[Ally Mcintosh]

A member friend took me out to The Island on Friday... What great fun was had (of which a lot has been talked about on here before so I won't repeat)...

I got chatting to him about recent changes to the course... Just this year, they have made two substantial changes...

The fourth which used to be a straightaway short par-4 to a semi-blind green over a ridge positioned 250 yards from the tee has been given considerable teeth - the green site has been moved up the hill to the left and back about 70 yards - the green is quite narrow with a fall off on both sides... the hole now plays a dogleg left and provides a very tough approach

the sixteenth (par-3) has been lenghthened and the whole green complex moved and changed... this use to be the one with the upturned saucer green... the hole is wonderful now...

...upcoming work sounds good... i thought the 8th (short par 4) & 9th (cramped par-3) were poor holes and was pleased to hear that they are being scrapped to form a new par-5... the existing par-4 2nd is also being extended to a par-5 and a brand new par-3 3rd hole is being introduced...

...finally, about 3 years ago they introduced a brand new green complex to the par-5 tenth... there is no comparison... the new green has one of my very favourite approaches with a huge gathering fallaway to waste ground front-right...

anyway, now the question... my friend couldn't tell me who has been doing (or is about to do) all of this work... i guess someone on here knows?

thanks,
ally

[Ally Mcintosh]

no pix sean... i'm sure you would approve of the changes but maybe not the additional bunkers    there are two bunkers short right on four that seem to be there for the bail-out...

how well do you remember the course?... would you agree that 8 and 9 are poorish holes (or at least very tight holes and in the case of the 8th, a bit TOO quirky)?... if you can recall, the approach road cuts through these two holes... a new road is being routed in behind the clubhouse freeing this land to hopefully become a great new long 9th...

also 10th - don't know if you played it since that green change 3 or 4 years ago...

...anyway, i had a blast and for the first time in a while managed to completely forget about what i might be scoring... i got a shock when i added it up the next morning...

[Ally Mcintosh]

sean, i was told the new 9th (current 8 & 9) will be a par-5 but to be honest, it could end up being a longer tougher 4 and bringing the green back from the clubhouse (where it would clearly be unsafe for longer approaches)...

i don't like the 8th... you need to play a blind 5-iron off the tee and then hit a drop-shot wedge to what amounts to being an island green as the rough and undulations on all sides are so penal... one option to change that hole could be to create fairway on the low left side of the big dune thus creating a split-fairway choice (albeit another blind one!) off the tee and enabling you to play up the throat of the green from the lower level... still, i don't like the hole... and the 9th is just far too tight a par-3... a lovely green though which it would be sad to see go...

the 10th is not a great tee-shot (although there is the heroic element in the cutting the corner of OB) and the ground is still flat up until the 2nd shot landing area where a dip and then a big berm feeding everything to the lower right from about 60 yards out creates that good approach i was talking about... the new green is on much lower ground than the old one which appeared to just be a gradual flat rise...

[Richard Phinney]

Martin Hawtree is masterminding the changes, following in the footsteps of his father who worked on the Island in 1973. He told me some of his proposals have been "diluted" in club committes, who presumably haven't wanted to rush into things.
 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I plan on being there around the 7th and 8th of September if anyone wants a game.

[Ally Mcintosh]

firstly, sean arbles' responses to my posts seem to have disappeared... unfortunately this makes it look like i was talking to myself (not an unusual occurance)...

secondly, tiger - i am away around that time in september but if your dates change, please let me know and i'd be happy to join you...

finally, richard - thanks... it was a fair bet that martin hawtree was involved - i don't suppose he indicated how some of his ideas had been diluted, did he?

ally

[Yancey_Beamer]

Whatever the changes it's one of my favorites.Great views and fascinating holes.

[Jay Flemma]

Guys, does anyone have any pics?  I heard great things about this course...

[Ally Mcintosh]

jay, don't have pics other than the ones here:

http://www.theislandgolfclub.com/

[Daryl David]

Here are some misc. photos.  I love the dunes.  Some of the most dramatic in Ireland.

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