Royal Battle Dornoch vs County Down

« **on:** August 06, 2003, 11:57:09 AM »

Having returned from a month in golf paradise, I am intrigued by the comparision of these two courses. I played 3 rounds at RCD and 6 at RD. My thoughts are thought that RCD is more demanding off the tees for length but that RD is a more exacting test of the short game.
The green sites are much more intersting at RD, while the routing at RCD allows for more variety in wind.
RD atmosphere is superior as RCD has some funky views at the end of the course.
Dornoch wins hands down over Newcastle as a place to visit.
Interested in others thoughts about these two great courses.
If given the opportunity for membership at one or the other which would you choose and why.
Cheers
Stan Dodd

« **Reply #1 on:** August 06, 2003, 12:57:26 PM »

whitey-

I have played both courses and agree 100% with your analysis of RCD and RD. RCD is certainly a more demanding test off the tee. One of my happiest rounds of golf was playing RCD from the back tees and not losing a golf ball the whole round!

I am so taken with Dornoch that I check the real estate "for sale" listings daily over the internet!

DT

« **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2003, 01:02:24 PM »

David,
I have the same feelings for Dornoch.
E-mail I may have something of interest.
Cheers
Stan

« **Reply #3 on:** August 06, 2003, 01:25:35 PM »

I cannot disagree with any of this. Please tell me why dornoch beats newcastle hands down city wise.

« **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2003, 01:41:51 PM »

Tiger B.

The village of Dorncoch is a charming, quaint place, with a beautiful cathedral and small graveyard in the center of town. The streets around the cathedral are lined with buildings built in the early 1900's of the local sandstone. Read Lorne Rubstein's "A Season In Dornoch" for a much more complete picture.

I was in Newscastle 19 years ago, so my memory is a little hazy. I remember it as a slightly seedy, seaside-resort town, not unlike where I grew up on the New Jersey shore. I do not know what it is like there now.

DT

« **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:08:23 PM »

Interesting, I picked up on exactly the same question Tiger did... why is Dornoch so much the better town? I've spent more time in Dornoch than Newcastle, but I really don't know enough to say myself for sure... But in my brief time in Newcastle it did seem pretty neat to me.... and no matter what, while I'd agree with David's assessment of Dornoch and I too did read LR's book....the obvious advantage Newcastle has is that the locals are Irish!

No offense to the Scots. I love them dearly. They just aren't Irish, that's all.

As for the two courses, hell I'd be a member at either tomorrow if they'd have me. You're talking two of the world's top 10 in my book without a doubt. Ranking the two to me is just an exercise in hair-splitting...

TH

« **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:16:01 PM »

Tiger,
IMHO Charm, pubs, food.
I found Newcastle to bit like a down on its luck Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

« **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:17:13 PM »

Whitey:

I guess Newcastle is so...

Just do remember the PEOPLE.

TH

ps - yes, I am being an absolute smartass here in the hopes of drawing out Rich Goodale.

« **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:29:50 PM »

i have the pleasure to go on an annual visit to dornoch so i have had about 25-30 rounds there compared to only one at RCD. accordingly, i am hopelessly biased in favour of dornoch, and not really well placed to make a suitable comparison as i don't know RCD well enough. i would only say about dornoch, though, that it is the very opposite of familiarity breeding contempt. if i could only play one course in my life, i think it would be dornoch.

as for the towns, there is not much comparison. as a previous correspondent mentioned, dornoch is small, quiet, neat and charming. you can walk down the main road and you won't have a car go by for 5 minutes. it probably only has a population of a few hundred. newcastle, by contrast, is a much larger town - 20 times as large? - and hence has a completely different feel.

re the charming irish tom - and at risk of getting into hot water - there is a noticeably different atmosphere in northern ireland compared to the republic (i was there this past weekend, and the trip just confirmed my earlier impressions when i visited, inter alia, RCD and newcastle) the scots may not be a barrel of laughs, but you are not meeting the same people in newcastle that you meet in lahinch/waterville etc.

if any of you are visiting dornoch and want to know of a utterly charming B&B, with a fantastic location, i may be persuaded to part with my knowledge. in my book, it is a great option, much to be preferred to spending lots of money on a big hotel and infinitely superior to the malin house lodge, if you've ever had the misfortune...

