The Links Thread

Guisseppeth · 28-02-2014 3:09pm

ForeRight wrote: »

Is there anyway of playing portmarnock without the ridiculous price charge?

Winter Rate Weekdays - €125. Lunch included apparently - bargain!!!

ForeRight · 28-02-2014 3:29pm

Guisseppeth wrote: »

Winter Rate Weekdays - €125. Lunch included apparently - bargain!!!

That's just ridiculous money.

And to think people moan about €40 for open singles in the European twice a week as too dear.

Carpo86 · 28-02-2014 3:55pm

ForeRight wrote: »

Is there anyway of playing portmarnock without the ridiculous price charge?

It's €40 with a member if you can find one to take you out. The green fee is obviously set for the American market and makes up a substantial portion of their revenue.

ForeRight · 28-02-2014 3:56pm

Any members on here like to bring me for a game

Guisseppeth · 28-02-2014 4:07pm

Absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn't pay it. I'm getting an entire weekend of golf for a little more than that!! We played the Dunluce and the Valley at Royal Portrush this summer but got a deal as one of the lads knew the secretary. If I had to pay £160 for the privilege I don't think I'd bother.

We were looking at Ballybunion for this year and when we called we were told there was no chance of a weekend tee time even in late September but could play mid week for €100!! A guy I know is a member there and he says that basically they don't need weekend green fees - there are busloads of Americans arriving on a daily basis throughout the summer so they can pretty much keep the weekends free for members. I'd still like to play it though

Miley Byrne · 28-02-2014 5:06pm

mike12 wrote: »

Ballycastle 1 £25 Opens Antrim
Rathmore 2 £35 Antrim
Royal Portrush 3 Played £125 Antrim
Doonbeg Links 4 €185 Clare
Kilkee 5 €30.00 Clare
Lahinch 6 €100 Opens Clare
Lahinch Second 7 Clare
Fermoy 8 €20.00 opens Cork

Portstewart 9 Played £80 Derry
Ballyliffin 10 Played Donegal
Ballyliffin Galsheady 11 €80 Opens Donegal
Donegal 12 Played €50.00 Opens Donegal
Dunfanaghy 13 €30.00 Donegal
Greencastle 14 €20.00 Donegal
Narin & Portnoo 15 Played €30 Opens Donegal
North West 16 €30.00 Donegal
Portsalon 17 €40.00 Opens Donegal
Rosapenna 18 Played €60 Donegal
Rospenna Tom Morris 19 Donegal
Ardglass 20 Played £40 Opens Down
Carnalea 21 £17.50 Down
Castlerock 22 £65 Down
Donaghadee 23 £23 Down
Kirkistown Castle 24 Played £25 Opens Down
Mourne 25 Played N/A Down
Royal Co. Down 26 Played €100.00 £140 usually Down
Corballis Links 27 Played €20.00 Dublin
Portmarnock 28 Played €180 Dublin
Portmarnock Hotel 29 Played Dublin
The Island 30 Played €20.00 Dublin
The Links Portmarnock 31 Played €20 Dublin
The Royal Dublin 32 Played €60.00 Dublin
Connemara 33 €65 Opens Galway
Galway Bay 34 Played €20.00 Galway
Ballybunion 35 €180 Kerry
Ceann Sibeal 36 €65.00 Kerry
Dooks 37 €85.00 Opens Kerry
Skellig Bay 38 €70.00 Kerry
Tralee 39 €180.00 Kerry
Waterville 40 N/A Kerry
Seapoint 41 Played free Lout
Co. Louth 42 Played Free Louth
Greenore 43 Played free Louth
Belmullet 44 Played €65 opens Mayo
Laytown & Bettystown 45 Played €50 Opens Meath
Bundoran 46 Played €45 Sligo
Co. Sligo 47 Played €70 Opens Sligo
Enniscrone 48 Played €60.00 Opens Sligo
Strandhill 49 Played €40.00 Sligo
St. Anne's 50 Played €20.00 Sublin
Rosslare 51 €40.00 Opens Wexford
Arklow 52 €40 opens Wicklow
European 53 Played €60.00 Wicklow

Definitely not a links!!!;)

mike12 · 28-02-2014 5:38pm

Got to play Portmarnock for Free we won a 4 ball comp in our club can't remember the name of the comp but the finals were in Portmarnock.

blackwhite · 28-02-2014 6:35pm

Managed to get out in Portmarnock for a corporate gig a year and a half ago.
I wouldn't be shelling out that kind of money for it :eek:

yettie1701 · 28-02-2014 8:21pm

Atlantic coast Challange is only €139 for three of the best courses in the country. No way I'd pay €100 for Portmarnock or any where else for that matter. It's just too expensive. I'd love to play all the great links courses but I'm afraid once I pay my sub in January and play around a little bit that's my budget blown for the year.

mike12 · 01-03-2014 10:41am

It's very expensive when you hit the south west, but most courses have a cheap rate be it scratch cups, 3 day events ect. Winter rates are another good way to play a few. Going to try and play ballyb and lachinch this year if possible.

