Ireland Virgin

[Jim Tang]

Headed to Ireland July 4 - 14 for the first time.  On my own, self drive.  Playing RCD, Portrush, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion - Old, Dooks, Waterville & Old Head, in that order.  Flying into and out of Dublin.

I would love advice from some of you who have spent time in Ireland/Northen Ireland.  Tips on playing links golf, food, drink, weather, essential gear, driving, etc. would be much appreciated.  Cheers.

[David_Tepper]

Jim -

I have done most of that trip.

1) Figure it will take you 60 minutes to drive 40 miles.
2) Pack 3-4 extra pairs of socks. It is always nice to have a dry pair handy.
3) Think more about the yardage to the front of the green, rather than the center.
4) Enjoy the Guiness and have a great time!

DT 

[Anthony Gray]

   Ardglass and THe Giant's Causway are a must. After you loose your virginity you will never be the same. Sieze the day.


  Anthony

[Bill_McBride]

Jim, I have only played in Northern Ireland, after the 2007 Walker Cup at County Down.  That is a must play, along with Royal Portrush.  I would definitely play both courses there, the Valley is a gem in its own right.  Portstewart and Castlerock are also very good in that area.  Ardglass over just north of Newcastle on the ocean is also spectacular if mixed.  There are some very dramatic cliffside holes and some mundane inland holes.  It's fun.

The food is a disaster.  NEVER order the "Caesar Salad," there is nothing caesar about it, just a glob of mayo and cabbage that is nearly inedible.  In Coleraine, the regional town between Castlerock and Portrush, is a wonderful Chinese restaurant called the Water Garden, so good that we ate there twice.  In Portrush there is a pretty good place called the Wine Bar that is lively.  Golf is of higher quality than gastronomy in Northern Ireland, trust me on this.  You will love the links courses.

 

[Bob_Huntley]

Jim,

David Tepper has some of the important information but no matter what, never stay in any B&B or accommodation that doesn't have..... a clothes dryer. It is the most useful appliance to have in Ireland.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Jim,

David Tepper has some of the important information but no matter what, never stay in any B&B or accommodation that doesn't have..... a clothes dryer. It is the most useful appliance to have in Ireland.

So true.  The best hostess we had immediately offered to throw our clothes in the dryer and pour us a glass of whiskey after a really wet day at Tralee.

Have a blast.  That is a great line up.

[Ron Csigo]

Jim - You're going to have a blast.

The Slieve Donard hotel is a great base camp the first night b/c you can literally walk out the back door of the hotel to get to RCD.  Plus, the views from the hotel itself are spectacular.  Ardglass would be a relatively close second round of the day.  Probably 35 minutes away.  When heading to Portrush, definitely check out the Bushmills Inn.  It's a well kept, rustic type hotel that a lot of groups use when playing Portrush.  Good food and the front bar is fantastic.  They play local Irish music nightly.  You'll get a true glimpse of Ireland.

When playing the Ring of Kerry courses, I've stayed in Killarney.  It's a bit of a drive to Ballybunion (1.5hrs) and Waterville (1.5hrs) but given the road system in Ireland, nothing is quick and convenient. Staying in Killarney, you'll have a lot of access to good bars and food.

When staying in Lahinch, I recommend Vaughans Lodge just off Main Street.  It's right next to the golf course.  And again, it's got a nice downtown with some good bars.  Plus, it's only 25 minutes from Doonbeg.

As far as the food, do not try to eat American cuisine because they come up short.  If you're adventerous, try some of the local fare which is actually pretty good imo.  For the weather, always have rain gear with you and a solid cover so your clubs don't get wet.  Extra pairs of golf gloves and socks are helpful too.

Have fun!

[Mike Sweeney]

You will have a mental layout of your trip before you land. Along the way, some of your Irish playing partners will ask you for a drink/dinner/stay over/marry their daughter. Like most golf psychos, you will say "Thanks but I have to be at XYZ course tomorrow".

Trust me, go for the drink/dinner/stay over and stop short of marrying their daughter. You will have a friend for life.

[David_Tepper]

Bring plenty of extra tees, as tees tend to break easily in the firm turf. The courses in GB&I rarely give tees away. They don't give away scorecard pencils either, so bring a bunch of those as well.

[Rory Connaughton]

With all due respect to Bill and his salad experience, if you enjoy seafood, Ireland is hard to beat.  When at RCD, have dinner at the Mourne Seafood Company. Its just up the road.  When at Old Head, you must eat in Kinsale.  Ideally at Fishy Fishy (if my recollection is correct).

[Mark Smolens]

The hotel on top of the hill overlooking Royal Portrush (can't recall the name) was great, and the food was good there too.  Second the endorsement of Castlerock, but if you want a quirky little course on the road between Belfast and Portrush, check out Ballycastle.  Rope bridge, right on the coast, great fun (albeit probably not much more than 5400 yards).  If you're flying in to Dublin, lots of options on day you arrive before going up to RCD (Baltry, Island, Portmarnock) that are very worth the effort as well. . .

[Jason Topp]

Bring a lot of balls.  I recall they are expensive there and you can lose a lot of them.

Other than that - have fun!

