Co Louth - your thoughts

Kevinmarkham

For those of you who have played Co. Louth/Baltray, could I ask a favour:

In a couple of sentences please sum up your thoughts on the course - these can be positive, negative or a combination of the two.

And please rate the course out of 10 for enjoyment/golf experience.

It's for a piece I'm writing for Irish Golfer Magazine.

If you need to be reminded what it looks like (!!) here are some photographs.

Thanks

Kevinmarkham

Apologies - ignore the poll, it was supposed to have 10 options (ie 1 to 10), but I can't edit it at this stage.

thewobbler

Baltray generates adulation from golf purists, whose praise for a layout that changes direction on every hole is trumped only by their love of the fast and tricky greens.

But most golfers aren't purists. They play for fun and for excitement, not for education. As a flat and featureless course with only a solitary, fleeting sea view, and (I would argue) suffering from a seemingly endless succession of 420 yard par 4s with a gentle dogleg, it just doesn't deliver the memorability or provide the entertainment of the other courses I have played that co-reside in Ireland's 20 top courses.

It's a solid 7/10, maybe even a 6 when you bring value for money into the equation. There should be a wow factor associated with a 3-figure green fee, and it doesn't exist here.

Dtoffee

I played it in winter a few years ago and tbh it was nothing special, but I suspect its a different animal in the summer. Overall I thought the course was well maintained with good greens and a typical links course.

I never bothered going back because it struck me as if the place was in a time warp and had a feeling of 'nothing ever changes' about it. As thewobbler implies, for three figure green fee theres a lot better out there these days.

6/10

A New earth

Played it a lot over the years and always enjoyed it. Good links course but not as exciting as the better ones - Portmarnock, European, Tralee, Waterville etc. Stopped playing it a good few years ago as it got very expensive for what it is. Played adjoining course Seapoint recently which was a good experience

WHIP IT!

Quite simply one of the finest courses I've ever played. Beautiful. Fair. Challenging. A pleasure.
9.5/10

mike12

7.5 out of 10 for me.
A great links course but missing the dunes of the west coast and a poor cousin to the big 3 courses in Dublin and the European club.
Too hard in summer with the meadow style rough rather the wisp style rough where u can find your ball.

A New earth

A New earth wrote: »

Played it a lot over the years and always enjoyed it. Good links course but not as exciting as the better ones - Portmarnock, European, Tralee, Waterville etc. Stopped playing it a good few years ago as it got very expensive for what it is. Played adjoining course Seapoint recently which was a good experience

7 out of 10

Jawgap

A pretty good track, but probably over-priced for what it is. Good value during their open week, but the walk-up price is steep.

6.5 to 7 out of 10.

FixdePitchmark

I did a review Kevin in the Links Thread.

Remember your off the ropes - didn't rank it amazingly.

But - I'm too bias - as I just prefer Links way more than Parkland. In fact - I don't even like judging say a parkland versus a links.

It clearly isn't up there with The Island or European Club -

But it is maybe a little behind Portmarnock - but equal or better than the rest.

Flat links courses have grown on me. One thing I've realised about the top courses is how hard they are - I think people may enjoy Baltray as it is fair and you can score on it.

I think Id be giving it between an 8 and 9 - 8.5 so.

mike12

How should we judge out of 10? Should we give 10 to our favorite course and work back from there?
Even my top ranked courses I would find fault with.

Kevinmarkham

mike12 wrote: »

How should we judge out of 10? Should we give 10 to our favorite course and work back from there?
Even my top ranked courses I would find fault with.

I guess it's like anything - you go with your gut. And you're right about top-ranked courses... giving them a 10 suggests they're perfect and I'd always have some niggle I'd want to raise... although maybe not with Royal Dornoch!

Cody OHare

I like links courses but this is by no means my favorite. Largely flat and rather un-interesting and (almost) no sea views. Stretch from 12 to 16 is ver nice but then followed by rather dull finish on 17 & 18. I really dislike the bunker in the middle of the 18th fairway. The complex around the 3rd tee is congested with other people crossing form other greens to tees and breaks any sense you might have had of playing in splendid isolation. Practice range and in particular the range balls are terrible. All in all trades on its position as host of the East of Ireland.
6/10

ThunderCat

Played it only the once but I loved it. It doesn't have the large dunes of the west coast links or the sea views but the holes all have character and plenty of variation to them and as it is not a traditional out and back you encounter more variation with regards wind direction. My preferred links course is one set within huge dunes such as Carne and Enniscrone however the more I play the more new found respect and appreciation I have for the flatter links and the subtleties that come with it and even the slight elevation changes at play in Baltray really add to the holes. Some of the green complex's here are as good as you will find anywhere, especially the 14th. Condition of the course was very good the day I played. Personally I don't give a damn about the clubhouse or even the putting green and range, it's all about the course as far as I'm concerned therefore I rate it very highly. As another poster said, it is pretty expensive to play but then again aren't they all.


