The Links Thread

IGTOA Links course of the year - The Island.

Really nice video. I especially like the shot of Brendan Walton teeing off the 14th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKcLvcnqtF4

charlieIRL

Barnaboy wrote: »

I'm playing it next week on Thursday morning (30th) if you're interested? I know it's midweek but the schools are off, so you might be too?

crap, there's 2 off here next Thursday so not a chance of me getting off.

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

IGTOA Links course of the year - The Island.

Really nice video. I especially like the shot of Brendan Walton teeing off the 14th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKcLvcnqtF4

Excellent video, I've promised myself that it'll be finally off the to do list next year.

PARlance wrote: »

Excellent video, I've promised myself that it'll be finally off the to do list next year.

They usually do a really good winter rate but check if fairways and all greens are in play. Got to play 27 holes for the price of 18 last year. The rain was sideways the first day and there were a group of guys in the club house betting how long we would last no one went for the 9th:D.

With all the talk of Corballis i really want to go play there again. The 3rd would fit in on any links course in the country, imagine the 4rd and 5th and 7th if they were longer they would be super holes, they are great as they are but all really short irons. Strong finish to the 9 in 8&9.
11th is a bit crap but it's ok from there home. No one every complains about the shared fairways in St. Andrews.

mike12 wrote: »

They usually do a really good winter rate but check if fairways and all greens are in play. Got to play 27 holes for the price of 18 last year. The rain was sideways the first day and there were a group of guys in the club house betting how long we would last no one went for the 9th:D.

With all the talk of Corballis i really want to go play there again. The 3rd would fit in on any links course in the country, imagine the 4rd and 5th and 7th if they were longer they would be super holes, they are great as they are but all really short irons. Strong finish to the 9 in 8&9.
11th is a bit crap but it's ok from there home. No one every complains about the shared fairways in St. Andrews.

I'd happily head out if you're stuck for someone Mike.
Thanks for the heads up on The Island, would be a shame to play it with some greens out of play... fairways... Well I could live with that.

mike12 wrote: »

They usually do a really good winter rate but check if fairways and all greens are in play. Got to play 27 holes for the price of 18 last year. The rain was sideways the first day and there were a group of guys in the club house betting how long we would last no one went for the 9th:D.

With all the talk of Corballis i really want to go play there again. The 3rd would fit in on any links course in the country, imagine the 4rd and 5th and 7th if they were longer they would be super holes, they are great as they are but all really short irons. Strong finish to the 9 in 8&9.
11th is a bit crap but it's ok from there home. No one every complains about the shared fairways in St. Andrews.

Mike, not sure when you played it last but there have been a number of redesigns in the last few years.
The 4th used to be a very short par 4 but the green has been pushed back to make the hole 392yds with an elevated green.
5th & 6th are short par 4's but the 6th in particular is a very well guarded green.
The 7th remains a very long (440 yds) and difficult (index 4) par 4. You might have mixed it up with the 8th or the 6th.
The old 11th was short par 4 with the green right infornt of the 12th Tee , with part of the fairway shared. The fairway was moved to the left and a new saddle shaped green was put in lengthening the hole to 435 yds. There is no longer any shared fairway on this or indeed any other hole

Dealerz

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

Mike, not sure when you played it last but there have been a number of redesigns in the last few years.
The 4th used to be a very short par 4 but the green has been pushed back to make the hole 392yds with an elevated green.
5th & 6th are short par 4's but the 6th in particular is a very well guarded green.
The 7th remains a very long (440 yds) and difficult (index 4) par 4. You might have mixed it up with the 8th or the 6th.
The old 11th was short par 4 with the green right infornt of the 12th Tee , with part of the fairway shared. The fairway was moved to the left and a new saddle shaped green was put in lengthening the hole to 435 yds. There is no longer any shared fairway on this or indeed any other hole

Is the 14th/18th and 15th/16th not shared?

