Druids Glen and Heath for sale

AhHaor

Members just informed last night the resort will be going up for 45 million. Interesting because the place is doing a huge trade, maybe they consider now is the time to cash in!

fred funk }{

AhHaor wrote: »

Members just informed last night the resort will be going up for 45 million. Interesting because the place is doing a huge trade, maybe they consider now is the time to cash in!

Place isn't in great shape at all. Played there in the open last Monday and greens were shocking. But would have thought 45M was a decent price for the entire resort.

GreeBo

AhHaor wrote: »

Members just informed last night the resort will be going up for 45 million. Interesting because the place is doing a huge trade, maybe they consider now is the time to cash in!

Is it making any money though?

Could be huge money coming in and huge money going out...

AhHaor

I know the profits for 2017 were relatively small due to the 9 million investment. Both courses have been in poor condition for the past year and todays announcement kinda explains a lot.

Just hope new buyer doesn't pull a wentworth on the clubs

slave1

Played the Heath open in July, great value at €30 including a meal at the course was in perfect condition at the height of the summer burn

bobwilliams

AhHaor wrote:

I know the profits for 2017 were relatively small due to the 9 million investment. Both courses have been in poor condition for the past year and todays announcement kinda explains a lot.

Are u a member??Have you played the Heath recently??

AhHaor

bobwilliams wrote: »

Are u a member??Have you played the Heath recently??

Yes to both questions. Member of heath. Member since 2012. Downward trend in course condition noted since late 2016.

I do appreciate condition is subjective. And we're not a members club. Shareholders need to be paid. But it's been a steady decline

newindublin

Played Druid's Glen this summer for the first time, was not impressed. Greens were lacking, even in the heat they were poor in comparison to so called lesser courses, which was very surprising. The back 9 did feature a few impressive holes but I was not left feeling with a desire to return.

Would not go out of my way to play there again. In the Dublin area I would prefer a round at Luttrellstown or St. Margarets for a parkland course, and at half the cost.

eagle eye

The members should get together and buy it at that price.

davo10

eagle eye wrote: »

The members should get together and buy it at that price.

DG is my favourite parklands course but I haven't played it for a few years.

If I was a member I'd be hoping for a foreign investor (Trump excluded) with deep pockets like Fota or a home grown one like Adare Manor. If the comments above are anything to go by, investment in course maintenance/upgrade is badly needed.

PARlance

eagle eye wrote: »

The members should get together and buy it at that price.

I can imagine the email.

Lads, we're just looking for €50,000 from each of you before the Captains Prize next Saturday. Maybe another €20,000 to make sure we're adequately funded. Winner of the Captains prize gets to run the Hotel for the next year.

slave1

Here's a photo I took in July, place was in perfect nick with huge traffic

Seve OB

eagle eye wrote: »

The members should get together and buy it at that price.

PARlance wrote: »

I can imagine the email.

Lads, we're just looking for €50,000 from each of you before the Captains Prize next Saturday. Maybe another €20,000 to make sure we're adequately funded. Winner of the Captains prize gets to run the Hotel for the next year.

€45m for the whole resort.
Take the Glen and separate it. That's what the members should buy.

Irishdaywalker

Druids up for €45 mill, K Club for €80 mill . . . Such a vast price difference between the 2. 

Both similar distance to Dublin City Centre & Airport, both similar set of golf courses, 1 premium and 1 perceived lesser course (I believe the Heath & Smurfit are fine courses, they just suffer from being beside located on the same ground as the Glen and Palmer)  

Is druids glen really worth €35 mill less than the K Club !

Seve OB

Irishdaywalker wrote: »

Druids up for €45 mill, K Club for €80 mill . . . Such a vast price difference between the 2. 

Both similar distance to Dublin City Centre & Airport, both similar set of golf courses, 1 premium and 1 perceived lesser course (I believe the Heath & Smurfit are fine courses, they just suffer from being beside located on the same ground as the Glen and Palmer)  

Is druids glen really worth €35 mill less than the K Club !

druids is a nice hotel
k club is a palace

kiers47

Also the estates are significantly bigger on a quick google by about 200 acres.

Hardly like for like.

AhHaor

slave1 wrote: »

Here's a photo I took in July, place was in perfect nick with huge traffic

The same green posted by the resort last week.

[HTML]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlHV7jMXgAAjbCN.jpg[/HTML]

And I hope you didn't inspect the bunkers!!

