Best Course In Ireland

Dypso

i play a lot of golf and try to get to some the bettercourses but are there any hidden gems out there we all know the usual quality course that get all the expsposure but id like to know some of the lesser known ones

Raytown Rocks

Powerscourt in Enniskerry is very good, not cheap though.

Dypso

yeah been their some savage views in it but when i played it it wasnt in good nick and a bit disapointing

8track

Cruit Island (pronounced Critch), West Donegal and City of Derry.

Raytown Rocks

Wicklow GC, quite cheap. fantastic views. quite hilly though, almost like a links course.
Very tough to play when the wind blows.

RuggieBear

glen of the downs golf course....lovely views and a couple of amazing holes and a good few interesting ones

krattapopov

I think we are fairly spoiled here in Ireland for golf courses.... here is a list of some of my favourites

Naas GC
Kilkea Castle
Old Conna
Woodbrook
Charleland
Mount Juliet
Druids Glen
Courtrown
Knockanally
Coolatin
Arklow

johnnyc

You can see i live in kerry though

waterville<the best links course in kerry but expensive to play>
ballybunnion<hope spelling is right?>
killarney
dooks

fota

supermakk

Mountrath, Co Laois

Green fees; €20
A little gem, you will enjoy this course.

Houllio

Esker Hills, European club, Headfort New, Nass, Mount Wolesley, Carlow, Tramore, Nenagh, Dundalk, Mullingar, Portarlington, Killkenny, Nuremore, Mountrath, Coollattin, Seafield

John Boyle

Dypso wrote:

i play a lot of golf and try to get to some the bettercourses but are there any hidden gems out there we all know the usual quality course that get all the expsposure but id like to know some of the lesser known ones

Tullamore
Edenderry
Trim
Blackbush

garred

Just played Seaview or Seacrest in Ballymoney Gorey. The best course I've played so far. Thought Powerscourt was the most overpriced/overrated course. Glen of the Downs is good value, think they still do the winter special Green fee/pint/steak dinner 45 squid.

Dman_15

Ballyliffen
Murvagh
Rossapenna
Portsalon (my home course 7k+ yds from c'ship tees)
Portnoo
Enniscrone
(all in NW and all Links)

The list goes on and on.
For those who say K-Club, Druids Glen etc, you are muppets. There is nothing to distinguish those parkland courses from any of the American parkland courses. Holding the Irish open at Druids glen or the K-Club is a waste of time If you ask me.
We in Ireland together with Scotland and a few other parts of the UK hold almost all of the Links courses in the world. I think, but I may be wrong on this one, less than 500 examples of links courses are in existence worldwide.

decdoc

I'm luckly a member of Naas GC, they done great work there over the past couple of years and its now a top quality course, with fantastic greens


Ballyliffen GC has to have 2 of the top links courses in the country, and plus it has much more reasonable green fees than some of the better known links courses.

Kileen GC is another excellent course in north kildare.

Dman_15 your a luckly man being a member of Portsalon, i've never played there but i've often crossed the course on the way to kockalla beach, and i looks like a cracking course

growler

Played Lahinch in Clare a few times and loved it, damn hard though.

Down in Cork, I like Harbour Point, Fota and Water-rock

applehunter

Harbour Point : I like HP too, its a tough test.

Fota : I played it 2 weeks ago for the first time and I wasnt that impressed

Waterock : The front nine is too easy. But the back nine is great. Great course for players not joined a club.

For me, the two best golf courses in Cork are Lisselan down by Clonikilty and Cork Golf course on Little Island.

Ive only played Cork GC once but its excellent.

Best courses Ive ever played are Ballybunion & Waterville. Too pricey though.

kano476

Nice to see my own local - tramore mentioned. When its in good nick its a fine course, which it is at the moment.

Gowran co. kilkenny is nice same with waterford g.c, city west in dublin and carlow are nice.

GreeBo

How about the best ones in Dublin (County)?
Castle is a nice course, good greens. St Margarets is a nice links.

LFCFan

played Carrick on Suir Golf Club for my Stag. Excellent course, great views. €30 for non members at the weekend but well worth it. It's on the mountain so it's fairly hilly. 1 of the tee shots actually cuts across the previous green which was a bit weird though

Tonto2

There's a nice course in Rathcore, just outside Enfield. I play it regularly, its pretty tough if the weathers bad. reasonable pricing 30 bucks midweek up to 45 at weekends. Never seen it to busy, very enjoyable.

