Thoughts on Golf Clubs in/close to South Dublin

Tempora wrote: »

Played Stackstown yesterday and really enjoyed the course and everything about the place. It's a well designed course and I did find it quite challenging in terms of course management Went ahead and gave them a ring today and it's official, I'm now a member! Next up: shooting under 95!

As Harrington says "It's a great place to play golf!", you will enjoy your time there.

Anthony is a great pro for lessons and they have a wonderful Trackman facility so lessons are very interactive, informative and fun.

Enjoy it and make the most of what's left of the summer!!

Seve OB wrote: »

I hear a lot of lads give out about stackstown. I suppose it tends to be slightly older lads, maybe unfit guys.
I like the course. It’s tough going, as you say it demands good course management. Lots of hills, but unlike some hilly courses it is routed well and you rarely find an unfair lie. For example the index 1 in charlesland, think its the 14th hole. A great hole in many respects, but an absolutely ridiculous fairway. A ball down the center will 9 time out of 10 run off to the right rough..... actually probably the same if you play it down the left. And every time I’ve played it you are always left with the ball so far below your feet you’d want an extra foot on your shaft! Some people might say that’s no big deal, but you just have to see the hole to realise how daft it is. You don’t get that with the hills in stackstown.
It will keep you fit if you play it regular, you will learn good course discipline and how to take your medicine. Nice clubhouse, good grub and any member I’ve ever known from up there has always been most welcoming.
Welcome to golf club membership, enjoy and keep us posted.

Agree with all your post bar the highlighted pieces. There are several holes in Stackstown where no matter how good your drive is you can end up with a very unfair or difficult lie.

- 4th - low index par 4 but you basically have to aim for the first cut of rough to the left of the fairway to have any chance of holding the fairway. Drive one down the middle of the fairway or even the very left of the fairway and the bounce and run will see you in the rough on the right down by the wall.

- 9th - tough par 4 but similar to the 4th, a drive up the middle of the fairway often results in a lie in the rough on the right behind or in the trees.

- 15th - low index par 4 but again you have to aim to the very left of the fairway to have any chance of avoiding the ball kicking right into the trees down by the bell.

- 18th - very score-able par 5 which isn't quite as punitive as the three above but you need to keep your drive to the very left towards the electric pylon if you are to avoid it running down to the trees on the right or out onto the 16th fairway.

newindublin wrote: »

I am planning to move to the south side(Terenure) in the next month or so and am starting to think about a membership again. I am mostly looking at Grange Castle, and I am curious if there are any members who can comment on the club?

I still like to travel around the country and play a variety of clubs as well as play Society golf as well, so the pay & play membership seems like a good flexible option to have a membership but also play other courses regularly.

You cant beat Blessington Lakes for Pay&Play membership but even if you join Full it's only around the 600 euro.Golfnut is member there,I'm sure he'll give you a game there to try it out, Talk to him at Carlow or contact him through here, you won't be dissapointed

Are there any issues getting out on stackstown timesheet?

54&56 wrote: »

Agree with all your post bar the highlighted pieces. There are several holes in Stackstown where no matter how good your drive is you can end up with a very unfair or difficult lie.

- 4th - low index par 4 but you basically have to aim for the first cut of rough to the left of the fairway to have any chance of holding the fairway. Drive one down the middle of the fairway or even the very left of the fairway and the bounce and run will see you in the rough on the right down by the wall.

- 9th - tough par 4 but similar to the 4th, a drive up the middle of the fairway often results in a lie in the rough on the right behind or in the trees.

- 15th - low index par 4 but again you have to aim to the very left of the fairway to have any chance of avoiding the ball kicking right into the trees down by the bell.

- 18th - very score-able par 5 which isn't quite as punitive as the three above but you need to keep your drive to the very left towards the electric pylon if you are to avoid it running down to the trees on the right or out onto the 16th fairway.

isn't that called course management?

I've been thinking of taking the plunge next year with a golf membership and Stackstown ticks a lot of boxes from a location (work in Sandyford, live in Dundrum) and ease of entry point of view, so great to hear you've had a positive experience there and have gone ahead with the membership. I haven't actually played it myself so will need to get up there for a round to check it out but sounds like a very welcoming place. I presume Saturday is comp day?

All the best with the membership and might end up seeing you there if I can sell the idea in at home!

54&56 wrote: »

No, not for me. If due to the slope of a fairway you have little hope of holding the fairway regardless of how good your drive is then for most golfers it's lottery not skill or management.

you are arguing the same point i made about the index 1 in charlesland and i totally agree with your reasoning. but i disagree with you that stackstown is unfair and this can't be avoided, but maybe i just don't know the course as well as you do.

i just don't find the course as unfair as you make it out and. re the 9th & 18th, i don't think the ball bounces off the right side of those fairways that much. perhaps you fade the ball a lot which would result in it kicking further right than a straight shot would?

for me i can drive the 15th, but it is a risk reward shot where i need to aim left, hope for the right bounce over the blind hill. but the clever course management shot is an iron off the tee to the top of the hill.i think it is quite easy to find the fairway there and it will only leave a short flick to the green.

