[Doug Wright]

Waterville seems to engender views like "too Americanized." I'm not sure about that though several holes on the front side (played pre-Fazio) were simply boring or dumb (eg the pond hole) so maybe that's one's view of American golf. The course didn't meet up with my expectations after hearing about "the mighty Waterville links," as it was advertised. The back 9 through the dunes, however, was really good as I recall. So maybe it's the schizoid nature of the course that makes it "overrated."

Here is a thread of the same ilk from 2002. Seems our patron saint thought it was pretty good...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=3322;start=msg64588#msg64588  

[Aidan Bradley]

Not sure why everyone has dissed the now defunct par three 7th (pond!) hole. It was a long iron into the wind to a small green protected in front buy a moat and with mini dunes behind the green which were not the easiest to chip out of if you were long. Oh well, may it R.I.P......

[Dan Boerger]

I played Waterville a couple of years ago on a golfing trip to the South West. I would definately recommend it, and I can't recall anything I would change (other than the 40 MPH wind gusts). Not exactly inspiring in layout, but a great test of golf. FWIW, I found the course significantly more enjoyable than Tralee.

[J_ Crisham]

Dan, Boy do our tastes differ!I guess thats the beauty of this game-when I think of Tralee the holes 8,9, and 11 are not the best of holes but 2,3,4,5,and6 are a great stretch.  In addition to the spectacular dunes on the back 9. 16 is often considered one of the great holes in Eire. Dunes are probably only surpassed by those at Carne-another personal favorite. I visit Eire biennially and have taken Waterville out of my rota just because there are so many better for much less in my opinion.

[ClarkW]

Lots of good comments made by both sides of the argument... it seems to me that this topic has been debated on this forum previously. And without resolve, I might add.

As for me, I have played Waterville on at least four separate trips over the past 10 years (most of them pre-Fazio) and have always immensely enjoyed the course... primarily because of the back nine. I think that Waterville's back nine is a wonderful mix of stategy, beauty and brute strength (my favorite being the par 5 11th).

The major weakness in the past was indeed the comparatively weak front nine. Fazio seems to have remedied the boring uphill par four (formerly the 6th?) and questionable watery par three 7th (as previously mentioned). My only question is whether the burn that he has brought into play on the new holes was there before or not?

I have always like the low key club/clubhouse. And the remoteness of the course makes for a beautiful drive to/from Killarney. However, I will say that I was somewhat disappointed in the number of "buggies" in use on my last visit.

My last comment (not necessarily a critique) is that the marketing machine seems to be portraying Waterville as a Fazio course... as opposed to the wonderful tales of John Mulcahy and Eddie Hackett as well as Payne Stewart's visits to and love of the place. I realize adding Fazio's name to the mix makes it "easier" to pitch the course to new visitors to Ireland (and his new holes have indeed improved the course) but be sure to give Hackett and the townspeople their due.

[Sean Walsh]

I played Waterville Pre Fazio and really liked it but it was definitely a course of two halves.  One great, one barely above average.

For me it doesn't rank anywhere near fifth in Ireland/NIR.  

Apart from the obvious Four others that I'd go and play again before Waterville are:
Lahinch
County Louth
The Island
Carne
Enniscrone
Ballyliffin Old

For me it sits on a similar line to
Tralee
County Sligo
The European Club

[J_ Crisham]

Sean,   I would also add Doonbeg, Dooks, Portmarnock, and a somewhat more obscure course on the Dingle Pen. called Ceann Siebal(sp?). This is traditional Eire at its best-the locals still speak Gaelic. Fun inexpensive course with beautiful vistas.

[Sean Walsh]

Jack,

Portmarnock would be included as Big four(RCD, RP, BallyBunion and Portmarnock).  I wasn't a great wrap for Doonbeg, it could have been so much better with the raw material available.  Dooks was fun but I think the Back 9 at Waterville puts it ahead of Dooks (Although on a value basis Dooks comes very much back into calculations).

I like Tralee but found Ceann Sibeal a little Bland.  I spent a few days out there and enjoyed the area more than the golf.

[Donal Breasail]

 Waterville are actually making changes to a couple of holes on the front nine again.Fazio is taking out the  water hazards that run on the right side of no 6 and 7.I havent seen the work yet but my understanding is the members found the holes too dificult and wanted them changed (am pretty sure these were two of the holes fazio worked on).The holes that really let me down at Waterville are no's 5 and 13 which are pretty boring par 5's once you get off the tee.
 

[Steve Sayre]

I think Sean Walsh has got it exactly right in his listing.  

NB, the wild Northeast is fabulous, and Dooks is not to be missed.

[mike_malone]

 I'm wondering if the 360 degree beauty of the water and the hills makes some players have a more positive attitude towards Waterville. Although I played there almost ten years ago, I found the start so mundane that the interest developed later was not enough to make me want to go back there.

[JohnV]

One thing I never understood about Waterville was the plaque on the 2nd or 3rd hole where Christy O'Connor ( I believe) was quoted as saying it was on the best holes in the world.  It didn't seem that way to me at the time (last played in 1997) and I still don't see the greatness of the hole relative to so many others.  It wasn't even close to the best hole there in my opinion.

I did enjoy Waterville and like some others would have put it ahead of Tralee, but definitely behind Portmarnock, Ballybunion Old and Lahinch in the Republic.

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