Dealerz · 02-03-2014 8:51pm

Played 12holes in Corballis today with roadrunner- jaysus the afternoon was gorgeous out there- I don't get to play a links course enough but when I do I absolutely love it. The par 3s on the front 9 of Corballis are real beauty's- fairways need some divots.

mike12 · 07-03-2014 1:45pm

Kerry Vs Dublin
For the best county to play golf in in Ireland, Can't really think of any other counties that come close for quality of courses maybe Dublin in 3rd place. The big difference is the cost the 10 courses in Donegal you could play for around €500 for the 6 in Kerry it would cost more thn €750.

Kerry.

Ballybunion
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Skellig Bay
Tralee
Waterville

Donegal

Ballyliffin
Ballyliffin Galsheady
Donegal
Dunfanaghy
Greencastle
Narin & Portnoo
North West
Portsalon
Rosapenna
Rospenna Tom Morris

Norfolk Enchants_ · 07-03-2014 2:32pm

mike12 wrote: »

Kerry Vs Dublin
For the best county to play golf in in Ireland, Can't really think of any other counties that come close for quality of courses maybe Dublin in 3rd place. The big difference is the cost the 10 courses in Donegal you could play for around €500 for the 6 in Kerry it would cost more thn €750.

Kerry.

Ballybunion
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Skellig Bay
Tralee
Waterville

Donegal

Ballyliffin
Ballyliffin Galsheady
Donegal
Dunfanaghy
Greencastle
Narin & Portnoo
North West
Portsalon
Rosapenna
Rospenna Tom Morris

Skellig Bay is not a links, if you are flexible and not a wealthy tourist then it's madness to pay the rack rate, all those course can be got for €50 or in most cases less(even in high season).
You have to hand it to Kerry, they know hospitality and how to market it.

Loire · 07-03-2014 3:09pm

mike12 wrote: »

Kerry Vs Dublin
For the best county to play golf in in Ireland, Can't really think of any other counties that come close for quality of courses maybe Dublin in 3rd place. The big difference is the cost the 10 courses in Donegal you could play for around €500 for the 6 in Kerry it would cost more thn €750.

Kerry.

Ballybunion
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Skellig Bay
Tralee
Waterville

Donegal

Ballyliffin
Ballyliffin Galsheady
Donegal
Dunfanaghy
Greencastle
Narin & Portnoo
North West
Portsalon
Rosapenna
Rospenna Tom Morris

Think you need to add Murvagh to the Donegal list?

Kevinmarkham · 07-03-2014 3:26pm

Loire wrote: »

Think you need to add Murvagh to the Donegal list?

Donegal and Murvagh are the same thing - Mike has Donegal on there already... but he is missing Cruit Island... well matched by Castlegregory in Kerry. Both 9 hole courses.

Loire · 07-03-2014 3:48pm

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Donegal and Murvagh are the same thing - Mike has Donegal on there already... but he is missing Cruit Island... well matched by Castlegregory in Kerry. Both 9 hole courses.

Going Blind!

benny79 · 07-03-2014 4:57pm

surely Lanich €100 & doonbeg €125 cant be worth that!

Ronney · 07-03-2014 6:22pm

mike12 wrote: »

Kerry Vs Dublin
For the best county to play golf in in Ireland, Can't really think of any other counties that come close for quality of courses maybe Dublin in 3rd place. The big difference is the cost the 10 courses in Donegal you could play for around €500 for the 6 in Kerry it would cost more thn €750.

Kerry.

Ballybunion
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Skellig Bay
Tralee
Waterville

Donegal

Ballyliffin
Ballyliffin Galsheady
Donegal
Dunfanaghy
Greencastle
Narin & Portnoo
North West
Portsalon
Rosapenna
Rospenna Tom Morris

Agree Donegal is great value but you'd have to add in the Petrol to drive between them (two courses in Bally B too)

thewobbler · 09-03-2014 11:35pm

Ronney wrote: »

Agree Donegal is great value but you'd have to add in the Petrol to drive between them (two courses in Bally B too)

This is a strange comment.

