Courses around Birr

The Neon Knight

Can anyone recommend any good courses within 30 mins drive of Birr, Co. Offaly?
Looking to plan a society outing down there and stay in Birr that night.

Montgolfier

The Neon Knight wrote: »

Can anyone recommend any good courses within 30 mins drive of Birr, Co. Offaly?
Looking to plan a society outing down there and stay in Birr that night.

I love playing Birr golf club but a lot of people find it hard.
Tullamore, Roscrea, Esker Hills all good courses Thurles is within reach at a push.

ronnie3585

Lovely Portumna.

slave1

I like using this map based view of courses, I get the feeling it is not 100% but all the main courses are there, just zoom in to Birr and it will give you a feel about clubs in the region.

http://www.swingbyswing.com/courses/Ireland/


Birr is very very tight at times, hence the difficulty and a ridiculous (IMHO) first tee shot.

charlieIRL

Tullamore, Esker Hills, Castle Barna, New Forest (at a stretch), Athlone, Portumna, Moate, Mount Temple - we're spoilt for choice here!!!
All excellent courses but Tullamore would be top of my list course wise but if you want somewhere more golfer friendly (i.e. easier for higher handicaps) then i'd go to Castle Barna

The Neon Knight

charlieIRL wrote: »

Tullamore, Esker Hills, Castle Barna, New Forest (at a stretch), Athlone, Portumna, Moate, Mount Temple - we're spoilt for choice here!!!
All excellent courses but Tullamore would be top of my list course wise but if you want somewhere more golfer friendly (i.e. easier for higher handicaps) then i'd go to Castle Barna

well it's our final outing of the year and our title decider as such. I normally like a good tough test to finish with.

Keano

Esker Hills then if you want a test! No room for mistakes around that place!

charlieIRL

The Neon Knight wrote: »

well it's our final outing of the year and our title decider as such. I normally like a good tough test to finish with.

Tullamore!!

charlieIRL

Keano wrote: »

Esker Hills then if you want a test! No room for mistakes around that place!

You haven't played New Forest yet!!!

Kevinmarkham

slave1 wrote: »

Birr is very very tight at times, hence the difficulty and a ridiculous (IMHO) first tee shot.

This tee shot??

What don't you like about it, Slave?

Keano

The walk alone Charlie will test em :P

The Neon Knight

Portumna rated no. 52 in Golf Digest top 100 courses , highest rating of any of the courses mentioned above. Is this fair?

searay

The Neon Knight wrote: »

Can anyone recommend any good courses within 30 mins drive of Birr, Co. Offaly?
Looking to plan a society outing down there and stay in Birr that night.

Birr is a tough course and the greens were very fast when I played there last summer.Some very tight holes and would be worth playing twice to figure out your way around it.

Roscrea is a handy option if you travel via the M8, only 15-20 minutes away.

The Neon Knight

I am of course presuming there is a bit of craic to be had in Birr for 30 thirsty golfers?

kieran.

searay wrote: »

Roscrea is a handy option if you travel via the M8, only 15-20 minutes away.

Would put both Portumna and Esker Hills miles ahead of Roscrea, can't comment on the other ones mentioned. The exellent food in Esker Hills would be a major plus for me.

Sean_pop

The Neon Knight wrote: »

well it's our final outing of the year and our title decider as such. I normally like a good tough test to finish with.

Esker Hills and New Forest are the most difficult of the courses mentioned above!!!

slave1

@ Kevin, I just think that on the first hole for your first shot of a round you should have a good idea of where you are going, that is an incredibly sharp dog leg where you just hit an iron off the tee and it's only when you get up to the bend do you have any real idea of where the green is and what your options actually were. I played the course blind last year (there were two of us in groups) and all 7 of us said the same thing afterwards about the opening shot, seems like a waste of a par 4.