Culchie

Folks,

None of you played Carne, Belmullet .... what a course !!

Dypso

Rathcore is horrible too short and easy. 6 holes uder 350 yards sorry not for me and i wont go back. ok il give it is very good for what they have some nice cultivation but otherwise a poor effort

cddc3

Did u ever play berehaven golf course in west cork...
Its a nine hole spectacular one of the best nine holes in europe and only twenty five euro for the day......
It right along the coast on one of the holes u have to cross the water with your tee shot and then again with your approach to the green..........
the last three holes u must play over water four times a true test of courage
well worth playin and even if u play bad gaurenteed a good old knees up in the town!!!

johnnyc

i played it about ten years ago they changed a no of holes is it the 16,17,18 changed?. the course was a good test members are a sound bunch back there

Villain

Mount Wolseley Tullow

johnnyc

i played berehaven about 6 -10 years ago.

mickculchie

Portumna, Birr, Roscrea, Nenagh, East Clare, Rathdowney are all very good for about E25 a round.
Esker Hills very good too but pricey.
Don't go near Abbeyleix though, played it last weekend, rubbish, won't ever go there again.

cddc3

johnnyc wrote:

i played berehaven about 6 -10 years ago.

they changed the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 8th its a totally different golf course now you should come back and play it again

SandhillRoad

Culchie:
I laughed , well done!I hope you sent it to Television Studios etc.It deserves an award ! Top marks.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

randomfella

I thought Hermitage and Faithlegg were nice courses.

Trampas

They are plenty off good courses around.

Kilkenny is a good one.
Co Sligo (Rosses Point)
The Island
Naas
Thurles always have excellant greens.

Places I don't like
Kilkea Castle (Not many features. The last 3 holes are good but not much after that)
Seafield. I played it a couple of years ago and didn't rate it at all. I think they are using O'Driscoll to sell it.
I agree about rathcore very short. Clubhouse was been built when i played it and course wasn't great but could have improved since then.
Played South County and Sat and wasn't impressed at all. Fairways were sanded. How they can ask for people to pay over €20k to join is beyond me.

RedorDead

Best links course ive played is Doonbeg in Clare (cant believe no-one has mentioned it)

Best parkland course ive played is Adare Manor.

Quattroste

No one mentioned Tulfarris GC. Just past Blessington, the course is built on 3 peninsulas overlooking the lakes. Its long enough and tough enough for any golfer. Miss a fairway and you will struggle. If the wind is up you will struggle. But the scenery is fantastic and you can't help but enjoy yourself even if you are not playing at your best. If your lucky you'll even get to see the Deer cross the fairways!

jacko

mickculchie wrote:

Portumna, Birr, Roscrea, Nenagh, East Clare, Rathdowney are all very good for about E25 a round.
Esker Hills very good too but pricey.
Don't go near Abbeyleix though, played it last weekend, rubbish, won't ever go there again.

Birr one of the worst courses i've ever played, played it last week, greens were incredibly poor. You're hitting blind on a lot of holes and teeing off over some greens, place is like a warzone when busy. steer clear
Nenagh not too bad but very ordinary.
Portumna very good, really enjoyable, well kept and definitely worth playing.
Claremorris is an excellent course, definitely going to play it again soon.

css

Murvagh is a gem imho. Very fair for high handicappers too. Can be a complete bitch if you get the wrong weather though. The 4th is in the top 50 golf holes in the world, say no more!

The K-club, etc are nice courses, but nothing truely special about them apart from the price tag you'll pay to play them.

stringy

Played the PGA National at Palmerstown House, twice in August, probably one of the best new courses in Ireland and in Europe. The par 5s are actually par 5s! Visually it's excellent, lots of water and fairway bunkers. It's tough but very fair.

Both courses at Carton House are excellent, Montgomerie is a monster course and the O'Meara is tough too, a fairer parkland course though.

The Island and Enniscrone are also fantastic links courses, very tough with beautiful views.

Played the Victoria in Portugal where the World Cup is on in November. Great course, distance is so deceptive, rolling hills, bunkers, lots of water

WillyWonka

Gowran is a lovely course, starts in the middle of the race course and then around it. Beautiful greens.
Gold coast in Dungarvan, although not the best i've played its cool to play along the cliffs for some holes, sea air and nice views.