A little help from the Irish golf cognoscenti?

[Andy Doyle]

I’ve gotten my first taste of Irish links golf (Lahinch, Waterville, and The European Club) and I’m gut-hooked.  I'm planning a golf-only return visit – hopefully in May 2006.  Never too early to start planning!

I’m looking for some advice from the cognoscenti of golf in Ireland.  I can’t decide whether I should go back to the southwest or to venture into the unknown (to me) northwest.  Given the following background/parameters, what would you recommend?

The trip will likely be around 10 days – all the wallet and family will allow – so, say 8 days for golf.  It will likely be a self-booked, rental car and B&B kind of trip.  This trip is all about the golf – I’m not concerned with sightseeing or luxury accommodations.  My favorite day of my (business/vacation with wife/managed to squeeze in some golf) trip last fall was playing Waterville in the afternoon and having a big bowl of beef stew, brown bread with butter, and a couple of pints of Guinness at a pub in Kenmare.

I plan on playing 36 holes a day and I prefer to play each new course twice.  I actually enjoy driving in Ireland, but I would prefer not to drive too far between courses.  For instance, I evetually want to play Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, and Portmarnock, but I will save those for another trip.

I’m recruiting a couple of buddies to go along, none of whom have played in Ireland, which may affect the destination, i.e. the “famous” courses versus the “unknown gems.”

Southwest courses under consideration:

Lahinch - Old
Lahinch - Castle
Doonbeg
Ballybunion - Old
Ballybunion - Cashen
Tralee
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Waterville
Old Head

Northwest courses under consideration:

Connemara
Carne
Enniscrone – The Dunes
Enniscrone – Scurmore
Rosses Point (County Sligo)
Bundoran
Donegal
Narin and Portnoo
Rosapenna – Old Tom Morris
Rospenna – Sandy Hills
Portsalon
St. Patrick’s
Ballyliffen – Old
Ballyliffen - Glashedy

What would be your ideal itinerary?  What courses are “must play,” what courses are in, what courses are out, what courses have I left out?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Andy

[Ted Kramer]

I found a great website a while back when I was trying to plan a similar trip. While I would place the opinions of GCAers at the very top of my "good golf travel info" list, you might find this website helpful too . . .

www.hiddenlinksgolf.com

Good luck!
-Ted

[Andy Doyle]

Ted,

Cool website - thanks!

AD

[Kirk Gill]

I don't know that is is of significant architectural interest, but a round of golf at Ceann Sibeal on the Dingle peninsula will not be forgotten. It's a very natural course to my mind, and a beautiful, windswept setting. The narrow road down the south side of the peninsula can get a little hairy, but is also worth the trip. It might be hard to include as part of a 36-hole day, as I'm not certain that there are a lot of other courses that close by..........

There are, on the other hand, some terrific pubs in Dingle.....

[Mike_Sweeney]

Here is a good site for planning:

http://www.northandwestcoastlinks.com

If you fly into Shannon, I would use Enniscrone as my first base camp and stay with Mr & Mrs Gallagher. It is like being in camp at the end of Enniscrone's driveway. Nothing fancy, but she will make you breakfast no matter what time you play!

GLEANN EADA
Bartra, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo.
Tel: +353 (0)96 36491
Email: agallagher31@eircom.net
Web: www.agallagher31.ie

From Enniscrone you can easily make afternoon trips to Carne and County Sligo. Then catch Donegal or Narin & Portnoo on you way up to a North base camp probably near Royal Portrush. I have not played up there, but there is lots of info on that websites for B&B's and hotels.

If you fly into Dublin, I would try to play Royal County Down, then Royal Portrush and finish at County Sligo. You can still catch Enniscrone, but Carne (which I love) may be too far.

Don't hotel hop every night, find 2 or 3 base camps and make some day trips.

PS. There are 27 holes at Enniscrone, but the third nine is just for casual flat golf. You are there for the Dunes 18. Also Enniscrone is roughly 4 1/2 hours from both airports.

[Andy Doyle]

Kirk:

I've driven the Dingle pennisula during a family vacation 6 years ago - the wildness and remoteness is one of the things that makes Ceann Sibeal an appealing possibility to me.

Mike:

Thanks for the suggestions and the Enniscrone lodging info.

Andy

[Jack_Marr]

Andy

It's impossible to really give an ideal itinary, as nearly all of the links golf you list are excellent. The two courses I'd like to play would be Enniscrone and Lahninc. They are quite far away from eachother, though.

If you're hiring a car, look at the route planner online to see what kind of time you have to spend in a car between courses.

If you're on a budget, the northwest is the best, in my opinion. Accomodation, golf and food will all be cheaper.

There's no wrong answers, though.

[Bill Gayne]

Andy,

If meeting and  playing with the local Irish town people is important to you then select the Northwest courses. I've played several of the courses on your list and they are quite enjoyable also considerably less expensive. This trip has a good bit of driving.

