In the second half you move out of the dunes land. However the land drains well and links lover that I am, I’ll reluctantly admit that the standard of golf holes might even move up a notch or two. This was the second wettest summer on record in Ireland and yet the ball ran on the fairways pretty much throughout. Although the character of the course changes (visually) it plays as one course.
10 dogleg right 408 yards, you know there’s a ditch the far side of the fairway but as you can’t see it the doubts start to creep in. This green will change this year but even today it features a big back to front slope.
11 - OK I will criticise. One thing that will stop this course rising too far in the rating is that holes 3, 9 and 11 are all par 3’s facing in the same direction and don’t have enough difference to make all 3 very good.
12 has some interesting fairway ridges and a 41 yard green with nice fall offs.
13 is also set to change. But having a lake in front is cool. It’s not really in play but visually it takes you further from the idea you're playing in dunesland. Generally you're concentrating so much on the shots you don't realise you've left the sea behind.
14 I think this will be lengthened from 374, but it’s a nice idea having the green fall away to the back right on a downwind hole. Of course the right place for the bunker is front left. this shot is form behind.
15
451 yards with wind assisting will tempt many to try and clear the pond. But even if you do the green is severely raised and you’ll often, still have work to do.
16 MMMM....
This mis one of the most imposing tee shots I know of. There’s miles of fairway right but you are intimidated into playing left.
Apparently the hole used to be a straight on, with a green near those trees, and into the wind it must have been a mighty 4(and a better hole according to a few I talked to). But now it’s 509 yards and blind for the 3rd shot unless you hit your second towards the stream on the left. You are then left with this. (Let’s just say 14 of the 15 new holes are pretty great so hopefully this one will be revised.)
17 Good par 4. 447 yards with the stream all along the left and then crossing over 20 yards in front of the green
18 great 5 finisher, with a green that looks extraordinary and must be 60 yards by 25, doglegging away from you. There’s a huge grass fall off to the front right.
Arklow reminded me a little of Portsalon the way it moved out of the dunes to become another course. I’ll wager it will be the better course of the two when finished.
6383 yards. Par 69 and with the most fun set of new greens around. In order to have those contours it probably stimps rather slow. But as any long putt will have to move across severe slopes the actual stimp readings would change from about 3 to 12 on the same putt. Praise to Eddie Conaughton and the members for giving us these great greens. They played well this summer but with time I believe they’ll improve further.
Well worth a detour if your heading south from Dublin and only 15 mins from the European Club. Play before 10am (!? This IS Ireland) and it’s only 30 euro’s – even Bunkerman would approve of that!
