Rathsallagh - your favourite thing

Kevinmarkham

Next article I'm writing for Irish Golfer is on Rathsallagh. I want to include a side panel that lists people's favourite things about the course... and what better place to ask than on the Golf Forum of Boards.ie.

So, for those who have played the course, what's your favourite thing about playing here? Could be a hole, could be the setting... what really stood/stands out for you?

If you need to stir the memory, here are photos taken last year: Rathsallagh Photos

princess poppy

For me, the outstanding thing about rathsallagh is the way that the course fits into its setting so well. I love the course, not necessarily any of the individual holes, but the overall design is so comfortable in its surroundings and results in a very particular experience

ShriekingSheet

Too often in Ireland, "tree-lined" means a short course with very little room to manoeuvre. The average player can either spend the day chipping side-ways after way-ward drives, or poking shorter clubs off the tee. That's an excellent challenge for some of us, but by no means all of us.

This is not the case with Rathsallagh. The landscape has the densely wooded charm of an established, traditional course, while still allowing golfers to have some fun, with challenging driving holes that require well struck shots. The course strikes a nice balance by being very playable, without being wide open and easy. At Rathsallagh, you get the aesthetics and atmosphere of a course shaped among the trees, without the pain of slightly errant dives being severely punished. Seriously enjoyable golf.

spacecoyote

The thing that I always loved about Rathsallagh is the sense of isolation. It feels like the course is set in its own world. There is sense of quiet serenity to its location that you don't really find in many other locations.

Some of the walks between holes can be a little long, but when you're making your way through mature tree lined pathways, you can almost forget about the distance you're travelling.

bmay529

Second the sense of isolation and quiet serenity but for me every hole is different, memorable and challenging

Kevinmarkham

Thanks for the comments - the Irish Golfer Magazine article is here is anyone wants to read it.