I just hope new owners put a bit more resources into the place and don't significantly increase the subs.

PARlance

Seve OB wrote: »

€45m for the whole resort.
Take the Glen and separate it. That's what the members should buy.

It's being sold in seperate lots?

Seve OB

PARlance wrote: »

It's being sold in seperate lots?

ive no idea
just saying if the golf members were to buy it, thats the only thing i imagine that would interest them.
they are golfers, not resort investors or hoteliers

zep

K Club courses 19th & 46th Druids courses 29th & 83rd on Golf Digest top 100 Irish list, and yes I know that subjective but still says quite a lot. And as with everything else ever sold it's all about branding, you know a former Ryder Cup venue!

HighLine

Just my opinion but perhaps it's a bit unfair to judge the course over the last few weeks following one of the worst droughts the country has ever experienced. Most courses around the country suffered. The following clip was filmed back in May around the time that I last played it and it was in good condition then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxSIMNBWJuM

AhHaor

HighLine wrote: »

Just my opinion but perhaps it's a bit unfair to judge the course over the last few weeks following one of the worst droughts the country has ever experienced. Most courses around the country suffered. The following clip was filmed back in May around the time that I last played it and it was in good condition then.

I've no problems with brown, especially on a heathland. The issue is where they have cut back on staff and simple jobs aren't being performed

Bottle

Is it really in that bad condition? I have a 4 ball voucher to use in the next few weeks.

AhHaor

Bottle wrote: »

Is it really in that bad condition? I have a 4 ball voucher to use in the next few weeks.

It's ok. Very scruffy if you go looking. Fairways are quite patchy. Greens have brown areas.

Half full people will say it's in immaculate condition. Half empty will say it's not. Though captains prize was on this weekend and we're hosting Irish four-ball later in month so it's as good as it'll be for a while!

fred funk }{

Bottle wrote: »

Is it really in that bad condition? I have a 4 ball voucher to use in the next few weeks.

It's Druids Glen...stunning course and scenery with some of the best par 3's in the country but sadly the condition of the course doesn't match the expectation of such a place.

woodyg

AhHaor wrote: »

It's ok. Very scruffy if you go looking. Fairways are quite patchy. Greens have brown areas.

Half full people will say it's in immaculate condition. Half empty will say it's not. Though captains prize was on this weekend and we're hosting Irish four-ball later in month so it's as good as it'll be for a while!

played it yesterday and i'll go glass half full.
yes there is some damaged area's after the Summer burn but i found the greens were running fast and true. no unexpected bounce bobbles or sudden skips at end of a put. Pin placements were smart and away from any bad spots
fairways were running well with some good carry on them.

i brought 3 people with me that had never seen the place before and all wanted to play another 18 straight away so they gave it a thumbs up.

yes i've seen the place in better condition visually but playing wise i'd have not much to no complaints of it yesterday.

kopkidda

They won't be able to give that Heath place away for free!! Terrible course.

Bottle

woodyg wrote:

played it yesterday and i'll go glass half full. yes there is some damaged area's after the Summer burn but i found the greens were running fast and true. no unexpected bounce bobbles or sudden skips at end of a put. Pin placements were smart and away from any bad spots fairways were running well with some good carry on them.

woodyg wrote:

i brought 3 people with me that had never seen the place before and all wanted to play another 18 straight away so they gave it a thumbs up.

woodyg wrote:

yes i've seen the place in better condition visually but playing wise i'd have not much to no complaints of it yesterday.

It has always been one of my favourite courses, reasonably fair and good looking to the eye.

BigChap1759

kopkidda wrote: »

They won't be able to give that Heath place away for free!! Terrible course.

What makes you say that?

brick tamland

I imagine the whole place is in needs a in a fair bit of investment. Stayed in the hotel last year and thought the rooms were very dated. Nice but not up to the standard of newer resorts.

Bottle

Thought they did it up last year?

AhHaor

They did up the bar and restaurant area and got rid of the sunken area in the lobby. Hotel doesn't need much.

kopkidda

BigChap1759 wrote: »

What makes you say that?

No stand out holes, long slog, only thing going for it is the food was decent at end of round and much needed, golf is meant to be enjoyed not endured.

AhHaor

kopkidda wrote: »

No stand out holes

2nd, 11th, 12th, 13th (blue tees), 16th

kopkidda

AhHaor wrote: »

2nd, 11th, 12th, 13th (blue tees), 16th

Can't say I recall them holes, was too busy trying not to collapse with exhaustion. Probably be a different course with a buggy.