I've not been to Kerry to golf. But it's a bloody big place, and I'd harbour a strong guess that the drive from tip to top of Donegal (more or less Bundoran to Ballyliffin) takes no longer than the run from Waterville to Ballybunion.

thewobbler · 09-03-2014 11:41pm

mike12 wrote: »

Achill 1
Clogher Valley 2
Cruit Island 3
Cushendall 4
Gweedore 5
Helen's Bay 6
Manor 7
Mulranny 8
Otway 9
Raffeen Creek 10
Rush 11
Buncrana 12
Connemara Isles 13
Spanish Point 14
Berehaven 15
Bushfoot 16
Carrickmines 17
Castlegregory 18
Larne 19

The 19 9 hole links i was able to find, Anyone know how to paste out of excel keeping the boarders as a table.

Helen's Bay isn't a links. It's closer to the sea than a number of premier links, but is a pure parkland.

Buncrana is a links in terms of turf and terrain. But it's more of an extended pitch and putt than a golf course.

But at least they have some claim to be on this list. If Clogher Valley was anymore inland it would be underground.

TrapperChamonix · 10-03-2014 10:34am

I was thinking about getting a GPS but when I looked at a Golf Buddy (not sure which version) in McGuirks the detail it showed was was just distance to bunkers and water.

Lots of links courses use grass hills and mounds to define the shape and distance you need to hit your drive. In the old Strokesavers these were marked but did not show up on the Golf Buddy. While the information it gave was of some use the information not available would have caused you problems on a number of holes.

So my question is this
What is the best GPS for playing links courses? What level of detail does it provide?

mike12 · 10-03-2014 10:40am

thewobbler wrote: »

Helen's Bay isn't a links. It's closer to the sea than a number of premier links, but is a pure parkland.

Buncrana is a links in terms of turf and terrain. But it's more of an extended pitch and putt than a golf course.

But at least they have some claim to be on this list. If Clogher Valley was anymore inland it would be underground.

I have to say the way i compiled the list was to go thru the GUI website all 430 clubs and take their work for it is they called themselves a links at that stage i had played 3 links courses. I still can't find a list of all the links courses in Ireland. Some where between 50 and 60 but i don't know for sure.

the lawman · 10-03-2014 10:47am

So a friend of mine got a two-ball for The Island at Christmas and he rang me last night asking me to play with him! Stoked.

Never played it but I have been meaning to for a good while now. So what am in for? FDP is it as good as your favourite Corballis?

FixdePitchmark · 10-03-2014 11:41am

the lawman wrote: »

So a friend of mine got a two-ball for The Island at Christmas and he rang me last night asking me to play with him! Stoked.

Never played it but I have been meaning to for a good while now. So what am in for? FDP is it as good as your favourite Corballis?

Absolute class.

It is miles ahead of Corballis - but has similar bizarre aspects.
It is the course Corballis would be and could be , if it had the space and was a full course. It is effectively the same land.

If you don't like blind holes - you won't like it. But amazing course. Very, Very hard. The rough is very hard to play out of. Even on the first you say , this is interesting. Then you stand on 2 and go - ok what on earth is this. Then the back nine is sublime.

I was totally surprised by the place - as I didn't think we had dunes like that on the east coast. The course guide is very good and nice to see Philip Walton giving you tips. Nice welcome in the pro shop too.

Another aspect to the place , is the raw distance of some of the par 4s - big drives required on many holes.

Then you come around to Malahide - it is so peaceful, yet you feel you are in a city. A great run of holes home - and every hole is different.

You need to play every club in your bag.

For me it is the only thing I've seen on east coast up there with west coast.

I'm probably building it up too much. But it is the hardest course I've played. I was very close to joining - but I felt it was more a roller-coaster than a day to day golf course. A course for a great day out as opposed to an every day course. The last hole alone is affirmation of that - I hit a good drive and a 4 iron to it , very few par 4s in the country like that - just too hard.

Kevin had a piece on it here.
I've another write up somewhere.

mike12 · 10-03-2014 11:56am

Would agree the Island is the one of the best Links on the east coast right up there with RCD and the European. Not sure it is as hard off the tee as some of the others but a lot of long par 4's. hope you enjoy.

FixdePitchmark · 10-03-2014 12:07pm

mike12 wrote: »

Would agree the Island is the one of the best Links on the east coast right up there with RCD and the European. Not sure it is as hard off the tee as some of the others but a lot of long par 4's. hope you enjoy.

Playing it next month - I was struggling off 12 at the time. A little better of a golfer now.
But - Was looking at holes like 1 - 11 - 12 - 17 and 18.
You need to get the ball out there not to have at least a 6 iron or lower in.
Again - a good while - so will see how I get on next month at it.

dar_cool · 10-03-2014 12:47pm

I don't ever want to play parkland golf again after reading all this!!!

the lawman · 10-03-2014 12:51pm

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Playing it next month - I was struggling off 12 at the time. A little better of a golfer now.
But - Was looking at holes like 1 - 11 - 12 - 17 and 18.
You need to get the ball out there not to have at least a 6 iron or lower in.
Again - a good while - so will see how I get on next month at it.

