Blown away in Ireland

[Bill Brightly]

I just got off the plane from a trip to Ireland and I can't tell if the buzz in my head is jetlag or a state of numbness caused by playing 7 fantastic links courses. I'll write more and post some pictures after I decompress, but for now I'll say that Donegal (Murvagh,) Portsalon and Ballyliffin Old may be the best kept three-course secret in golf. I've been to the Southwest of Ireland and loved those courses, but when you consider the value and quality of golf you get up north, this is a can't miss trip. In fact, Ballyliffin Old surpassed Ballybunion IMO, and was my favorite course in the world for two days, until I played Royal County Down... I then played Royal Portrush and Portstewart, both were fantastic.


Here are two things I came away with: 1) links golf in windy conditions is a completely different game than what we play in the US on plush fairways and soft greens; and 2) I stink at links golf but vow to get better!

[David Stamm]

  In fact, Ballyliffin Old surpassed Ballybunion IMO,   

Wow! That's quite a statement, Bill. But I haven't seen either, so take that for what it's worth.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Bill, I have played the Old Course at Ballyliffen a few times and Ballybunion many times.  I would like to hear why you think thar Ballyliffen is better.  I don't see it.  Ballyliffen certtainly is natural and the rumpled fairways are interesting but better than Ballybunion?  I have played about 80 courses in Ireland and would put the old course about 25 or 30 on my favorite list.

[Martin Toal]

Good to see great comments on courses in the northern part of the country. I used to work in Derry in NI and during long summer evenings would drive over to Ballyliffin (there was only one course then) and have a round, finishing about 10pm. Magnificent honest course. Donegal (Murvagh) is a great track too, and unless I see Pine Valley, RCD is simply the finest course I have ever seen.

For other visitors, there are a bunch of other courses on the east and west coats that are terrific, and a loop around the northern half of the country could provide a golf holiday of a lifetime.

[Rich Goodale]

I agree with you, Bill, about Ballyliffin Old and Portsalon (haven't played Murvagh).  I can't make the stretch of calling them "better" than Ballybunion, but I will say that that I would play either of them again before I going back to the latter.  I will add that I think that Ballyliffin Old was even more fun before the Club got puffed up and chose to build the Glashedy and the McClubhouse.  It was better and even more natural than Brora  Thanks for your memories of those days too, Martin.

[Martin Toal]

Rich

I was a resident at the hospital in Derry in 1990, and back then, a round cost 5 punts (Irish pounds), about $7. You would pay the barman before you started, or if there was nobody around, afterwards! Just a simple rural club then, but I haven't played it since Faldo took an interest and they expanded.

[Rich Goodale]

Martin

I spent my honeymoon in Ballyliffin in 1991, and as my mother-in-law's family is from Carndonagh, we were treated very well.  I loved the old clubhouse, where you could get a beer at the turn by knocking on a window at the rear and having it handed to you, and its simple barn shed design where 3 years later my then 1-yard old first daughter spent an hour happily rearranging the chairs over the dance floor while I and some good friends had a pint or three with the locals.  I hate to sound like the old fart that I am, but that was a much kinder, gentler time in the world of golf, and anybody who was not lucky enough to have played Balyliffin as it was then missed soemthing very, very special.

Rich

[Bill Brightly]

Tommy,

OK, maybe I should not state that Ballyliffin Old is better than Ballybunion. I played BB once 6 years ago before my interest in CGA started, and I am not really a fan of ranking great courses anyway. I am certainly not prepared to do a hole by hole comparison. I will say that the two courses at Ballyliffin occupy the entire point of land, and there are no homes nearby, whereas if I recall correctly, Ballybunion is close to a road including a mobile home park.

[Bill Brightly]

Here are a few photos from Donegal

[Bill Brightly]

Portsalon was a charming course, and out of 9 rounds, the only one where this 4 handicap broke 40 for a nine. (34 on the back nine )

After a good drive on #1, I was left with this unsettling uphill 4 iron into a stiff breeze


The hole tilts a bit from left to right...check out the trolley!





The second hole must be one of the best in Ireland. The tee is higly elevated and Lock Swilliy is on your left, With a hard left to right wind coming off the water, you have to decide how much of the concrete wall you want to cut off.
 





I hit a safe shot over the wall but had 220 to the green, which meant I had to fly the ball 185 dead into the wind, over the tidal stream that cuts in front of the green. My career 5 wood must had just made it over, then rolled 30 yards to the green.  Just a great golf hole!

[Bill Brightly]

A few more pics of Portsalon (then the camera died...)










Double green Hole 4 and 8

[David Mihm]

OK, I'd planned on taking a similar trip this fall (RCD, Ardglass, Portsalon, Portmarnock, Portrush, Ballyliffin, Rosapenna, St Patricks).  But I postponed til the spring.  Really glad to see your photos of Portsalon b/c I was thinking about leaving it out of that rotation. 

Did you get to Rospenna or St Patricks?  Should I skip those?

[Bill Brightly]

I would not drop Portsalon from the rotation, I loved the course, but I did not play some of the others on your list. Ballyliffin has two courses and our group preferred the Old over Glashedy by a large margin. Glashedy is fine if you are looking to play 36 in one day, but if you have to pick one, play Old.

You probably can get some better advice from others, but someone just told that he was very disappointed in Portmarnock.

[David Stamm]

Thanks for the great pics, Bill. It absolutely looks worthy of playing. Take this for what it's worth as I have not been to Ireland, but I've heard mixed reviews of Portmarnock. Some have told me that while a good couse, it gains much of it's rep due to it's championship history. All things being equal while in Dublin, Baltray seems to be a course I'd rather see over Portmarnock if I could only choose one. Would you agree with these thoughts?

[Tony_Muldoon]

David NW Ireland is a great, beautiful and VFM place to play links golf.
St Patricks is defunct.  Somewhere I posted a couple of pictures of it taken fron Rosapenna, they're that close.  The developer stripped some fairways and then lost control of his assets. I hope one day it might be returned to golf
IMO it,s Rosapenna over Ballyliffin. The main course has a terrain that's hard to quantify "playing in the clouds above the links"?  It's Pat Ruddy's finest links. Big, bad and beautiful.  Also the second course will have 9 new holes open alterred by one of Doaks team.
I didn't play the old at Ballyliffen and wished I had.
Enjoy your trip.

From my Blackberry 

[Bill Brightly]

If I was scheduling a trip, I would play RCD last, and try to play it twice! It is THAT good and you will enjoy the second round just as much, if not more. I don't always take caddies, the trolleys are fine for me, but you want a caddy at RCD.

I played it as a single with a caddy and every group waved us through. That was nice, but I wished someone asked me to play along, my round was over in 2:15    I was really tempted to go around again, but I had to drive to Portrush and had a tour of Belfast planned.

[Sean Leary]

I would play RCD as much as you can as well.

Portmarnock is excellent and should not be missed.

[Scott Henderson]

Great pictures!  I hope I can get over there soon!

[Dan Herrmann]

Time to brush up on Gaelic