One GB&I location

[Carl Nichols]

Assume you have only five nights, want to sleep in one place only, and don't want to drive more than one hour to any course--where would you pick? 

[Anthony Gray]

    St Andrews.

[Dean Stokes]

Lytham/ St Annes / Hoylake area. Beautiful and close to The Lake District.

[Tom_Doak]

Carl:

You could stay in between Gullane and North Berwick, play a half-dozen really good courses, and never drive more than 10 minutes.

Or you could stay in St. Andrews and tick off the various St. Andrews courses, Kingsbarns, and Carnoustie easily ... with Gleneagles less than an hour away too.

Or you could stay somewhere in the SW of London and play all the heathland courses, and maybe even sneak down to Rye within your time limit.

[Tony_Muldoon]

1  London

2  North of Liverpool

3  Lothian

4 Fife

5 Ayshire

6 Belfast

7 Donegal

8 Dublin

9  I'm sure I've missed at least one.


All of above qualify. More clues needed as to what you really, really want

[Carl Nichols]

Thanks for the quick responses. 

Tony:
Here's what I'm looking for:  at least 2 top-100-or-so-in-the-world courses that we'd play twice; at least one course notable for being particularly unique in some sense; and a few other darn good courses.  No minimum # of courses if everything is right, but ideally we'd play at least five separate tracks (I'm assuming 9 rounds total -- 18 and then 36 for 4 days).  Town/lodging would be a place with a good bit of charm, preferably in a smallish town--though if Dublin or Belfast otherwise worked, would be open to those (though probably not London).  Ultimately might want to try somewhere that's a little off the beaten path of traditional golf trips.
Thx again   

[Sean_A]

Thanks for the quick responses. 

Tony:
Here's what I'm looking for:  at least 2 top-100-or-so-in-the-world courses that we'd play twice; at least one course notable for being particularly unique in some sense; and a few other darn good courses.  No minimum # of courses if everything is right, but ideally we'd play at least five separate tracks (I'm assuming 9 rounds total -- 18 and then 36 for 4 days).  Town/lodging would be a place with a good bit of charm, preferably in a smallish town--though if Dublin or Belfast otherwise worked, would be open to those (though probably not London).  Ultimately might want to try somewhere that's a little off the beaten path of traditional golf trips.
Thx again   

It sounds like Kent is right up your alley.  Sandwich is a lovely town, so is Deal.  There is Sandwich right there and Rye an hour away - two world class courses.  You also have Deal, Princes and Littlestone.  Thats five courses in any order you like.  It is also possible to hit West Sussex on your way to/from Gatwick.  If you fly into Heathrow the number of options opens for the cheater game on days of travel.  You could also stay in Rye which is a lovely town - though the majority of golf is out in Kent. 

Ciao 

[David_Tepper]

If you were interested in a more remote/small village location, I would submit Dornoch. Royal Dornoch is on your doorstep. Tain (9mi.), Brora (15mi.) & Golspie (10mi.) are all nearby and very worth playing. Fortrose (35mi.) is not a great course, but it is a memorable one. Nairn is a top 40 GB&I course and is little over an hour's drive. The new course at Castle Stuart (50mi.) opens next summer and will be a BIG hit.   

[jeffwarne]

Fly to Belfast
Stay in Portrush
Two top 10's in the world

Ballycastle (a good opener after an all night flight
Royal County Down x2
Portrush x 2
Portrush Valley, Portstewart (2 great courses)
Castlerock (27 holes) a really good course and a wild, fun 9
(Add Bushfoot-9 holes-) if you really need 36)

Wales
Fly to Bristol

play Burnham and Berrow day 1 (or Tenby the opposite direction)
Stay in Swansea or Porthcawl
Ashburnham, (Celtic Manor) especially if you're traveling with a nonGCA crowd
 (I haven't played it) or Tenby
Pennard x 2
Royal PC x 2
Pyle and Kenfig ,Southerndown

 

[Greg Holland]

Carl,

As Tom Doak suggested, if you go to East Lothian, you can stay in Gullane or N. Berwick (the latter has more charm in my view), play Muirfield (top 10, if you can get on) and N. Bewick West Links in top 100, and still have plenty to chose from:  Archerfield and Renaissance on the new side, East Links N.Berwick, 3 courses at Gullane, Luffness New, Dunbar, etc. all within about 45 minutes of Edinburgh (Braids Hill No. 1 was a fun course in town as well).

Email or call me if you want to talk more about this (and places to stay, eat, etc.).

Greg

[David_Tepper]

Recent NY Times article on visiting North Berwick:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/travel/19explorer.html

[Gerry B]

london heathland courses

[Ed Tilley]

Although this is as far from 'off the tourist trail' as it's possible to be, Killarney would be a great place to stay. Two decent courses at Killarney. Dooks and Tralee about half an hour away. Ballybunion an hour away, Waterville a bit further but the drive round the Ring of Kerry is so spectacular you won't mind. Killarney is a really fun town as well in a beautiful location.

[Jonathan Cummings]

If you run through Doak's suggestions while in the Lothians I suggest you also consider Longniddry - a second echelon but worthwhile course between Edinbugh and Muirfield.

JC

[Mark Chaplin]

I've got to agree with Sean that despite being 90 minutes from Heathrow the Kent coast is well off the golfing beaten track. 2 days at Deal, Sandwich or Rye and 2 days at Sunningdale, The Berkshire, WH or the 3Ws gives great golf and variation to boot.

[Kevin Pallier]

St. Andrews is the obvious choice for mine.....including games at places like Elie / Crail

[Mark Pearce]

All these suggestions fit the bill but for me Fife wins the argument.