the 4th being downhill i agree with you does kick to the right, but again ive found the fairway lots down the left side, centre and right and its been rare that ever run off the right into the rough with good shots. i've also been out on the next fairway (7th i think) and in actual fact, the rough down the left side isn't a bad place to be anytime ive played there, not that thick, nearly will always be able to get a shot at the green (unless behind a tree of course, but there aren't many of them)

Seve OB wrote: »

you are arguing the same point i made about the index 1 in charlesland and i totally agree with your reasoning. but i disagree with you that stackstown is unfair and this can't be avoided, but maybe i just don't know the course as well as you do.

i just don't find the course as unfair as you make it out and. re the 9th & 18th, i don't think the ball bounces off the right side of those fairways that much. perhaps you fade the ball a lot which would result in it kicking further right than a straight shot would?

I don't fade actually but anyone with a fade is in even trickier trouble!! I guess course management could mean you just need to draw the ball on those holes but I don't know many golfers who are low single handicappers who can step up and fade or draw a drive on demand.

In fairness the 18th would the least "unfair" of the 4 holes I listed and if it was the only such hole on the course it would probably be over looked as a bit of a quirk but it's not.

Seve OB wrote: »

for me i can drive the 15th, but it is a risk reward shot where i need to aim left, hope for the right bounce over the blind hill. but the clever course management shot is an iron off the tee to the top of the hill.i think it is quite easy to find the fairway there and it will only leave a short flick to the green.

I generally can't but have driven the 15th a couple of times but each time it was more of a grip it and rip it type shot as the conditions suited i.e. wind behind right to left etc. I don't disagree that the prudent shot is to tip an iron to the top of the hill leaving yourself about (IIRC) 160 yards downhill to the green which is also another bugbear of mine on that hole as it slopes towards the back so anything rolling on the the green or not dropping almost vertical can and often does roll off the back and you can easily end up against the wall.

Seve OB wrote: »

the 4th being downhill i agree with you does kick to the right, but again ive found the fairway lots down the left side, centre and right and its been rare that ever run off the right into the rough with good shots. i've also been out on the next fairway (7th i think) and in actual fact, the rough down the left side isn't a bad place to be anytime ive played there, not that thick, nearly will always be able to get a shot at the green (unless behind a tree of course, but there aren't many of them)

Again don't disagree with most of your point other than the highlighted piece. I too have either found the left rough which is generally a good enough lie unless you're blocked out by one of the trees or the fairway when I drive down the left but my experience is that it's rare to drive down the middle or right and not end up in the rough on the right which depending on time of year etc can range from not too bad to pretty bad. The fairway to the right BTW is the 5th which for the first 50 yards is shared with the 8th.

I just don't think you should have to be aiming for the left rough on any hole in order to avoid running down into the rough on the right. It's kind of manageable if you're accurate but what's the point in having fairways if holding them depends on a bounce in the left rough?

Maybe my view is skewed by the course having beaten me into submission :-(

Tempora wrote: »

Played for the third time today now and I have a couple of thoughts on Stackstown as a new member:

1. I'm going to have to start using some sort of fly repellent because today for the first 6 holes I had a cloud of flies following my head around the course. You think the guy talking during your back swing is distracting? Try a fly buzzing into your ear right as you're about to make contact with the ball. You might think I'm exaggerating but it actually had me pretty annoyed and considering walking off and I'm usually a very calm golfer regardless of how terrible I'm playing.

I experienced that last night playing elsewhere in a place that doesn't usually have many flies, so it's probably not down to Stackstown GC, just current conditions

Played Grange Castle on Saturday, it seems like a good fit for me. The course fits my eye, enough challenge and slopes to be interesting but not so difficult as to punish my higher handicap. The extra 7 holes seem like they would be great to pop out for some golf after work when there is light for it.

The clubhouse leaves a fair bit to be desired, but I never found myself spending a lot of time in the clubhouse at my last club, so not a big issue for me.

Won't go wrong with Grange Castle. Professionally run club, course in good condition, lovely greens.

I am thinking of joining Old Conna next year as it suits my location and I know some members. I enjoy the course and find that it is always in perfect condition.

I would be interested in hearing peoples thoughts on the the course, the club feel members etc and how it stacks up to others in South Dublin.

yaboya1 wrote: »

Old Conna is in Wicklow.
Wicklow is the best county for golf courses in Ireland imo. Not many (if any) substandard courses.

I'm fairly sure you could class Old Conna as close to South Dublin.

I was a junior member in old conna, but my dad is still there now. Members are nice, may be tough to get on timesheet at the peak times. Been years since I played it, but it's apparently much better than when I was there (15 years ago...christ). Enjoyable round!

Kingswood Rover wrote: »

Its actually in Dublin, and its a really good well maintained course with a super club house.

My bad. I just associate it with Bray, but it's just inside the border it seems.
Ah well, Wicklow's loss is Dublin's gain.

yaboya1 wrote: »

My bad. I just associate it with Bray, but it's just inside the border it seems.
Ah well, Wicklow's loss is Dublin's gain.

The address is Wicklow alright.

Re price, I think it's like 1400 per year. Could be wrong on that though