I don't like the heaped mounds either, they were put in when the remodeled the opening stretch of the course and they just look so artificial (maybe that's just me) and being honest I don't like mounds like that anywhere on any golf course, I'd rather rough separating holes and not mounds there for the sake of separation.

Just my thoughts.

Back to OP, given your final test, it has to be either Esker or New Forest, nothing wrong with others on the list but having played them all I'd rank those as the toughest.

slave1

OP note there is currently no hot food options in Esker Hills...

charlieIRL

slave1 wrote: »

OP note there is currently no hot food options in Esker Hills...

Ahh crap, since when Slave? There was the last time i played there just before halloween. Their food was always fantastic.

doublecross

I'd recommend Portumna or Esker Hills. Two of my favourite courses.
Not a fan of Birr, especially the 10th hole with the club house and car park a bit too close to the fairway! I've had a few close calls.

slave1

charlieIRL wrote: »

Ahh crap, since when Slave? There was the last time i played there just before halloween. Their food was always fantastic.

Totally agree with you, great grub. We had an outing in November and the chef had just parted ways the week previous, was absolutely gutted as I was well looking forward to my chicken curry with half and half, all that was on offer was so so soup and bread so passed on that, was dripping when I got home.

Kevinmarkham

slave1 wrote: »

@ Kevin, I just think that on the first hole for your first shot of a round you should have a good idea of where you are going, that is an incredibly sharp dog leg where you just hit an iron off the tee and it's only when you get up to the bend do you have any real idea of where the green is and what your options actually were. I played the course blind last year (there were two of us in groups) and all 7 of us said the same thing afterwards about the opening shot, seems like a waste of a par 4.

I don't like the heaped mounds either, they were put in when the remodeled the opening stretch of the course and they just look so artificial (maybe that's just me) and being honest I don't like mounds like that anywhere on any golf course, I'd rather rough separating holes and not mounds there for the sake of separation.

Just my thoughts.

Actually, Slave, was just checking we were talking about the same hole. I've rewritten my review of it for the new edition and I say a similar thing. The mounding doesn't bother me too much as it's supposed to be in keeping with the landscape (although it doesn't really work), but I agree that it is an unfair opening shot.

searay

Sean_pop wrote: »

Esker Hills and New Forest are the most difficult of the courses mentioned above!!!

Op, esker hills, Tullamore, and new forest are great courses but they are much closer to Tullamore.You should base yourself there if you are going to play them. Tullamore would probably be a better spot for going out.

slave1

searay wrote: »

Op, esker hills, Tullamore, and new forest are great courses but they are much closer to Tullamore.You should base yourself there if you are going to play them. Tullamore would probably be a better spot for going out.

True, if it's purely proximity to Birr then it's a toss up between Tullamore and Portumna, there's actually little point in debating which is better as they are both great courses, personally I'd give Portumna the edge but there's nothing in it. Let the cost of the outing decide!!

plumber77

I'd also be considering which holds up to the elements better at this time of year. Holes out of play etc. I've played all the courses mentioned here but can't comment on how they stand up to a wet winter. Portumna for me all day long during the summer; great course, good value and good food.

Montgolfier

Nenagh is 32 minutes from Birr, while I haven't played it; I have heard from a member it's one on the dryer course around.
Roscrea golf club is very popular spot for lunch anytime I played there it was packed.
The course is not overly difficult either but that could be a good thing depends what kind of test your planning.

doublecross

Montgolfier wrote: »

Nenagh is 32 minutes from Birr, while I haven't played it; I have heard from a member it's one on the dryer course around.
Roscrea golf club is very popular spot for lunch anytime I played there it was packed.
The course is not overly difficult either but that could be a good thing depends what kind of test your planning.

Portumna and Roscrea can get a bit soft over the winter. Nenagh is bone dry all year round

plumber77

Can vouch for Nenagh alright. Amazingly dry at this time of year.

DeBurca

+1 for Nenagh it only closed once for wet weather during the 17years I was a member