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

Mike, not sure when you played it last but there have been a number of redesigns in the last few years.
The 4th used to be a very short par 4 but the green has been pushed back to make the hole 392yds with an elevated green.
5th & 6th are short par 4's but the 6th in particular is a very well guarded green.
The 7th remains a very long (440 yds) and difficult (index 4) par 4. You might have mixed it up with the 8th or the 6th.
The old 11th was short par 4 with the green right infornt of the 12th Tee , with part of the fairway shared. The fairway was moved to the left and a new saddle shaped green was put in lengthening the hole to 435 yds. There is no longer any shared fairway on this or indeed any other hole

Think Mike was going back "on topic" and talking about Corballis Trapper

PARlance wrote: »

Think Mike was going back "on topic" and talking about Corballis Trapper

My mistake

Felexicon

Some wind out there this morning.
Might play the Open on Friday if anyone is interested.

View from the 1st tee this morning.

ryaner777

Myself and fix have plans to play the open on friday around 9.30 if you're free . I'll throw it up in the arrange a game thread now

Attachment not found.

Rosapenna Old Tom Morris from earlier this year

Connemara Golf Club.
Anyone played, thinking of going Saturday if the wind calms down on the weather forecast. If it is windy is it playable and idea what the rough is like.

mike12 wrote: »

Connemara Golf Club.
Anyone played, thinking of going Saturday if the wind calms down on the weather forecast. If it is windy is it playable and idea what the rough is like.

I've played it a number of times but only in the summer so my comments would be on that basis. There are areas of thick rough but you have to go considerably off line to hit them. Fairways are generous and then there is usually a section of rough that is very light.
Its always been windy when I've played it, but I suspect that in the winter months you have a whole different level of windy out there.

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

I've played it a number of times but only in the summer so my comments would be on that basis. There are areas of thick rough but you have to go considerably off line to hit them. Fairways are generous and then there is usually a section of rough that is very light.
Its always been windy when I've played it, but I suspect that in the winter months you have a whole different level of windy out there.

Thanks, Forecast really windy for Saturday so may wait to play it again some time.

Nialler15

Away down to play both courses in Ballybunion this weekend. Can't wait for it. 3rd year going down and love it. First year had a rotten day for the Cashen and a great day the next day for the old course. A majestic place. Last year played 2.5 holes on the old course as you couldnt stand in the wind and rain never mind play golf. And got through 11 on the Cashen. Hoping for some better weather this year.

As a member of Baltray am used to links golf but it takes time. But I find when I play parkland that I score a lot better. Have my best score ever on a parkland that I had never played. I feel its easier to go from links to parkland as opposed to the other way around.

Eoinyh

Nialler15 wrote: »

Away down to play both courses in Ballybunion this weekend. Can't wait for it. 3rd year going down and love it. First year had a rotten day for the Cashen and a great day the next day for the old course. A majestic place. Last year played 2.5 holes on the old course as you couldnt stand in the wind and rain never mind play golf. And got through 11 on the Cashen. Hoping for some better weather this year.

As a member of Baltray am used to links golf but it takes time. But I find when I play parkland that I score a lot better. Have my best score ever on a parkland that I had never played. I feel its easier to go from links to parkland as opposed to the other way around.

How much to play them this time of year, working down that way

D Hayes

Eoinyh wrote: »

How much to play them this time of year, working down that way

€110 to play both on the same day.

Benny Cake

Playing Lahinch on Saturday. Fingers crossed the weather holds up...

Nialler15

Am playing in a competition its €100 for both days.

Nialler15 wrote: »

Am playing in a competition its €100 for both days.

Is it run by the club or a socity would love to head down there for a comp. For a 100 i would be doen there myself.
Maybe it's just me buy enjoy playing comps on courses than just casual rounds.

dan_ep82

Are all links tight like corballis?

I thought Headfort Old was tight but the rough in Corballis cuts it back alot

dan_ep82 wrote: »

Are all links tight like corballis?

