Great thread Dave and great comments from the board.
I've made 4 trips to that area of Donegal now and first played the Old in '97 based on Finnegan's writing.
By far my best experience at Rosapenna as there was no clubhouse(paid in the bar down the road) and the Old course was at it's most unchanged, intimate with only the slight awkwardness of the dual road crossings on the Coastguard nine, which was a significant contrast to the Old front nine/10 with a dramatic climb upwards over the town after the intimate walk around the front.
Since then I've been back in 2007 and played both and stayed in the hotel.
I found it very sterile and uncharming along with the staff and clientele (think ski lifts in Europe), a very unusual experience for Ireland, especially that part of Ireland. The New Ruddy course was particularly brutal, though consisting of many spectacular shots and holes. That said one of my amateurs shot his lowest round ever, an 83 which given the conditions and that course, was nothing short of incredible.
Returned in 2011, didn't stay there and played only the OTM, which by now had scrapped the CoastGuard nine for the new redone Ruddy/Doak and used that nine for the start.
Pretty good holes routed through reasonably wild dunes without a lot of climbing-perhaps a bit of repetition but that's mainly a feature of the terrain-or could just be me.
The original OTM front was now the back, after an awkward transition across the parking lot past the ever sterile yellow clubhouse.
Gone was the old gentle handshakefirst hole, and the new 10th was the second half of the old second, now a dogleg left rather than a straightaway par 4. The rest of the original OTM front (now the back) remained intact and charming as ever-a very good feel to those holes (11-18 on OTM)
Was back this year and didn't play either course though did drive by on the way from Portsalon to Dunfanaghy. Noticed the fairway cutting at St. patricks-would have loved to have played there-didn't even know it existed when it was still open in '97 on my first visit.
Dave's pictures make me want to go back and give it another go, but frankly there's so much good golf in that area it's difficult to fit it in and with the hospitality so warm at every other venue and lodging in that area, fighting with Germans for trollies and tee times(despite being booked and confirmed) with an indifferent staff has little or no appeal to me.
There's really no course or experience in the area i want to sacrifice a day for to return-but based on others' experiences it seems to have improved.