If you don't mind playing with mostly Americans like yourself and want to play some outstanding golf courses then go to the Southwest. The Southwest will have less driving and overall I think the courses you have listed are better. The green fees in the Southwest are a lot more expensive.

Either way you can't go wrong.

Cheers,
Bill

[Rob_Babcock]

Hi Andy,

I'd also recommend the Northwest, although I love spending time in Ennis (great trad music) and playing Lahinch and Doonbeg. If time is a concern, it's quite a drive out to Connemara and Carne, so that could be a factor to consider. Although I do have to say that I think Carne is one of the best links courses in Ireland, but it's a long way out there and not much else around.

A few other thoughts: Skip the Enniscrone Scurmore course. Skip Bundoran. Consider adding Cruit Island, a 9-hole course near Narin & Portnoo (on the way from there to Rosapenna). Skip St. Patrick's. That leaves:

Carne (Belmullet)
Enniscrone (Dunes)

Rosses Point (County Sligo)
Donegal (Murvagh)

Narin and Portnoo
Cruit Island

Rosapenna (Old)
Rospenna (Sandy Hills)
Portsalon

Ballyliffen – Old
Ballyliffen - Glashedy

Rob

[Jack_Marr]

Oh yeah, deffinately skip Bundoran. It's just a piece of land around a hotel.

[Andy Doyle]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.  This is the kind of advice I'm looking for - prioritizing the courses given limited time.  I would love to spend the whole summer wandering around playing, but that will have to wait for either retirement, divorce or winning the lottery, whichever comes first.

I am going to try and fit Connemara in the trip - it was actually the first Irish links course I ever laid my eyes on.  I spotted the sign while driving out in Connemara on a family vacation 6 years ago & convinced everyone to have a look.  I poked around the course a bit (didn't have my clubs with me), and we spent a lovely afternoon down on the beach below the course - I swore I'd get back to play it some day.

Rob - great website (I'll be back to it soon  ).  My 9 year-old son owes you thanks - he had a school report on Ireland last week & I showed him how to download and print the aerial of Ireland you posted (the one without the courses marked).  All the kids thought it was cool (so do I!).

Andy

[jeffwarne]

Andy,

You've got some nice choices there.
Connemara was not my favorite course-front nine flat and up and back holes (compared to most of the others listed there)
Narin and Portnoo is a very enjoyable place-a miniBallybunion without the Americans and Japanese.
If you're near Galway on the way to Connemara you should play the 9 holer Connemara Isles(nowhere near Connemara)simply the landscape on the drive there is worth it-moonscape is more like it.
A remote,fun,scenic golf course-As a PGA professional it's the only golf course I've ever paid for green fees in Ireland.(and it was well worth it)Great little shack/clubhouse/pub.no tourists.

Jeff

[Philip Gawith]

I would, as some others have suggested, favour the north-west (not because the south-west isn't fun, but because you have already been there. Also, there is no doubt that north-west is cheaper and less on the tourist trail than the more celebrated courses in the mid and south-west).

I did a trip last year which embraced Narin & P, Cruit Island ( a 9 holer), both the Rosapenna courses and Portsalon. It was a great trip - highly recommended. The two Ballyliffin courses are also close to Portsalon, though the drive is a bit longer. Alternatively, you could fold them into a trip when you decide to go to Portrush.

[Andy Doyle]

a miniBallybunion without the Americans ...

Of course my going there will muck this up - but, I'll leave my big staff bag at home and try not to bellow "You 'da man" across the fairway to my playing companions.  

... you should play the 9 holer Connemara Isles(nowhere near Connemara)simply the landscape on the drive there is worth it-moonscape is more like it.
A remote,fun,scenic golf course

Jeff - thanks for the tip - this is what I love about this site.

Philip - thanks also.  At this point, I am definitely in favor of going to the NW.  I do want to play Ballybunion and get back to Lahinch sometime, but I am astonished at how expensive some of these SW courses are now.  Tralee is 160 Euros - and another 100 for a same-day replay.

I imagine the NW is now what the SW was 10-15 years ago.  I'd like to get there while it is still relatively unspoiled.

Andy

[THuckaby2]

Andy - I've made this offer a few times before, and some have taken me up on it... but if you get up to the north and are playing either Portrush or Portstewart (which you sure as hell should, time allowing), then you won't regret a round at Castlerock GC, right near there.  My cousin is a member and if there is anything I am certain of in this life it's that he can and will show you a good time.  He also owns a B&B there, which oh yes would be a very nice place to stay - his family runs it.

Let me know if you do get up that way and I'll alert my cousin.  In the meantime, here's the web site for Castlerock...

http://www.castlerockgc.co.uk/

and here's my cousin's b&B

http://www.linksview.co.uk/

Yes, I can guarantee you wouldn't regret visiting them.

 

TH

[Andy Doyle]

Tom:

Cool - thanks.  That contact will go in my file.  I'll let you know - this could, of course, just be a big pipe dream ....

Andy