Russman

AhHaor wrote: »

......12th, 13th (blue tees),......

I think he meant stand out for a good reason though...........:)

bobwilliams

A lot of bull spoken regarding the Glen.
Played on Saturday,fairways were excellent,green were fine with a big of damage on a few edges,place was in very good condition.
I'm not a member btw I was just very pleasently surprised.

newindublin

A lot of bull? I played it this summer and will not go back. Glad you enjoyed it but I stand by my review. Low-lights included bumpy and damaged greens and rude and sexist treatment of my wife by the starter.

Too many other good Irish courses to waste time with "the glen" again. I will say the back 9 did have a few brilliant holes, but no, wont be back.

gypsy79

I played the Heath in about april and it was waterlogged....it should never have been open

It was onviously no one had even done a scout of the place to see how bad it was

eoghan104

bobwilliams wrote: »

A lot of bull spoken regarding the Glen.
Played on Saturday,fairways were excellent,green were fine with a big of damage on a few edges,place was in very good condition.
I'm not a member btw I was just very pleasently surprised.

It was horrendous when I was there. I think it was late July.

That is not bull.

You played it later in the year and it (in your opinion) was OK, that's great. It all depends on what you're used to, maybe you usually play in kips, who knows.

Seve OB

eoghan104 wrote: »

It was horrendous when I was there. I think it was late July.

That is not bull.

You played it later in the year and it (in your opinion) was OK, that's great. It all depends on what you're used to, maybe you usually play in kips, who knows.

Did I see you got your name on my trophy this year?

eoghan104

Yes and you are the only name on it!

I might see if I can get the engraver to have an accident and get rid of you :-)

bobwilliams

eoghan104 wrote:

You played it later in the year and it (in your opinion) was OK, that's great. It all depends on what you're used to, maybe you usually play in kips, who knows.

No need for the smart arse trolling at the end of the post..rather childish and stupidly assumptious.
I'm a 5 handicap who is well capable of critiquing the condition of a course fairly.

Seve OB

eoghan104 wrote: »

Yes and you are the only name on it!

I might see if I can get the engraver to have an accident and get rid of you :-)

CONGRATS. 9 hole format didn't work for me, io prefer the long game, always play much better on the back 9 there.

I won in 2015 & 2017.
the fella who won in 2016 went AWOL with the cup and it only appeared right before presentation night last year so was to late to get engraved then

I gave it back in plenty of time this year, I bet they will get all the cups etc engraved together in October, so if you took it home, make sure you drop it back in plenty of time.

and tell them to stick my name down for last year

AhHaor

bobwilliams wrote: »

No need for the smart arse trolling at the end of the post..rather childish and stupidly assumptious.
I'm a 5 handicap who is well capable of critiquing the condition of a course fairly.

Since september 2016 it has gotten progressively worse. It's a great example of what happens when accountants come in and penny pinch

Russman

AhHaor wrote: »

Since september 2016 it has gotten progressively worse. It's a great example of what happens when accountants come in and penny pinch

Or, when a club has to live within its means perhaps ?

fred funk }{

Russman wrote: »

Or, when a club has to live within its means perhaps ?

It's obvious now why the course has gone down hill over the last few years as the owners were not going to inveat money in the course if they were selling up.

prawnsambo

fred funk }{ wrote: »

It's obvious now why the course has gone down hill over the last few years as the owners were not going to inveat money in the course if they were selling up.

To be fair, it's also possible that they cut costs in order to stay afloat and hoping for an uptick in memberships and green fees. But when that didn't happen to the required level, elected to sell up.

bobwilliams

The main reason if anybody here is interested is the fact that their long term green keeper who was an absolute perfectionist retired a few years back.

He was solely responsible for ensuring all the little bits that make the difference were tended to,the flower beds etc were always pristine.

GreeBo

bobwilliams wrote: »

The main reason if anybody here is interested is the fact that their long term green keeper who was an absolute perfectionist retired a few years back.

He was solely responsible for ensuring all the little bits that make the difference were tended to,the flower beds etc were always pristine.

That doesnt sound like it would explain shoddy greens and fairways?

bobwilliams

GreeBo wrote:

That doesnt sound like it would explain shoddy greens and fairways?

Played it this week and last week and the fairways were very good and yes the greens look like they have a bit of disease in them but only in patches.

Played it recently yourself??