Best Courses for Winter Golf in the Greater Dublin Area

taptaptaperoo

What courses do people recommend playing at this time of year? I've been playing a lot of different courses recently and the conditions have varied enormously from course to course.

Some of the best I've played recently are Carton House, Dun Laoighre and Stackstown. Palmerstown was very poor and Luttrelstown was in an absolutely horrendous state when I played there last week.

Where else has good drainage and is well maintained in the winter that you can recommend?

JVince

Woodbrook.

Brilliant condition and even after very wet weather the only hole that was soggy was the 5th (new layout)

Royal Curragh is another in top condition at the moment due to its hilly nature.

spacecoyote

Try get yourself out on some of the links in the area if conditioning is your priority

FixdePitchmark

Whilst the links courses you'd like to play are becoming way too expensive..there are a few on the edges worth considering.

Corballis (Short Course)

Rush (9 hole)

Sutton (9 hole)

Arklow

Seapoint

Laytown

Some may have mats in play , so call ahead ..also Laytown had become a bit too expensive too.

But in general the Links courses are perfect.

If you want to spoil yourself go for a big one...but the price of links courses even in winter ..is hilarious/ ridiculous...and some of them will be forward / have mats / temp tee boxes / winter greens / fairways out of play.

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121546789#Comment_121546789

I know Seapoint definitely have mats in play. Not sure about the others.

thewobbler

Seapoint is matts apart from its Tuesday opens, when course is fully open

IAmTitleist

Mats everywhere? Or can you move ball into rough and play from there?

Going down on Saturday and won't bother if its mats everywhere.

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121560996#Comment_121560996

Actually , I played Rush recently and realised there are different local rules - in some places you can move to the side and play in rough - but in Rush you actually must use the mat were it lands - but you could play from rough if you were in rough.

banchang

I played Corballis on New Years Eve. Amazing condition. Greens perfect. €25 for 18 holes. Absolutely incredible value. We were so lucky with the weather. Light breeze & never cold. No rain. Highly recommend. Leave your driver at home !

Squeaksoutloud

Last I played Seapoint you could move it to rough but that was November.

taptaptaperoo

Played at Bray Golf Club today and the course was in phenomenal condition. A lot of mats and only 13 holes in play, but drainage was superb and the greens were some of the best winter greens i've ever played. Hilly in places, but the views are well worth it. 11th hole is a beauty.

IAmTitleist

Played Seapoint on Saturday and it was in really good condition for this time of the year.

Early morning frost saw our tee time delayed by an hour and a half but once we got out it was like playing a course in the summer.

We could play off the fairways, our group of 12 played preferred lies on the fairway only and it was perfect.

Guy in the proshop said that during the week its mats/move it to rough but at the weekend you can play it as it lies everywhere.