Played Carne, Rosapenna and Ballyliffin recently and would go back to Carne tomorrow.
For me, it was the combination of a great course with excellent welcome in the shop, great food and service in the clubhouse and the general manager Gerry chatting to us as if we were regulars. (Previously Played 2021 and 2009). Played both courses and told we could play an extra 9 if we wanted. (We did)
Rosapenna good too, but clubhouse food shuts at 6 which is crazy, bar shuts at 7. Staff pleasant but you feel you are just a number. St Patricks very challenging around the greens, Sandy hills enjoyable, but old tom Morris my favourite - 93 off a 23 handicap and birdie on index 1 probably has something to do with it. Harbour bar is where to go especially if you like good whiskey at very good prices (yellow spot €11, Middleton €22)
Americans in front and behind us all 3 days!
Ballyliffin - only played the old course. Really nice, but if you hit a wayward shot the ball was not going to be found. Good team in the shop and bar and good value.
But Carne was the highlight in terms of enjoyment all round and will go back soon
I have an American cousin that played Ballybunion and The Old Head this year. Think he said he paid $1000 or $1100 for the two rounds which would have been through a tour operator
Transport and accomidation included?
No. He was on a separate trip and the rounds of golf were extra
Pu
Punchy enough, Rack Rate in OH and BB are €450/€350 or approx. $900
Could have included a caddy too. I'd imagine the tour operators pay less and charge more than the the rack rate
Any idea what the golf Ireland rate is for both courses in Portrush?
Good luck getting a GUI rate out of Portrush!
Can't see that end well..
During COVID they done some opens at 150 pounds a pop. Can't see that happening too often in future.
Royal Portrush Golf Club | Visitors
Yea recall them, think it was an "Open Experience " with Sundays open pins and a gift bag included
I know that's what it states on their website, as i say good luck getting it!
Thought they have the place closed to the public till the Open
Dunluce is £600 per 4-ball in 2024, but this can only be secured at the reduced rate within 28 days from date of play. So it all depends if they have any slots available in the next 28 days from your enquiry.
Not really Like for Like - USGA Members don't get a USGA rate like the GUI rate… No discrimination against 'international visitors'
very few of the top courses have a GI rate anymore
Has anyone played Royal County Down through the Mourne Golf Club open week?
I did a couple of years ago.
Yeah, it's stunning. Played a strokes event during open week a couple years ago. Unreal course. Best conditioned course I've ever played, the tee boxes were better than most greens I've ever played on.
Heading to Carnoustie next month. Booked in to play Burnside and Buddon but finding it hard to justify paying £320 for a round on the Championship course.
.£160 this year. We played it a couple of times pre covid when the open wks were in the middle of summer and am fairly sure we got it for £65 one of those years and not much more t'other. Good times.
The course is spectacular, a must play. And v difficult.
Yeah £160 with some food credit in the clubhouse, playing the open singles there on the Monday.
Is there access to a range etc beforehand?
RCD has a mammoth rep but in all honestly has some pretty bland holes on the back 9, front 9 is special, Portrush is a step up without a weakness in it's 18
Portrush is special, played it last year, it will be hard to it but I'm looking forward to finding out!
Agree 100%.
RCD is a special setting and has extraordinary conditioning. Portrush is a superior golf course. Gosh it’s wonderful.
Carne is special… Just a joy, I am a hacker… Met one of the golf pros in the pub last month… Full hour discussing just Carne, everyone has an opinion.. Some people actually don't like it, 'too feature rich', a lot of us laughed…
Pro was saying Hacket is better than Dunes… I was saying Dunes is our adventure to the unknown… Lovely chat, massive knowledge about golf but he was respecting my (lest be honest) humbleir views…
Ballyliffen Glasheedy has to be played… IT gets better you play it an start to understand what the architect was thinking… Risk and reward of all tees (wind depending)…
Rosapenna, St Pat's is fantastic now. Play it before they will charge multiple hundreds a round…
Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Connemara generally have phone in rates for GUI…
They tell you all the time to give them ring…
Clare down, forget it.. Might find an odd Open day on one of the big ones… I live in Galway and played Lanich once ever when GUI were allowed to play winter golf… Trump is the exception…
https://www.irishgolfleaderboard.com/
He sets them up for us… Gets us rates that we wouldn't get ourselves… Coming very popular… Win any day and free day out at the end of the year to play for a holiday to La Cala in Spain…
For me, I think I preferred RCD, just the overall experience. May be that I played it in May in the sunshine, and we had the caddymaster out as fore caddy for us who was sound and knew the place inside out.
Whereas I've only ever played portrush in October's when the weather was a bit miserable and was end of season conditioning.
The Mourne guys were also ultra welcoming and friendly. Felt to an extent like we were being tolerated in Portrush
For me RCD is always in far superior condition than Portrush.
