[David_Tepper]

The Irish Times is reporting that the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links  has been sold to Dublin-based Capel Developments for 60+ million Euros.

This is the course, opened in 1995 and designed by Bernhard Langer, that is adjacent to the Portmarnock Golf Club.  The course has gotten very little mention here. I realize it probably pales in comparison to Portmarnock GC, but is there anything of value or interest there?  

 

[Tom Huckaby]

I played it.

Hotel looked neat.  Course wasn't much.  In fact we bagged after 13 holes in order to get to the Guinness brewery before it closed.  No one felt like we were missing out on anything golf-wise.

TH

[Andy Doyle]

... we bagged after 13 holes in order to get to the Guinness brewery before it closed.TH

Awesome .... a new rating scale.

You could be persuaded to leave this course for which of the following beers?

Guinness
Murphy's
Bass
Harp
Budweiser
PBR

Andy

[Tom Huckaby]

Of course Belhaven's Best needs to be added to that.

And well... one only gets to Dublin so often... and Guinness at the source is an elixir not to be trifled with by silly things like golf.

 

But to answer your question, well the only one I wouldn't leave that course early for if it meant sampling at the brewery would likely be Bud.  Been there, done that, grew up next to a Bud plant.

TH

[John Goodman]

I tend to agree with Sean - the course had a number of solid holes on both sides, and I recall it having a good finish over the last few holes.  If you're staying at the hotel, I think it's worth playing.

The Langer design also allows you to make lots of comments in Schwartzenegger-speak while you play, like "I have erased your signature hole" and "Who is the greatest German golfer?  It is I."  I think playing there has it all over the Guinness brewery.  If for no other reason than the Langer-speak wouldn't be very funny at the brewery.

Would it beat a good single malt distillery?  That's a tougher call . . .    

[Andy Doyle]

Tom:

That's the beauty of the Beer Rating System.  It would have to be a pretty shitty course to leave for a Bud, even moreso for PBR.

AD

[Tom Huckaby]

JG:

To each his own.  Just understand that when I played that course, it was VERY windy, it was at the end of a LOT of golf, and we were going to have one chance and one chance only at the Guinness brewery.  

AD - please do not sell PBR short.  

[astavrides]

I thought it was a pretty good course.  Especially since I only paid like $30 at twilight, compared to the ~$200 for THE portmarnock, which i think is a bit overrated.  

[Jim_Bick]

As others have said, it's a nice course to play if you're staying at the hotel. On two trips it's been my off-the airplane "jet lag" course. As that it's a nice introduction to golf on that side of Ireland. Not worth a special trip though.

[Gene Greco]

What a coincidence, Jim.

Those were the circumstances which "caused" me to play Portmarnock Links as well - we had just got off the plane!

However, when we arrived the rain was falling sideways and the gusts were in the 50 mph range.

We thought the course would be closed.

Low and behold we had to wait (WAIT!) a bit before we teed off to allow the last few groups of an OUTING play ahead. The place was mobbed with not a seat left in the clubhouse.

We played seven holes, all umbrellas were destroyed, all Gortex failed, got knocked over by the wind several times and finally came to our senses by retiring to the upstairs lounge.

Several Jamieson's and legal Cuban R&J Churchills restored order in our lives while we recuperated.

[Jack_Marr]

It's a nice course, the best of which is on the final few holes.

If you're leaving a course for anything, it should be Redbreast 12, Redbreast 15 or Green Spot. Three of the greatest whiskies on the planet.

Or if you can afford Midleton 25... but you probably have some waiting for you in your helicopter.

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