[Shane Wright]

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great fortune of playing the Cork Golf Club (Ireland), my first Alister Mackenzie experience.  What a great golf club with a stretch of holes on the front nine that are hard to beat.  

There has been a little discussion of the course lately as Martin Hawtree will be doing renovation work on the bunkers and my understanding is that there is going to be quite a bit of tree removal as well.  Before the work is done, I thought I would add some hole by hole pictures.

We had a wonderful day spent at CGC, thanks to Padraig Dooley, and I look forward to returning to see the work from Mr. Hawtree.

If you are in the area of Cork, I would highly recommend making a visit to CGC.  I have typically stuck to the seaside links courses on each trip across the pond, but am certainly glad we made the decision to get over to Cork.  

1st hole tee ball - Par 4



1st hole approach

[Shane Wright]

2nd hole tee ball -  beautiful par 5 - 463 Meters



I loved this sign



approach to #2



greenside #2 -



from #3 tee 285 meters



Approach to #3

[Shane Wright]

 I'm not quite sure how to eliminate the scroll bar at the bottom of the series of pictures...so a few of them might seem off center until you use the scroll bar

[Shane Wright]

Now is where CGC really comes alive....this stretch of holes is one of my favorites.  #4-9

#4 view from just behind #3 green - 410 meters



#4 view from tee box



landing area drop off #4 fairway - depending on your driving distance



I didn't get a great approach picture of #4 unfortunately, but here is one walking up to the green


It is hard to see in this picture, but the flag is on one of the flatter portions of the green.  The green slopes away down to the front and away to the back of the green so it was very unique and could have some really difficult pin locations for tourneys.  Notice the quarry wall in the background which very prevalent thruout he next several holes

[Shane Wright]

another view of #4 green from #5 tee box


view from#5 tee box - 528 meters - the line is probably just right of the white post in the distance



i didn't show any pictures here but the walk from #5 teebox to the fairway takes you thru a series of shrubs with the estuary to your right.  For a 1st time visitor, it is a beautiful walk with the aniticipation of wondering where your tee ball went with a mostly blind drive.

walking up the left rough of #5 with a view of green an estuary to the right




long hitters may be tempted to reach #5 in two, but it will take a heckuva drive and 2nd shot



tough pin just over the wall




looking back down #5 from green



 

[RJ_Daley]

Perhaps Padraig or Shane have commented on this in the past, but did someone or evolution of maintenance simply knock every semblence of the good Dr.'s mark out of this ground?  I can't see anything in the photos that would give me cause to say, ah yes this looks like something from the MacKenzie repetroire.   It seems to me that Mr Hawtree has his work cut out for him. 

No, it doesn't look like a bad course.  The greens in the photos sure don't look too contoured, but photos don't really give the best or most accurate account.  I'm sure it is enjoyable and perhaps fits the green countryside landscape. 

[Shane Wright]

RJ - I am going to add some more holes here shortly where you will hopefully see some green contours. A few of the greens have drastic contouring and the rest are very subtle.

[Shane Wright]

Tee ball on #6 - target is white house - par 4 302 meters


walking up #6


approach from middle of fairway to 3 tiered green


#6 fairway countours


two closer pictures of the green


   

[Shane Wright]

#7 169 Meters - a wonderful par 3 with a huge false front.  


walking up to #7, the contours are now more visible


green from side angle


my playing partner hit two putts from this location that came back to his feet
 

above the hole is dead!


tee shot on #8 396 meters - The hole bends around to the left

[Adam Lawrence]

RJ - photos can be very deceiving. It's a grand course, a pretty good candidate for Ireland's best non-links IMO. It does need a sensitive touch-up; I hope Marc Westonborg of Hawtrees, who's in charge of the work, will deliver that.

[Padraig Dooley]

Perhaps Padraig or Shane have commented on this in the past, but did someone or evolution of maintenance simply knock every semblence of the good Dr.'s mark out of this ground?  I can't see anything in the photos that would give me cause to say, ah yes this looks like something from the MacKenzie repetroire.   It seems to me that Mr Hawtree has his work cut out for him. 

No, it doesn't look like a bad course.  The greens in the photos sure don't look too contoured, but photos don't really give the best or most accurate account.  I'm sure it is enjoyable and perhaps fits the green countryside landscape. 

