[Jack_Marr]

I was in the area last week and it's a stunning place, but I only saw the course from a distance. I have not played it since Pat Ruddy made some changes, but they're supposed to be very good. Now Paul McGinley has made some changes. Has anyone seen these changes?

http://www.portsalongolfclub.com/paulmcginley.html

[Ally Mcintosh]

Hi Jack,

Pat Ruddy made significant changes which were received very well by all quarters I believe... I certainly loved the course when I saw it for the first time last year...

At that point, Paul McGinley was engaged and doing work primarily with the head greenkeeper... The main work achieved was to make some of the bunkering more visible. Whilst that aim was certainly being achieved, I wasn't overly taken with the method... Most bunkers were just being raised with steep mounds falling off the back and not tied in over a wide area with shoulders, swales etc feeding in to the greens... A little unisnspired perhaps... Still - didn't harm my view of what is a fantastic little course...

They had another couple of ideas for rerouting some holes on the front nine, bringing some duneland closer to the beach in to play... The premise seemed reasonable... Apparently there was talk of changing the idiosyncratic 1st green... I reckon that would be a real shame...

[Bill Brightly]

Hi Jack,

Apparently there was talk of changing the idiosyncratic 1st green... I reckon that would be a real shame...

+1. Not the best photos, but here is a glimpse:

[Jack_Marr]

I think that may be the first hole as I played it all those years ago. I'm not sure, though.

A few greens were out of play when i was there and the Ruddy work was underway.

A bit off topic, but there is a lot of dunes at Five Finger Strand near Malin Head. I'm sure they'd never allow a golf course to go there, of course, but there does seem to be plenty of links land out there undeveloped. I also passed coursed in Donegal that I never knew were links, like Buncrana. And there seemed to be a few par three links courses here and there too.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sadly the Club have been dazzled by having his attentions.  I have friend who worships him and the betting tips he freely shares but the stuff about what he believes in is the same nonsense that most ‘Architects’ turn out.  At a time when even Open Rota Courses are seeking to save money by having less reveted bunkers he’s sold them on the idea that’s the way forward.  With the rate of progress they’re making the first one’s will need rebuilding before the work on the course has finished.


My favourite Ruddy course.  Lovely spot good routing with some great holes.  The club has a modest feel about it (unlike the courses in SW Ireland) but it surprises you how much fun it is. I look forward to getting back, hoping the ‘improvements’ don’t detract.

[jeffwarne]

Sadly the Club have been dazzled by having his attentions.  I have friend who worships him and the betting tips he freely shares but the stuff about what he believes in is the same nonsense that most ‘Architects’ turn out.  At a time when even Open Rota Courses are seeking to save money by having less reveted bunkers he’s sold them on the idea that’s the way forward.  With the rate of progress they’re making the first one’s will need rebuilding before the work on the course has finished.


My favourite Ruddy course.  Lovely spot good routing with some great holes.  The club has a modest feel about it (unlike the courses in SW Ireland) but it surprises you how much fun it is. I look forward to getting back, hoping the ‘improvements’ don’t detract.

+1

[Tom_Doak]

I went back to Portsalon a couple of years ago, having not seen it since I saw the nearly-abandoned original course in 1982.  For the most part, I really liked what Pat Ruddy had done to fix it up, and it looked like they were having some modest success financially as well.  Perhaps they've made enough money now to start messing it up by tinkering.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Sadly the Club have been dazzled by having his attentions.  I have friend who worships him and the betting tips he freely shares but the stuff about what he believes in is the same nonsense that most ‘Architects’ turn out.  At a time when even Open Rota Courses are seeking to save money by having less reveted bunkers he’s sold them on the idea that’s the way forward.  With the rate of progress they’re making the first one’s will need rebuilding before the work on the course has finished.


My favourite Ruddy course.  Lovely spot good routing with some great holes.  The club has a modest feel about it (unlike the courses in SW Ireland) but it surprises you how much fun it is. I look forward to getting back, hoping the ‘improvements’ don’t detract.

Tony,

As I understand it, the aim of the renovation was to make many of the bunkers more visible... Certainly there were quite a number that weren't in view.

The only way to do that in their current positions was to raise the faces... which unless you are going to extend the bunkers forward and pull up the sand line (not always possible) is easiest done by creating a lip with stacked sod... I'm sure the former method could have been used in places but the latter method made sense also... If they have the sod locally, I'm not sure this was a bad concept...

What I did think was that the construction of them was incredibly local and there was no effort made to tie the bunker surrounds back in to the course.... or to create some slightly different shapes with the faces...

Ally

[Jack_Marr]

Ally, have you played Macreddin? What's it like?

Here's a bit about Paul McGinley and his design philosophy.

http://www.macreddingolfclub.com/media/MacreddinTravelfeature.pdf

John

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ally, have you played Macreddin? What's it like?

Here's a bit about Paul McGinley and his design philosophy.

http://www.macreddingolfclub.com/media/MacreddinTravelfeature.pdf

John

Jack - I haven't although I'm down to visit this year if you fancy joining me. Probably in a double with Arklow.

Rgds,
Ally

[Rich Goodale]

Can't wait to see what McGinley refers to as  "riveted" bunkers.  Is his shaper called Rosie........?

PS--I fell in love with Portsalon when I visited it 8 or so years ago, and if his work is confined to fixing the monstrous "perp walk cage" that crosses the 1st and 18th, as well as linksing up the other finishing holes that Ruddy seemed to have mailed in, I'll be a happy boy and be sure to re-visit that magical place sooner rather than later.

Rich

[Jack_Marr]

Ally, have you played Macreddin? What's it like?

Here's a bit about Paul McGinley and his design philosophy.

http://www.macreddingolfclub.com/media/MacreddinTravelfeature.pdf

John

Jack - I haven't although I'm down to visit this year if you fancy joining me. Probably in a double with Arklow.

Rgds,
Ally

I'd love to play, Ally.

John

[Jack_Marr]

Can't wait to see what McGinley refers to as  "riveted" bunkers.  Is his shaper called Rosie........?

PS--I fell in love with Portsalon when I visited it 8 or so years ago, and if his work is confined to fixing the monstrous "perp walk cage" that crosses the 1st and 18th, as well as linksing up the other finishing holes that Ruddy seemed to have mailed in, I'll be a happy boy and be sure to re-visit that magical place sooner rather than later.

Rich

Rich

I'm just back from the area and it's really beautiful. I haven't been there for years, but the Fanad drive is spectacular and the beach is wonderful. Everyone there seems very content.

John

[Richard Muldoon]

Rich,
I played a couple of rounds there last month and unfortunately the cage is still there (it cost me my match - it's an excuse I'm sticking with). I can't imagine even in the strongest of winds that it comes into play on the first, but into a wind on the 18th it very much a downer as you basically have to take a drop into a minefield of divots.
The course is fantastic, views tremendous, very friendly with lots of families coming in for Sunday lunch. I could happily have a holiday cottage there. Unfortunately the wife won't buy into that one.
It is definately somewhere I will return to, much more so than some of the 'championship' courses. At 60 euros for the day it is fantastic value for very good fun golf without all the hustle / commercialism of the name courses.
The 2nd hole is fantastic and would make my eclectic course.
The 18th hole is really the only hole I didn't like on the course.
I have a bunch of photos and will do a review, but I doubt I will have time before the Autumn / Winter.
Looking at the photos the rivetted bunkers could do with a bit of a haircut.

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