North of Dublin

[Jeff_Lewis]

We will be driving from Dublin to Newcastle and are looking for a course to play inbetween. Baltray cannot take us because of Ladies Day. Any ideas out there?

[David_Tepper]

There is course adjacent to Baltray called Seapoint that might be worth a look. I have not seen it or played it. My guess is that it is about 10 years old and probably not as good as Baltray. It may still be worth a visit. This is also a course in Dundalk.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Thanks, David.  I will check them out.

[billb]

Tom:
Play The Island then drive the couple of hours to Newcastle.
Bill

[Jeff_Lewis]

Seapoint's website is interesting.  Also heard about something near Newcastle called Ardglass. Anybody been there?

[David_Tepper]

Ardglass has been mentioned several times on this board over the past 3-6 months. You may want to do a site search to pull up commnets. As I recall, they have been positive. You might try tracking checking out the club's website. From the very nice pictures, the course looks worth playing.

[Jack_Marr]

Seapoint has some nice finsihing holes, but the rest are just ok. It's nextdoor to Baltray in Terminfeckin. The Island, as mentioned, would be  a good course to visit, although expensive.

[Mark Studer]

Jeff- Just hustle up to County Down and play the afternoon you arrive. If you cannot play Baltray, you will never regret playing one of the world's best one additional time.  Last time I made that trip, we played  RCD at 4 pm in 3 hours.  Enjoy! Mark

[Jeff_Lewis]

Somewhat mundane question (my last trip over there was several years ago) Does anybody recall the drive time from Portrush to County Down?

[mike_malone]

1 1/2 hr       actually played RCD in morning then RPR in afternnon

[Jeff_Lewis]

What an embarassment of riches that day was! Thanks for the info.

[Johnny_Browne]

Jeff,
I live near RCD and know most of the courses. Good news is that a new motorway has opened between Dublin and Dundalk so your journey time from Dublin to RCD will be reduced by 30 mins at least.  Ardglass is interesting but flawed - it is past RCD rather than on the way (as quite a few good courses are).  Seapoint is disappointing - just a few good finishing holes.  Dundalk is a good parkland course.  Baltray is excellent but obviously not available. The Island is good - it will take you 2hr 15mins at most  to get from there to RCD.  Portrush is 1h 30mins as said earlier from RCD.  There is nothing much else between Dublin and RCD.  Let me know if I can give any other advice.

Regards,     Johnny Browne

[Jack_Marr]

If you head inland to Kells in Co. Meath, you could play Headfort GC. There are two courses there, each excellent. It's northwest of Dublin and not much of a detour. The new course there is superb, in my opinion - better than the K Club, Mt Juliet, and all the other parkland courses in Ireland, bar maybe Druid's Glenn. It's also only 50 euro to play - unbeatable value.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Johnny, appreciate the info. Perhaps we can buy you a pint or two when we are there! Jack, do you know who designed those two courses?

[Jack_Marr]

Jeff

The new course is designed by Christy O'Connor Jnr. It has the highest standard scratch in Ireland, I believe. It would be interesting to see what an American GCA enthusiast would think of it.

I don't know who designed the old course, but it was laid out in the 1920s. Old fashioned course - very well regarded.