Thanks FDP I figured you'd know it well.

TrapperChamonix · 10-03-2014 2:28pm

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Absolute class.

It is miles ahead of Corballis - but has similar bizarre aspects.
It is the course Corballis would be and could be , if it had the space and was a full course. It is effectively the same land.

If you don't like blind holes - you won't like it. But amazing course. Very, Very hard. The rough is very hard to play out of. Even on the first you say , this is interesting. Then you stand on 2 and go - ok what on earth is this. Then the back nine is sublime.

I was totally surprised by the place - as I didn't think we had dunes like that on the east coast. The course guide is very good and nice to see Philip Walton giving you tips. Nice welcome in the pro shop too.

Another aspect to the place , is the raw distance of some of the par 4s - big drives required on many holes.

Then you come around to Malahide - it is so peaceful, yet you feel you are in a city. A great run of holes home - and every hole is different.

You need to play every club in your bag.

For me it is the only thing I've seen on east coast up there with west coast.

I'm probably building it up too much. But it is the hardest course I've played. I was very close to joining - but I felt it was more a roller-coaster than a day to day golf course. A course for a great day out as opposed to an every day course. The last hole alone is affirmation of that - I hit a good drive and a 4 iron to it , very few par 4s in the country like that - just too hard.

Kevin had a piece on it here.
I've another write up somewhere.

FDP Agreed very similar terrain to Corbalis but with distance. Interesting comment on blind holes as I would have thought there to be relatively few (Drive on 5, 2nd on 8 and 2nd on 15). Perhaps that's cause I play here and don't even notice some of the blind shots.

1. Driver along the left gives a view to the hole, to the right means playing over the high dune.
2. Favour's a draw as the fairway doglegs left. Very tough green to hold and if you are putting down the slope, very very quick.
3.If you can get a big drive away here it makes a huge difference to the approach. A spine in front of the green pushes everything to the right so you have to land very close to or on the front left of the green. Ok if you are playing a 7 or 8, very tough if you are playing a 4i or 5w. If you do kick to the right of the green, don't be afraid to putt up the hill onto the green.
4.Play to the right of the bunker to have a good view of the green but no real problems here.
5. Drive looks difficult but even an OK drive over the pole gets you within a flick. Ideal approach is to land it short and run onto the green over a little mound.
6. Play short of the bunker with a 5W or 3R and you have an 7,8 or 9 to the green. A Driver risks the bunkers but even if you miss them, the further up the right hand side you go the harder the angle for the 2nd becomes.
7. A good drive helps a lot with the approach. Very difficult approach with a spine in front of the green kicking it right and left, so you need to land front left of the green.
8. 3I or at most a 5W off the tee otherwise you are in trouble as the fairway stops at about 200 yds.
9. As you see it
10. A brave man (or my Nephew) will hang the ball out over the OOB to the right and draw it back. A more modest player can play a 3 W and aim at the left hand bunker and be comfortably on in 3.
11. Driver unless a strong wind behind you. I have a tendency to over club on my 2nd and go through the back where it is impossible to get up and down. best to land front of the green and let it run on.
12. If you are good enough, Driver to the right and draw it back onto the fairway. Miss the fairway on the right and you won't make it in 2. Miss it on the left and you've no chance. For me the most difficult driving hole on the course.
13. Aim for the tennis club on the left of the green. At worst a simple up and down.
14. The tee shot is about accuracy so leave the Driver in the bag. Approach shot to the left edge of the green as it will feed right.
15. If the wind is behind then green reachable in 2, but it requires a drive down the left edge of the fairway flirting with the bunkers.
16. Never up never in.
17. Driver will give you a mid iron 2nd. Approch shot to the green should be on left edge as it will feed to the right.
18. As tough a finishing hole as you could wish for. 460 Yds off the medal (420 yds from the green) tees and generally into the wind. If you are a big hitter can get it through the gap and running down the hill and it can be an 8i or less. For the rest of us its a drive and a fairway wood or long iron.

In general the 1st 9 has some difficult medium to long par 4's (1, 2, 3, & 7) and some short par 4's (4, 5, 6, 8) that you need to be scoring on. The back nine at 3650 Yds (3,423 from the Greens) is long but there are opportunities to score on the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.

The key to a good score is long and accurate drives.
The key to an OK score is short and accurate.
The key to a disastrous score card is long and wild.

Dealerz · 10-03-2014 2:40pm

Jaysus I'd love to play that links- but a bit pricey for a game unfortunately.

Great hole by hole guide to get me drooling

The Links Thread

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