« **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:30:01 PM »

Tom
Our reaction to Irish and Scottish is
With the Scots that if you broke the intial barriers of unfamiarity then they were warm, welcoming, generous and interested.
With the Irish there were NO BARRIERS they were instantly friendly, generous etc.
I know this is a gross generalization but was our impression.
Cheers
Stan

« **Reply #10 on:** August 06, 2003, 02:45:41 PM »

Whitey:

I believe your impression to be right on, in general. Well said.

And pgawith, you too are right on (from my experience) re ROI v. NI. In the end to me they are all Irish but what you say is correct (again, from my very limited experience).

TH

« **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2003, 03:34:58 PM »

I am with Tom I would love to be a member of either in a heartbeat. They are both top 10 in the world no matter whose ranking them.

« **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2003, 05:52:15 PM »

Tom H

No need to draw me out. In any case, I am hopelessly biased, having played 400 or so rounds in Dornoch and only one at Newcastle. Both courses are great, of course, but I for one, have voted with my feet.

BTW--as an SCU graduate, you'd have as much chance becoming a member of RCD as Ian Paisley would have of being elected Pope!

« **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2003, 05:58:01 PM »

Well said Rich - touche!

I guess my membership application truly ought to go to somewhere on the other side of the border. That being said, my wife and my two kids are Presbyterians - might that help? When I bought football t-shirts in Glasgow for the kids, it was Rangers they got, not Celtic... Being the good Dad I am I went for Rangers also....

TH

« **Reply #14 on:** August 06, 2003, 06:01:09 PM »

Tom

DO NOT! Repeat, DO NOT!!!! wear those Rangers strips next time you play Ballyliffen........

« **Reply #15 on:** August 06, 2003, 06:04:43 PM »

Thanks for the tip, Rich. I'm sure the Rangers shirts will bring spite more than love in most of the world... Thankfully, my littlte girl thinks they are cool and is dying to wear such to her next soccer practice.

But as for me, a Dodger fan living near SF, well... I have great experience in knowing when and where NOT to show my allegiances.

TH

« **Reply #16 on:** August 06, 2003, 06:11:59 PM »

Tom

You picked a 'gers kit over the green and white hoops

« **Reply #17 on:** August 06, 2003, 06:15:41 PM »

Ah, so I did. Just proves what a good Dad I am.

Funny thing is, unless they sold me bogus t-shirts, the color scheme of the 'gers (love that) matches exactly that of the New York hockey club of the same name... I wonder if that was intentional....

OK, sorry for the tangent, back to golf. I didn't get to play in Glasgow due to British Airways strike causing me to arrive 12 hours late, sans luggage - a great adventure in its own right. I was set to play Paisely GC. What did I miss?

TH

« **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2003, 09:52:02 PM »

My slight preference is for RCD. True that the greens are more interesting at Dornoch, but I find the mix of holes slightly more intriguing at RCD. As for the towns, I can't really remember, but the countryside around Newcastle has the edge.

« **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2003, 04:45:50 AM »

There used to be a sign in Grange Golf Club in Dublin that said "Members of all affiliated GUI golf clubs welcome, except Royal County Down", or so they say. Christy O'Connor had to sign his card through a hole in the wall there. It's not a very comfortable town to be in, or at least it wasn't, if your from the south.

That said, it's the best course in the world.

« **Reply #20 on:** August 07, 2003, 08:04:57 AM »

Another reason I prefer Dornoch over Newcastle is that well within a 15-20 minute drive of Dornoch you have the courses at Golpsie, Brora, Tain, Skibo Castle, the 9-holers at Bonar Bridge & Portmahamock, plus the Struie Course at Dornoch itself. Those options are all available should you want a change of pace from RDGC. It is worth noting that resident members at RDGC, Tain, Brora and Golspie have a reciprocal arrangement that allows 3 complimentary rounds yearly at each of the 3 other courses. The only catch is the rounds cannot be played in July or August.
At Newscastle, there is the 2nd course at RCD and not very much else within 20-30 miles. Of course, being forced to play all you golf at RCD is not exactly a hardship!

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