course destination in the world.

I agree about England, ive played a good deal over there, my favourite being Walton Heath which is an amazing combination of design and beauty. Very tough though.

Ally McIntosh

shabalala wrote: »

I agree about England, ive played a good deal over there, my favourite being Walton Heath which is an amazing combination of design and beauty. Very tough though.

I agree about Walton Heath - wonderful open heath.

It is amongst a handful of my favourites alongside maybe West Sussex, Alwoodley, Woking, Sunningdale and St Georges Hill. I've yet to see Ganton which is one that I really hold high hopes for.

Kingswood Rover

mike12 wrote: »

Would agree that the quality of links courses here is super compared to the UK Royal Dublin would be typical of a British links very few with the views and sand dunes like we have here.
Think we are so far behind when it comes to parkland because we either have modren type courses like the KClub which have very little history or tiny little parklands that have never hosted any sort of a major event, it the UK you have the likes of Wentworth and the Belfray. MJ and Druids glen are the only 2 parklands i have played where i would make a effort to go back to. I would play 99% of the links courses before a parkland.

Totally disagree, we have some super old historical parkland courses in Ireland with loads of history, yes they may be tight and on small parcels of land but i would rather play places like the Hermitage, Old Headfort, the Castle, Grange, Forest Little even that lovely 9 in kiliney before Druids, K club,Mount juliet and all those big new too bloody long new gaffes.

Kevinmarkham

Kingswood Rover wrote: »

Totally disagree, we have some super old historical parkland courses in Ireland with loads of history, yes they may be tight and on small parcels of land but i would rather play places like the Hermitage, Old Headfort, the Castle, Grange, Forest Little even that lovely 9 in kiliney before Druids, K club,Mount juliet and all those big new too bloody long new gaffes.

Yes, I agree with you up to a point... but the comment about the strength of English parklands is certainly true. Woodall Spa and Wentworth are two I've played and the Hotchkin course at the former is superior to any Irish parkland.

As for some of those old parklands vs the likes of Mt J and The Heritage - totally agree... but hands off Druid's Glen. A cut above.

FixdePitchmark

Kingswood Rover wrote: »

Totally disagree, we have some super old historical parkland courses in Ireland with loads of history, yes they may be tight and on small parcels of land but i would rather play places like the Hermitage, Old Headfort, the Castle, Grange, Forest Little even that lovely 9 in kiliney before Druids, K club,Mount juliet and all those big new too bloody long new gaffes.

Kingswood - i know I'm links bias, so not a great judge of parkland courses - but you would seriously play Forest Little before Druids and Mt. Juilet :eek:

I do agree some of the new courses are impractical for amateurs.

GreeBo

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Yes, I agree with you up to a point... but the comment about the strength of English parklands is certainly true. Woodall Spa and Wentworth are two I've played and the Hotchkin course at the former is superior to any Irish parkland.

As for some of those old parklands vs the likes of Mt J and The Heritage - totally agree... but hands off Druid's Glen. A cut above.

I've never found druids glen that spellbounding, preferred playing macreddin for example.

Though I prefer tight and mentally challenging over long and...well long.

Kingswood Rover

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Kingswood - i know I'm links bias, so not a great judge of parkland courses - but you would seriously play Forest Little before Druids and Mt. Juilet :eek:

I do agree some of the new courses are impractical for amateurs.

Yep cos the 99 corolla gets some looks in those big swanky places. No seriously yep you may be right about Forest v Druids and Mount J. Of all the new big F off new courses i really enjoyed the Heritage and last Summer killeen Castle was fab, but with Portarlington right beside the Heritage I still think i would rather Port. Old V New in Kells old all the time. The best/favorite links Courses i have played in Ireland are Waterville and Royaler (Dublin). The best/favorite parkland, thats kinda harder Hermitage, Port, Grange, Dundalk, Edmonstown, Curragh and oh i really thought that Craddockstown had come on a lot when i played that last summer after not having played there in about 10 years.

ShivasIrons

Interestingly Golf Digest released their top 100 US course ranking today,

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-02/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking?currentPage=1

The depth of the ranking is impressive, with Streamsong(Red) being the 100th course. It's fabulous, whereas the courses near the end of the Irish top 100 Golf Digest list aren't really that strong.

Makes you wonder why the Irish list is not just 40 or 50 courses?

PARlance

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Interestingly Golf Digest released their top 100 US course ranking today,

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-02/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking?currentPage=1

The depth of the ranking is impressive, with Streamsong(Red) being the 100th course. It's fabulous, whereas the courses near the end of the Irish top 100 Golf Digest list aren't really that strong.

Makes you wonder why the Irish list is not just 40 or 50 courses?

If the lists were proportion to the number of courses in each country then we would just have a Top 3 to their Top 100

But completely agree, a list that takes in the top 100 out of 400 or so course is way too big.

Kevinmarkham

GreeBo wrote: »

I've never found druids glen that spellbounding, preferred playing macreddin for example.

Love them both.

I take it you saw the story about Grange's 100 year old superstar in the Irish Times today? Picked up by golfdigest.com