Howth/Sutton area golf courses

Springsteen

Hi All,

Any recommendations for golf membership in the Howth/Sutton area?

Are there joining fees? What are the annual subscriptions for the various memberships?

Any insight to the culture, craic, feel of the clubs.

Thanks very much

Dexters Bow Tie

I think all the clubs in the area have a joining fee now.

Deer Park - €500 joining fee, €210 subs but you pay a €30 green fee (including your competition fee) when you want to play. That's rising to €35 in April.

St. Anne's - €9500 joining fee, subs around €1800 a year

Howth - Has a joining fee, it was €1000 but may have increased. Subs were c.€1500 but that was a few years ago. You can probably assume that's increased too

Sutton (9 hole) heard anecdotally there is a waiting list, but not 100% on that

Royal Dublin - No idea

Deer Park is the best value and the new greenkeeper is making great efforts to bring the course back up to scratch, but it lacks some significant investment to make it stand out against the other courses. Howth would be my least favourite from those. Very tight, short, hilly and exposed to wind. I don't mind hitting an iron off the tee on a few holes, but if you like lashing a driver its not the place to play your golf.

If you don't mind a bit of a commute, there are plenty of options in Donabate.

willabur

I have just moved to Howth - its not the most exciting golf course in the world, the views are stunning!! I have a young family and my time on the course in the next few years will really be a couple of hours here and there and it is more or less on my door step. You will be playing alot of irons off tees to be fair but I don't mind that too much.

St Annes was my other consideration but the size of the hello money ask put me off going there.

Deer Park is a big open public course, nice place to open your shoulders with the driver but the conditioning of the course is reflected in the price.

Haven't played Sutton or Royal Dublin

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124164471#Comment_124164471

Did you join Howth?

FixdePitchmark

All about budget really ..you could stretch into malahide / airport area if budget an issue

Deer Park a real outlier of the area..as basically still acting like a public course...if you are not mad into golf / course conditions..could be a great option..and your talking well over 1/2 price of general area...Best views of all the courses...

.....

But for Northside your asking about a very expensive area to play golf ..(besides Deer park)

The best "golf club" of entire area is St Annes....but the hello.money and actual waiting list might be longest of entire area ..outside Portmarnock Old...

DaveQuinn2020

As a member, I can say Howth is incredibly vibrant club at the moment. Lots going on and there is significant investment in the course and practice facilities ongoing. It is short and quite tight, but unless you are a very long hitter, there are still plenty of opportunities for driver. It is a decent test.

As far as I know its a €3k joining fee and €1,500 annual sub. No waiting list that I know of. Active competitions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings and competitions on Saturday and Sunday. Its reasonably easy to get on the timesheet also.

I see St Annes mentioned as the best 'golf club' above, but I would warn about the crowds. The timesheets are absolutely jammed and it is hard to get a slot. The place seems to have a lot of members.

Dexters Bow Tie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124166442#Comment_124166442

I find it crazy there is a waiting list for people to drop a 10k joining fee to play golf. I like St. Anne's, played it on numerous occasions and never had a complaint, but I struggle to see how they can justify such a steep joining fee, other than there must be demand. It's a good course, but not a great course and that would be a prerequisite for the initial outlay.

DaveQuinn2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124168135#Comment_124168135

Massive demand. There is a large population in the area from Fairview to Malahide to Howth who want to play golf. No chance of getting membership to the big marquee links courses, so the choice is limited. Clontarf, St Annes, Sutton, Howth, Deer Park, Malahide and thats about it.

slave1

It's also a filtering method, lovely course, so tidy and lovely clubhouse, a real proper course

blue note

Malahide have a massive joining fee and a waiting list too. I heard 13k a couple of years ago. I hear it gets very wet too, so they lose out on a heap of days each year when annes would be open. And Anne's is a much nicer course anyway, I really want blown away by malahide. I was probably considering the cost of it when judging it (because it would be very convenient for me to join), so judged it more harshly.

FixdePitchmark

Isn't massive options in area and effectively 3 clubs in area are closed shops ..these would be the best courses. But touching on daft to get in or even bother ..

Portmarnock Old , Portmarnock Links and Royal Dublin are best options..but technically not options for various reason.

That price for Howth sounds excellent...but you would want to be young and fit ...I hear touching on impractical hill wise ? But rather bizarrely I haven't played?

If your on a budget you couldn't go wrong with Deer park as trial year ..and put yourself on a waiting list for your desired course.

Unbelievable demand and plenty of money on that coast and population..

Have you looked into the nine hole in Sutton?

Very short .but joyful little run around..

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124168135#Comment_124168135

I would be thinking like you and - I am a golf course snob in a way (course snob) - but being in a golf club has way more to it. Is it close to you , can you pop out and play 6 holes, what is the clubs' values to the community , inclusiveness , family, what are the staff like , the clubhouse, the food.

When you are joining a club - there is a bit more to it then the course.

I would never have said that 10 year ago - The Island in the best golf course in Dublin - but would I join it? - no.

Portmarnock another great course - would I join - not a hope (even if they wouldn't let me). But if I got in - even for free in a parallel universe - it is completely misaligned with my family requirements and my own values.,

DaveQuinn2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124171156#Comment_124171156

Happy to host you any time in Howth Fix! I think you would be pleasantly surprised.

Dexters Bow Tie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124174591#Comment_124174591

I'm at a point in my life with a young family, that getting out to play is a win in itself. It doesn't leave much time for appreciating the additional offerings a club can offer.