After taking a look at Cruit Island we made the long, but pleasant journey east to Portsalon. Taking lunch in the house was an eye opener. Golfers seemed to be doing whatever they wanted on the 1st tee in full view of the lounge. Want a mulligan, take three
You get the picture, things are suitably laid back in Donegal.
I don't know the design history of Portsalon other than P Ruddy made sugnificant changes, I think mainly to the middle of the course at the southern end of the property. Ruddy also added a significant amount of yardage to the card. The course is squeezed into a fairly tight property with some parallel hole issues, but this is a minor quibble. Double greens are used a few times to create the illusion of more space, to great effect. The front nine runs nearest the strand while the back covers higher ground. A few holes are essentially parkland, but they provide good variety and interest to the design. Indeed, I likely preferred the back nine to the front due to the variety. The front suffers badly for the many holes routed between dunes; some with sharp bends, some with very constrictive bunkering, some with raised greens and all with strangling rough. In any sort of wind the front nine can easily be a serious trial. That said, the first two holes are an excellent, if deceiving start to the game.
#1 is very short and plays uphill to an idiosyncratic green site! Below is a look at the uninviting approach after a lay-up off the tee.
Everybody talks about the 2nd hole! Appropriately named Strand, its a classic bite off as much as you dare tee shot, much in the same vein as the opener at Machrihanish or the North Berwick's 2nd. However, courtesy of P Ruddy's work in 2000, Portsalon's version takes us over the river for the 2nd shot to a green with a sharp fallaway down the right. In firm conditions, it takes excellent judgement to select the landing point after the water and before the green.
The majestic setting of Portsalon.
A tight, but shortish alley hole, the 3rd plays to the first of two double greens in succession. A tight hole as well, the three shot 4th features the trademark front bunkering (as did #3) which leaves precious little room for knock up approaches.
We now turn back into what can be a vicious breeze for the difficult short 5th. I don't know the prevailing wind pattern in this part of the world, but given the headwind we had, this hole has nowhere near enough room to play. The raised green is tucked into a frame of dunes with a bunker front left. Perhaps some leniency could be afforded the golfer by filling in the bunker and allowing a run in shot?
Long and punishing is one way to describe the 400+ yard 6th. Visually, it is very akin to the previous three holes. To be honest,
7 continues the theme of "bending between the dunes, raised green, greenside bunker". It sounds very harsh, but this stretch of holes is too repetitive for my liking. The three-shot eighth turns back and plays to a double green shared with #4. Just turning back into the wind was a welcome change. The side ends with a good, tough par 4. Yes, this hole plays between dunes, but at the green end the bunker is set further back from the green and there is space for a miss.
We now turn back downwind for the terrific short 10th.
Heading to the far end of the course, #11 is a tricky, short par 5. Hello, the green is raised and the entrance narrowed by a fronting bunker. However, the open drive and tiny putting surface set this hole apart.
More to follow.
Ciao