[Ron Csigo]

I agree with Rory, the seafood is amazing in Kinsale.  And, I second his restaurant suggestion, Fishy Fishy.  Quirky name but delicious seafood.

[JMEvensky]

Trust me, go for the drink/dinner/stay over and stop short of marrying their daughter. You will have a friend for life.

This is almost great advice.Make sure to check out the daughter first,just in case.Nothing beats a red-haired Irish lady.And no right-thinking Irishman goes for a drink(singular).Be forewarned-John Powers can really sneak up on you.

[mike_malone]

 You might find my friend Tom Coyne's new book "A Course Called Ireland" helpful and fun to read.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Bring plenty of extra tees, as tees tend to break easily in the firm turf.

Nice observation David.  However ditch the ones you use at home because in the firm turf you only need 1/4" in the soil to support the ball.  Then the tee pings out of the ground and lives on for another hole.  Put 1/2" into the soil and its 14 new tees a round.

Portrush, North 54 has all world views and the food is pretty good. Lahinch eat just out side town Barrtra – seafood in a small family place.  Seriously the food is so much better than it used to be.


Weather pack for the worst and ... sunscreen. Finally at the airport grab a couple of those sealable plastic bags they hand out for cosmetics at security. The wettest round I ever played was at the Buda event in Leeds.  My wallet in the bag became sodden and I dried it out on the radiator overnight.  Next day the cards were all warped and I had to persuade the hotel front desk to call Visa and read the no’s through as the cards were u/s.

[Jim Tang]

Thanks guys.  I knew I could count on this board for some solid local knowledge. 

One of my major worries is keeping my digital camera dry.  Any suggestions for this?  As many have mentioned, it looks like I'll be getting pretty wet during my rounds.

[Sean_A]

Thanks guys.  I knew I could count on this board for some solid local knowledge. 

One of my major worries is keeping my digital camera dry.  Any suggestions for this?  As many have mentioned, it looks like I'll be getting pretty wet during my rounds.

Hhhmmm, don't take your camera out in the rain?

Take heed of Mike Sweeney's advice - leave time for the unexpected.  You can always get a game in late afternoon (when the tourist crush subsides) if nothing materializes.

Run your own taste test between Murphys and Guinness,  You will swear on one or the other on successive nights. 

Don't get caught playing pool for money.  They play by funny rules which you won't know of until its too late.

Ciao 

[Bill_McBride]

With all due respect to Bill and his salad experience, if you enjoy seafood, Ireland is hard to beat.  When at RCD, have dinner at the Mourne Seafood Company. Its just up the road.  When at Old Head, you must eat in Kinsale.  Ideally at Fishy Fishy (if my recollection is correct).

"Due respect" accepted!     We really didn't have much luck except in curry joints or Asian food, but didn't get into any nice seafood places.  The best place in Kilkeel, where we stayed during the Walker Cup, was closed, but we had a couple of nice casual dinners at the Kilkeel Golf Club where they were most gracious to us.

[Dan Moore]

Don't forget a 1st rate rainsuit. 

If you can try to arrange to play with locals who know the courses, it will help you enjoy them enormously. 

[Steve_Lemmon]

Smithwick's beer is pronounced "Smiddicks." 

Try the funky 9 hole course at Spanish Point (pretty cheap) after you have paid a fortune to play Doonbeg earlier in the day. 

[Jamie Barber]

On the 9th tee at RCD, take a moment to stare and a photo!

[Jim Colton]

Thanks guys.  I knew I could count on this board for some solid local knowledge. 

One of my major worries is keeping my digital camera dry.  Any suggestions for this?  As many have mentioned, it looks like I'll be getting pretty wet during my rounds.

As one of Jim's three subscribers to his 'Golf Pic of the Week' service (GPW), I hope he takes a ton of pictures, rain or shine.  Jimbo, is it too late to join you?

Mr. Tang has one heck of a July lined up, golf wise.  He's home from Ireland for all of 2 days then it's off to Ballyneal and Sand Hills.

[Tony_Muldoon]

2) Pack 3-4 extra pairs of socks. It is always nice to have a dry pair handy.

Jim,

David Tepper has some of the important information but no matter what, never stay in any B&B or accommodation that doesn't have..... a clothes dryer. It is the most useful appliance to have in Ireland.

So true. 

 For the weather, always have rain gear with you and a solid cover so your clubs don't get wet.  Extra pairs of golf gloves and socks are helpful too.

Don't forget a 1st rate rainsuit. 

Wow are you on message yet?  Just last year I had 3 trips to Ireland involving Golf.  Easter (March) Dry and windy.  Late April 7 days in Ulster, light winds virtually dry. And the summer 3 weeks of family holiday with rain on 12 days – pretty much the same as most of the UK..  In truth the weather is virtually identical to Ayrshire or Cornwall due to the prevailing wind with precipitation coming off the Atlantic Ocean.  You might get rain or as I suggest above, you might need sunscreen.  Just take it as it comes.

July should be great, if you haven't been in a similar location you'll be surprised how late it stays light, particularly in Portrush.

Most posters finished with “Enjoy”.

[Padraig Dooley]

The best current advice for anybody coming here or thinking of coming here is to haggle, everywhere will do a deal and some great deals can be found eg currently a group of 16 can play the Old Head for €60 each.