[Jon Nolan]

I've probably read all the threads on these courses and dozens of itinerary suggestions for Connaught/Ulster but I wonder if it's worth asking for specific recommendations.  The plan is 72 holes over two days.  My questions are:

A.  Have we picked the right three courses in the neighborhood?

B.  Seems like Carne + Enniscrone and then Enniscrone + Rosses Point (or the other way around) makes the most sense.  Am I right?

C.  If B = yes then which way around?  Please consider the best option (best course) for a possible early morning round on day three (heading south from there).

D.  Best B&Bs with best beds with best breakfast?

E.  Questions I didn't ask but should have. 

Thanks very much for any advice you may have to offer.

 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Rosses Point is the course not to miss.

[Emil Weber]

Hi Jon,

i just arrived at Newcastle, County Down after three days at Carne, Enniscrone and Rosses Point!

Honestly, all three are great courses, I can't say that I preferred one over another as they are very individual courses with different characters. Carne is charmingly beautiful and entertaining, Enniscrone has the most interesitng holes and Rosses Point wonderfully flows over a classic site.

Sadly, we didn't get to play Strandhill, but Brian's recommondation sounds very reasonable. Rosses Point would then be a good choice for day three if you start with Carne/Enniscrone.

I highly recommend the Stella Maris hotel, located in Ballycastle halfway between Carne and Enniscrone. Charming little hotel and great people.

Enjoy!

[Sean_A]

Jon

I am not quite sure what you are asking.  Is day 3 to be near Carne/Enniscrone/Sligo or to be played early AM somewhere south?  If you are heading in any direction - you don't want the last game to be Carne - its bfnw.  Being a lazy bugger I would probably say skip Carne and play Enniscrone x2, Strandhill and Sligo, but all are worth seeing.  This way you can stay in one hotel easily.  Sligo isn't that bad, certainly no worse than many links towns and the bar scene was lively when I was there.  Carne is smaller, but as I say - not a convenient place to make base camp - it will cost at least 4 hours extra driving.  To me, Carne is in no way special to make that sort of commitment for.  You could also stay in Enniscrone (not as convenient as Sligo), but I don't know the town. 

Ciao

[Bill Gayne]

It's been seven years or so but we stayed in Enniscrone as a base to play all three courses. Enniscrone has a nice main street with several pubs and shops. sligo is the largest of the three towns.

We were there for Rosses Point open competition week and really enjoyed ourselves. All three were very welcoming clubs.

[Jack_Marr]

If it were me, I'd go for B. Carne is unlike any other course you'll play. People love it or hate it, it seems. I think it's a special place. Enniscrone is also special. Personally, I think Sligo is a good town, but Balina is also an option for accommodation.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Joe,

You have picked the correct 3 courses.

As Sean states, it depends which way round you are playing them but if you wish to finish closer to Dublin / The North, then you have got it pretty much right.

1. Get to Belmullet for night 1. Stay in the Broadhaven Bay or The Talbot (small kitsch comfortable boutique hotel). Eat in The Talbot or in the Phoenix chinese. Have a pint at McDonnells.

2. Play 18 at Carne, have lunch in the clubhouse, drive to Enniscrone, play 18... You can go back and stay in Ballina but there's a nice wee B&B in Enniscrone owned by the ex-secretary of the club (an unassuming lovely fellow who oversaw the appointment of Donald Steel for the new holes... I can't remember his name... Jim???) with a handy and lovely pub 100m up the road...

3. Play another 18 at Enniscrone and then head to Rosses Point....

Things worthy of note: If doing the accommodation another way, I'd be tempted to stay in Rosses Point itself and not Sligo... It is a pretty old seaside village again with a nice pub or two for food and drink...

Sean's suggestion of skipping Carne is a mistake in my opinion. The dune system at Carne is unique and the course is like no other (as Jack stated). You have a feeling of remoteness like very, very few other places I know. Regardless of whether the golf strikes you as the best of the trip or not, you have a very good chance of falling in love with the place. That is why for some people it is their favourite course on earth. You have to find that out for yourself rather than take the opinion of others, no matter how good their view usually is.

Brian's suggestion of Strandhill is also a good one. Very good fun course. Then you will need to stay in Rosses Point or Sligo instead of Enniscrone.

[Mike Sweeney]

Listen to Ally. I have never stayed here but it has been mentioned here before as a unique place in Ballina

http://www.icehousehotel.ie/

[Tony_Muldoon]

Recently stayed at

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g211867-d1581803-Reviews-Waterfront_House-Enniscrone_County_Sligo.html

Great value, big comfortable rooms with a decent restaurant downstairs. The window seats have an all world view of the beach. Waves break parallel to the shore and the beach there is a lovely curve. As the sun set it seemed there wasn't a finer place to be.

Also if time allows play the P&P in Enniscrone. It’s in the field behind the owners house in the main street. .  Some of the most challenging greens anywhere and all in decent (if very slow) nick.

[Jon Nolan]

Thanks gents.  Great advice all.

@Sean, to clarify, we're heading back to our base in Shannon on day three and will likely try to play 18 that morning.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Jon, are you aware Lahinch is approx 40 minutes from the airport?

[Jon Nolan]

Hi Tony,

Yes.  Lahinch is in the cards for sure.  Shannon will be our base due to family living there although it's a pretty handy jumping off point for anything in the west.  We've never played north of Clare before though and thought the Mayo/Sligo loop would be fun - largely based on what I've read here.

[Dan Moore]

Played this rotation a little over a month ago.  Carne is as robust a golf experience as I have had in the UK and Ireland.  Enniscrone is a very fine course with some fine holes in the dunes and the routing and surrounding views at Rosses Point are fantastic even if the greens are a bit bland.  We stayed at the Waterfront Hotel in Enniscrone for 3 nights and it was exceptional and quite reasonable.  

[Tony_Muldoon]

Played this rotation a little over a month ago.  Carne is as robust a golf experience as I have had in the UK and Ireland.  Enniscrone is a very fine course with some fine holes in the dunes and the routing and surrounding views at Rosses Point are fantastic even if the greens are a bit bland.  We stayed at the Waterfront Hotel in Enniscrone for 3 nights and it was exceptional and quite reasonable.  

Dan is that the same place I reference about 3 posts above?

[Ally Mcintosh]

For anyone interested, there is a good 10 minute section on Connemara, Carne and Enniscrone on this week's Living Golf on CNN.

Still showing I believe but here's a link directly to the section:

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/06/04/living-golf-padraig-harrington-b-spc.cnn

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