Any good deals to be had down there?
whats a picture of old head doing on the links thread :)
First time playing Old Head on Tuesday. We lucked out so good with the weather. Some day.
Yep. Incredibly frustrating. Especially on a blind drive. You could have a perfect drive and it bounce into the rough and you don't even know which side to look on.
Big run on the ball in this weather, links fairways will be harder to hold, a perfect middle of the fairway drive could well find the rough on a long run out
Would agree with this, found the European more scorable especially back 9. A bit more space off the tee from what I recall but been a few years since i've played. Island is a first shot golf course, if you can get off the tee there's scoring chances. I don't think it's cruel to good shots as mentioned above
The Island is absolutely phenomenal but a seriously demanding track. People talk about the European Club being a beast but I’d rank The Island as being equal to if not more difficult.
Must admit I agree. Played a monthly medal on Sunday on one of the lesser-known links. God, it was brutal. 5 hours and at least an hour of it looking for balls that really didn't seem to be in trouble. Dry as a bone and crazy bounces. Magnificent setting but so unforgiving .. and random. Good shots punished and bad shots obliterated. Not sure what the solution is. Competitively, the object seems to be to avoid disasters. Not sure that's the sort of golf I want to play.
That’s pretty much how I felt Billy.
i thought the course was extraordinary, a true visual delight. Reaching the plateau after hole 1 and seeing what’s coming ahead was a proper sensory overload.
But it’s cruel to good shots and thoroughly unforgiving of poor ones. I just don’t have the technique or control to put myself through that test of golf on even a semi regular basis.
Great course ..maybe today lots of visitors? And that would slow it up ...but with experience I've realised most top Links courses are too hard and a long slog to be an actual member..
Played the Island today. Lovely sunny day with a steady breeze. It's a great course but I found it very tough. Struggled to keep the ball on the fairway on a few holes but chipping and putting really hard to get the pace right.
5 hours for our fourball without anyone holding us up. Don't think I'd like links golf as my regular Sunday game throughout the year.
Yeah would agree with PARlance, if you can get off the tee in enniscrone plenty of scoring chances. Most par 5s reachable, 4th maybe not would be a v good digs. Also think the slope should be higher there but same as most links.
It's interesting, and completely alien to me, but I golf with a few low single digit golfers and when they're striking it well, they'll generally score better around Enniscrone than Rosses Point.
For me, Enniscrone is much much more likely to beat me up but for those guys, who play it fairly regularly, they find themselves with a fair few more birdie opportunities / find it a bit easier to save pars... once they're striking it well that is. I've seen them play very well around Rosses and just struggle to score.
Interesting….I think 13 is one of the simplest holes! Mid iron and wedge, I think I’ve played it 4 times and have 3 pars and a bogey, I’m 11.3 atm.
I find the 11th much harder.
Back from a lap of Sligo over the weekend. Did a similar trip 8-9 years ago so it was nice to refresh the brain, especially in what was quite gentle playing conditions.
Rosses Point was incredible, indeed better than I remembered it. It’s a longer walk than I thought, but every hole from 3-17 is a gem in its own right, and the conditioning, while not quite RCD / Portrush levels, was exemplary. The new 3rd hole is a brilliant excuse to let rip at the sea, and the par 3s are each wonderful visual delights. It’s quirky enough in places but always felt fair.
Enniscrone beat me up something rotten. I lost my swing for a few holes, and when I recovered things, it just seemed to fuel bad bounces and punitive lies throughout the back 9. So it’s pretty much the same impression I had from before, that’s it’s a treat to play such a an unusual layout, but it’s simply too unforgiving, dare I say traumatic, to be a course that I’d wish to return to more than once a decade. The thought of a monthly medal there makes me shudder. The queues around holes 12 and 13 would surely stretch to days.The conditioning was a clear step below Co Sligo; Enniscrone just looks and feels like it endures more traffic.
We concluded at Strandhill, which is just an absolute pleasure and among my most favourite courses on the island. The middle of each nine delivers some of the most fun golf imaginable. This was my first time playing off the (full length) white tees and it is more challenging - the 3rd, 6th and 18th holes in particular have a completely different feel with those extra 50-60 yards to contend with. The 6th retains its spot among the best holes I’ve played…. even though it robbed me off a ball today.
West of Ireland folk are just the nicest people. So welcoming.