There has been a few changes since MacKenzie's time, the most noticeable is the bunkering which had their faces grassed back in the 80's. The bunkers never had MacKenzie's intricities and were always reasonably small. The bunker remodel will start in october, the style will return to sand faced bunkers and any new ones will be small in keeping with the site.

The greens do have quite a bit of contour, Shane's pictures of the seventh would be a good example.

 

[RJ_Daley]

Sorry gents for jumping the gun a bit.  Yes, the contouring is picking up on the thrill meter as you show us more. 

Looking at some of those little snarly lipped bunkers reminds me a great deal of some of the work I've seen of Tom Bendelow.  They certainly don't seem like anything typical of MacKenzie that I've seen (which is admittedly not much). 

6 and 7 look like a thrill.   It seems it would be a charmed life to live in that little white house... 

[Dan Herrmann]

Fantastic!

I'm 3rd generation Irish American - my mom's side is from County Cork - I've gotta get back there!!

(My dad's family is from Baden, Germany - don't hear a lot about golf there)

[Shane Wright]

beautiful approach to #8 with quarry wall in background.  Notice the severe drop off right of the green


walk up to #8


a look back at #8 fairway with rock wall lining right side


drop off on the right side of #8 green


the fantastic #9 par 3 180 Meters - I absolutely loved this hole so I have many pictures to post


Great contouring on #9 green





side views of #9 green from #8 fairway



one more cool picture of #9 with the estuary and Cork in the background


#10 par 4 386 meters - The last hole thru the rock quarry, this view is from the tee


approach to #10

[Shane Wright]

#11 from tee with shot over #10 green  - in the distance on the left is the Seve Ballesteros tree - par 5 455 Meters


approach to #11, the Seve tree is where he hit his drive in what I think was the Irish Open sometime in the 80's...just a simple knockdown driver of 410 yards.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Shane thanks for I have never seen Cork GC either.

[Shane Wright]

 I will have the rest of the course up by hopefully tomorrow.

[Dub_ONeill]

These pictures are a great reminder of the course.  The foursome I traveled withy to Ireland in 2001 stopped at Cork for a round on our way to Kinsale without knowing anything about the course.  It was a terrific surprise.  I still think about what a wonderful short par four No. six was.  How can a hole can look so benign and be so treacherous?  Plus, I have not played another course where you get to
whistle tee shots directly over a green on the way to the fairway.  I often recommend this course to people who are going to play at Old Head as a great place to stop on the way, but it seems no one ever takes up the suggestion.

[Brad Fleischer]

Shane

Nice pics. You brought back memories of 08. I played it in crappy weather but I dont remember those bushes on #8. Are those new or do I just have a bad memory ?

Brad

[Padraig Dooley]

Shane

Nice pics. You brought back memories of 08. I played it in crappy weather but I dont remember those bushes on #8. Are those new or do I just have a bad memory ?

Brad

Brad, the gorse bushes on the left of the 8th have been there since 03/04, probably have gotten bigger since 08 so could have escaped your attention.

[Brad Fleischer]

Shane

Nice pics. You brought back memories of 08. I played it in crappy weather but I dont remember those bushes on #8. Are those new or do I just have a bad memory ?

Brad

Brad, the gorse bushes on the left of the 8th have been there since 03/04, probably have gotten bigger since 08 so could have escaped your attention.

Thanks I def didn't remember those bushes. I will go with gotten bigger lol. I actually didn't bother taking any pics as the weather was brutal. I know the links courses get all the press but Ireland's countryside needs no introduction and some of there parkland layouts are great walks as well.

Brad

[Shane Wright]

Sorry I haven't had a chance to get the rest of the pics up yet...maybe tonight after the little one goes to bed.

Anyone going to Ireland to play Old Head definitely needs to stop at Cork.  It was such a treat to play and I will definitely be back...although it may take a few years. 

For that matter, if you are crossing the country from Dublin to the SW of Ireland, you need to stop and play it. 

[Mike Sweeney]

Sorry I haven't had a chance to get the rest of the pics up yet...maybe tonight after the little one goes to bed.

Shane,

This is a great tour, keep posting! I had always thought this course was chopped up MacK. Some fabulous and unique holes it appears. Thanks

[mike_malone]

 Thanks so much; nice to see an inland Irish course worth traveling to play.

[Carl Nichols]

That stretch beginning at #6 is really unique and cool looking.  Had never heard of the course -- thanks for posting.

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