8 out of 10.

Ollieboy

thewobbler wrote: »

Baltray generates adulation from golf purists, whose praise for a layout that changes direction on every hole is trumped only by their love of the fast and tricky greens.

But most golfers aren't purists. They play for fun and for excitement, not for education. As a flat and featureless course with only a solitary, fleeting sea view, and (I would argue) suffering from a seemingly endless succession of 420 yard par 4s with a gentle dogleg, it just doesn't deliver the memorability or provide the entertainment of the other courses I have played that co-reside in Ireland's 20 top courses.

It's a solid 7/10, maybe even a 6 when you bring value for money into the equation. There should be a wow factor associated with a 3-figure green fee, and it doesn't exist here.

Totally agree with the above statement and I would rate it a 6. It's very average and I always feel that the people that over-rate it have not played enough links.

I play it every year and to be honest it as grown on me but I grew up playing links and I just don't see the quality on this course except for 2 or 3 holes. And I hate to see raised greens on a links course, similar to Portmarnock Hotel links.

Hoboo

No doubting it's a decent but fair test, is kept well, some good holes. But way overpriced, not in the top 10 links in Ireland never mind top 10 courses.

Having hosted the Irish Open that unfortunately won't change. I'm sure plenty of Nordic and US visitors leave wondering at what point their 3 figure green fee will be justified. It's a €50 round and that's in summer.

Anatom

Its a really excellent course.

I've played it twice in the past two years and, once you get over the history of it and the "Jaysus, this is where Lowry won it eventually"-type feeling and settle into it, then its a really, really good course. Yes, its pretty flat and no, there aren't a huge amount of sea views, but I'm there to play golf and not look at the waves. Its no Waterville for sure, but its a massive test of golf, its always in great nick and the facilities (apart from the short driving range) are excellent.

7.5 / 10.

Kevinmarkham

Thanks for all the replies, lads,
I can't say it's what I was expecting - I thought there would be more positive remarks. That said, Thundercat's comments would most closely match my own feelings on the course.

The article has been submitted so it was great to have all that feedback.

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I did a review Kevin in the Links Thread.

Remember your off the ropes - didn't rank it amazingly.

Flat links courses have grown on me. One thing I've realised about the top courses is how hard they are - I think people may enjoy Baltray as it is fair and you can score on it.

Yep, challenging but very fair and it won't beat you up. That's a good thing. Consider that if you don't bring your 'AAA' game to The European you'll be so punched into submission by the end that you'll leave not wanting to play again for a month.

Only 51 bunkers - and two holes (4 and 14) don't have any bunkers at all.

ThunderCat wrote: »

Played it only the once but I loved it. It doesn't have the large dunes of the west coast links or the sea views but the holes all have character and plenty of variation to them and as it is not a traditional out and back you encounter more variation with regards wind direction. My preferred links course is one set within huge dunes such as Carne and Enniscrone however the more I play the more new found respect and appreciation I have for the flatter links and the subtleties that come with it and even the slight elevation changes at play in Baltray really add to the holes. Some of the green complex's here are as good as you will find anywhere, especially the 14th. Condition of the course was very good the day I played. Personally I don't give a damn about the clubhouse or even the putting green and range, it's all about the course as far as I'm concerned therefore I rate it very highly. As another poster said, it is pretty expensive to play but then again aren't they all.
8 out of 10.

Pretty much exactly what I've said in the article. Great minds think alike, eh!;)
It is growing on me and, as Fix pointed out, the 'Inside the Ropes' gig didn't reflect too well on the place so I was delighted to find I warmed to it much more this time around. Portmarnock is having the same effect on me. They'll never be among my favourites (such as Enniscrone and Carne) but you can certainly appreciate them for their subtleties and the strategies required to play them well.

Kevinmarkham

Hoboo wrote: »

No doubting it's a decent but fair test, is kept well, some good holes. But way overpriced, not in the top 10 links in Ireland never mind top 10 courses.

Having hosted the Irish Open that unfortunately won't change. I'm sure plenty of Nordic and US visitors leave wondering at what point their 3 figure green fee will be justified. It's a €50 round and that's in summer.

I reckon if it was €50 in summer the online booking system would crash and club members would never get a look in. It is pricey, no question, but you'll struggle to find a first class links this close to Dublin for under €100.

A New earth

Read the article today Kevin, very good job

Kevinmarkham

A New earth wrote: »

Read the article today Kevin, very good job

Cheers!

I included some commentary from here but it didn't make the final cut. But thanks for the contributions from all on the Boards community.
K

FixdePitchmark

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Cheers!

I included some commentary from here but it didn't make the final cut. But thanks for the contributions from all on the Boards community.
K

any link to article Kevin ?

Kevinmarkham

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

any link to article Kevin ?

This should work: http://digital.irishgolfer.ie/t/164191-irish-golfer-magazine/78

There's a bumper Society article too - covering 40+ courses.