Final observation. Rosses Point is pretty forgiving off the tee and would be a second shot course. Strandhill to me is mostly about what you do off the tee, whether it’s navigating doglegs, missing bunkers, avoiding heavy stuff. Do that and the majority of greens are large and inviting; to the point that I putted from 80 yards and 70 yards today. For Enniscrone though, on a large number of holes, the first shot has to be both long and and on target (and sometimes lucky too) to have any chance of taking on the green. And even if you manage that, the bunkers, plateaus, dunes and false fronts mean you’ll rarely have a clear line for a ground game with your second. It’s just a much tougher test. Yet the yellow tees on it, at 6,500 yards, is rated 117, whilst the white courses on the other pair are rated 122. Whoever came up with that variance needs punished. They need to play Enniscrone 12 and 13 in a medal lol.
Grand thanks I’ll give them a ring next week when I know what days I’m looking to play.
I paid EUR 90 to play 27 holes there a few weeks ago. Was booked a few months ago now. GUI rate
What’s the green fees for carne? I’ll be staying outside Westport in two weeks and would like to play it if it’s reasonable
You can only use the proshop and visitor lockers, rest of the clubhouse is for members only so you would not have got in
Portsalon is every bit as far but well worth the visit. I think it's the best course in Donegal.
I was just walking up to this club house the other day and was thinking to myself that the place is the most majestic golf clubhouse I've ever seen (close run thing with Sawgrass). But you can see and feel the history of this place which gives it the edge. The red tiles on the roof the beautiful gardens, the glorious shrubs, everything manicured to perfection.
I only went in as far as the pro shop so didn't get to have a good nose around but it really feels like a special place.
This picture doesn't do it justice, it's way better when you are standing there
I've never got Rosses stature, I do understand the history there but as a course I just don't get it, Enniscrone has a few bland holes mid-front 9 but is a far far superior track IMHO, Enniscrone also have a dusk green fee for after 5 which I can just about manage to take advantage of after work for a week or so
I don't think the Americans mind the isolation as much as we do. And price isn't really an issue for them. When I was talking about growth, it was mainly in the golf tourist market.
It is very isolated, but it's well within tolerance if packaged together with Rosses' and Enniscrone, with Ballina or Sligo as a base, for example.
There's a definite sense that the place is about to really skyrocket in terms of overseas visitors. Members in Belmullet starting to caddy during the summer etc. It's all very new and exciting down there for them.
Rosses' Point was always on the map moreso than the other two, but I think all 3 will will become a hub and will be unrecognisable in terms of the amount of overseas visitors they have in 5-10 years time.
I'm delighted in a sense but it's going to cost us locals a fair bit more to be playing these courses.
It's so isolated though, nothing (golf wise) anywhere near it and hard to stomach the new green fees when I got out and played the 27holes a few times for like €30-€40
It's International Members Week in Carne this week! I think they did very well from selling international membership during Covid and they've put that money to good use recently.
A few friends were down there last week and I was also talking to a few members recently... You get the impression that it's at the early stages of really hitting the big time. The Americans seem to be coming in big numbers now and it'll probably snowball.
There was talk of a potential new 9 holes and guesthouses on site.
It would be great to see it really successful after years and years operating on a relative shoestring. Just hope it isn't too successful / it can retain its charm.
Enniscrone is approx a 3 hour round trip for you, not sure if that rules it out? It would be my pick though. Their Thursday opens should be up and running by then, if not already. I think the Opens were €45 last year but would expect them to be 55-60 this year.
Strandhill and Rosses are on the right side of Sligo for you and within an hour each way. That extra hour might make a difference if trying to keep everyone happy. Strandhill Opens are on Fridays, €40. Rosses' Opens aren't as regular iirc.
Have you considered Cruit Island? I haven't played it yet but it's on the list for my next Donegal visit. Could be a handy 9 holes for Day 3.
I'm heading to Donegal in a couple of weeks for an annual week away in Rossnowlagh. I've agreed with the mrs (it's her break away too 😅) to get away for 2 games maybe 3. Looking around there seems to be plenty of options. Murvagh is closest to me, 15 minute drive so that's nailed on for their mid-week open. Other options are:
Enniscrone
Strandhill
Rosses Point (Texas Scramble)
Portnoo (played it last year and loved it)
Portsalon
What 2 from the other choices would people be inclined to pick?
I haven't included the Rosapenna courses as it's a 4 hour round trip and discounted Bundoran simply because I don't like it 😀
Baltray is such a class golf course.
Thought RCD was unreal. Conditioning superb, greens were true ( I found fast ,) yet receptive enough to stop a full hit shot.
Found had to think on every shot, tee, going for green or even laying up, plenty of trouble to avoid.
Plenty of space to miss it off tee too, and can get lucky or unlucky with lies, which is fine for links.
I'll definitely be looking to go back next year
I found that with Ballyliffin, didn't like it at all and thought it was miles away from Baltray but Baltray is very playable where as Ballyliffin I feel you need course knowledge
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