I thought Headfort Old was tight but the rough in Corballis cuts it back alot

Not all of them Dan, you mightn't find a sand dune on some links.
It's the shortest and tightest, and most penal for a wayward shot that I've played.
I don't know if there's such a thing as a "typical" or "standard" links course but if I was to try to explain one it'd be a course that uses a strip of land with 9 holes hugging the coastline/dunes and then another 9 holes that are sheltered/inland holes that are a little more forgiving.
The rough on the coastal 9 being penal (not many as heavy as the rough in Corballis tbh) and the rough on the inland holes being much more forgiving, thin wispy stuff.

Ballybunnion, Carne, Enniscrone, StrandHill, European, Portmarnock Hotel & Links would probably fit into this "blend" category.

But you'll have some like Portmarnock old, St Anne's and my favourite Mulranny

that are generally flat but not without plenty of other challenges though.

Not sure were to put Rosses Point, it's not flat enough to go with the 3 above but it doesn't have as much dunes/elevation as the first group.

Think that's all the link courses I've played so if I've left any out, that's why.

Have we a potential links convert on our hands

Dealerz

I've never scored well on a links, but there's just something pure about playing golf on a links- and I've only played 4 different links, Corbalis many times, st Anne's, arklow, portmarnock hotel and links.

dan_ep82

PARlance wrote: »

Not all of them Dan, you mightn't find a sand dune on some links.
It's the shortest and tightest, and most penal for a wayward shot that I've played.
I don't know if there's such a thing as a "typical" or "standard" links course but if I was to try to explain one it'd be a course that uses a strip of land with 9 holes hugging the coastline/dunes and then another 9 holes that are sheltered/inland holes that are a little more forgiving.
The rough on the coastal 9 being penal (not many as heavy as the rough in Corballis tbh) and the rough on the inland holes being much more forgiving, thin wispy stuff.

Ballybunnion, Carne, Enniscrone, StrandHill, European, Portmarnock Hotel & Links would probably fit into this "blend" category.

But you'll have some like Portmarnock old, St Anne's and my favourite Mulranny that are generally flat but not without plenty of other challenges though.

Not sure were to put Rosses Point, it's not flat enough to go with the 3 above but it doesn't have as much dunes/elevation as the first group.

Think that's all the link courses I've played so if I've left any out, that's why.

Have we a potential links convert on our hands ?

Thanks for the big post , sounds like I should try another one haha

Don't think I'm a convert no, but I'll have to play some others aswell

Kevinmarkham

PARlance wrote: »

I don't know if there's such a thing as a "typical" or "standard" links course

Not sure were to put Rosses Point, it's not flat enough to go with the 3 above but it doesn't have as much dunes/elevation as the first group.

True, no such thing really as a typical links - 9 out and 9 back was definitely the norm in the early years, but that was usually over lower terrain so it was easier to manage. Ireland has bigger dunes than Scotland, so such a routing wasn't always so practical.

Rosses Point falls between the two types, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. Tremendous amount of variety.

Headed down to Connemara to play a 4ball on Saturday, the pair we were to play with pulled out so we got stuck on our own. Conditions were were tough so we didn't really want to spend 5+ hours stuck as a 2 ball in the middle of the comp.
The guy in the Pro shop was very good and sent us out on the back 9 and then play the sea 9 free of charge.
The course is hard to describe maybe a bit like Rosses Point not many dunes but lots of elevation changes.
Will definitly head down again but it is remote and tough to get too.

Benny Cake

Benny Cake wrote: »

Playing Lahinch on Saturday. Fingers crossed the weather holds up...

Played Lahinch in a bloody hurricane on Saturday, had 20 points off 13 and fought like a dog for every single one... Theres a sick sort of pleasure in playing golf in conditions like that!!

Lahinch is a brutally difficult course, one of my favourites, I would love to play there on a "calm" day, not sure such a thing exists though...

Kevinmarkham

Photographs and a description of the 3 new holes for the Annesley Links at Royal County Down.