The best base for a GB&I trip but without playing a big name course. Where?

[Adrian_Stiff]

You could do a lot worse than Worcester.  Within say 1:15 of the centre are a load of cool courses that are relatively inexpensive.  Same could be said for Birmingham.
Ciao

And just to the south would give a cracking combination of Cleeve Cloud, Painswick, Minchinhamton Old and Stinchcomeb Hill plus to the west are the likes of Kington and Church Stretton. Easy to reach with the M5 motorway and flghts into Birmingham (or Brsitol) too.

atb

A thought - a 4-round pairs or team tournament with one round played at each of Cleeve Cloud, Painswick, Minchinhamton Old and Stinchcomeb Hill has a nice sound to it. Wishful thinking maybe.

For a Cotswold Stay I have accomadation for up to 24 persons at Canons Court Mews, 20 minutes from Painswick & Minch Old

[jeffwarne]

Jim,
No doubt Dingle is remote. You gotta enjoy the daily journey, and you gotta enjoy the town.
Based on the three nights I spent in Dingle, the courses simply wouldn't have mattered .

But there are CERTAINLY more centrally located towns with excellent low key golf.

Buncrana is one town I rather enjoyed in Donegal. Northwest GC, Ballyliffin (2 big guns?) Portsalon, Otway, Buncrana GC, Greencastle, Dunfanaghy

[Thomas Dai]

Buncrana is one town I rather enjoyed in Donegal. Northwest GC, Ballyliffin (2 big guns?) Portsalon, Otway, Buncrana GC, Greencastle, Dunfanaghy

Dunfanaghy makes a great base. Able to also visit Narin & Portnoo, Gweedore (I didin't have time) and .......... Cruit Island

As to Grencastle, during the summer from there you can take a short ferry ride across Lough Foyle to Magilligan Point and a short drive later play Castlerock GC....not a 'big name' in my book, although they charge/£$ like one, but 27-top-quality links holes.

atb

[Jim Sherma]

Jeff

I love Dingle and have been there a couple of times. Once as a base for golf and once with the wife as a place to hang out. the town was wonderful for both. It is a great place to set up home base but I just don't think there is that very good golf once you take the big guns out of play (Ballybunion, Tralee, Doonbeg and Waterville). Of the rest of what's available only Dooks would get me juiced enough to think about flying overseas as the main point of a trip. Kenmare is a great town and the course, at least the original 9, looks like a nice place to walk around but I would not really call it a golf destination. Castlegregory was a cool find but not anything great. I don't remember the rest of what's available off the top of my head but nothing really piqued my interest the last time I studied the options.

With virtually no real golf options unfortunately I found Castletownbere on the Beara peninsula below the Kerry peninsula as one of the really sublime places to lose oneself for a few days. Simple and wonderful.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff

I love Dingle and have been there a couple of times. Once as a base for golf and once with the wife as a place to hang out. the town was wonderful for both. It is a great place to set up home base but I just don't think there is that very good golf once you take the big guns out of play (Ballybunion, Tralee, Doonbeg and Waterville). Of the rest of what's available only Dooks would get me juiced enough to think about flying overseas as the main point of a trip. Kenmare is a great town and the course, at least the original 9, looks like a nice place to walk around but I would not really call it a golf destination. Castlegregory was a cool find but not anything great. I don't remember the rest of what's available off the top of my head but nothing really piqued my interest the last time I studied the options.

With virtually no real golf options unfortunately I found Castletownbere on the Beara peninsula below the Kerry peninsula as one of the really sublime places to lose oneself for a few days. Simple and wonderful.

JIm,
agreed.
Plenty of more sensible/(nearly )as pleasant places to hit a lot of gems.

I was kind've mixing threads piggybacking off Brent's comment on basing rural vs. Big City.
But if hitting a few big guns as well, I would definitely stay in Dingle again.
Love the town, loves the drive in and out.
But then I love Waterville and Tralee (the courses) as well

[Rich Goodale]

Fly to Manchester. Drive to Southport. Play Hillside, Formby, Southport & Ainsdale, West Lancs, and Wallesey.

Don't forget Hesketh!  Great course and great people.

[Mark Pearce]

Fife.  Play Crail, Elie, Lundin, Leven, Ladybank, Eden and New. 

[Ken Moum]

Just what I'm looking for Garland.

Nice East Lothian collection David.

I recall Jeff Warne using the phrase 'low key' golf, and there's a surprising amount of it out there.

atb

Last Aug. we spent four weeks in Scotland approximately did:

Aug 6-11 -- in Edinburgh and Fife - Duddingston, Musselberg Old, Elie, Scotscraig (mixed comp) and St. Andrews Jubilee

Aug 12-16 in Nairn - Nairn Dunbar, Fraserburgh and Cullen (twice, once in a mixed comp.)

Aug. 17-28 iin Dornoch -- Brora (twice, once in mixed comp.), Cullen, Nairn Dunbar (mixed comp), Bonar Bridge, Frotrose & Rosemarkie, Tain, Golspie (twice), Struie and RDC

Aug 30 in Cupar -- St Andrews Eden, Kingarrock

Aug 31 - Sept 4 in East Lothian -- Duddingston (mixed comp.), Dunbar (mixed comp.), North Berwick, Gullane #2, and Kilspindie.

That's 26 rounds on 21 courses with only two of them on "The Checklist."

Going back next spring for ~6 weeks, and plan to do something similar, except that we'll have a newbie with us, so we might have to play a couple of big names. Already failed in the Old Course lottery, so we might try other means.

K

[Garland Bayley]

In Septemeber, I stayed in Burry Port, and played Ashkernish, Tenby, and Pennard twice each. Preferred Tenby, but unfortunately as many of you know, they are having turf problems.


Also played Porthcawl, but that was my big splurge for the trip.

[Sean_A]

GJ

Was Tenby still having issues with turf in September?

Ciao

[Garland Bayley]

Yes, Tenby was still having turf problems in September. They specify you are to use improved lies through the green.
Personally I ignored that specification and played it as it layed.

[Bill_McBride]

Fife.  Play Crail, Elie, Lundin, Leven, Ladybank, Eden and New. 

That's close to my plan for next May!

[Sean_A]

Yes, Tenby was still having turf problems in September. They specify you are to use improved lies through the green.
Personally I ignored that specification and played it as it layed.

Thanks for letting me know.  I will try to persuade our organizer to find another venue for the spring. I have no interest in experiencing what I did last spring. 

Ciao

[Tommy Williamsen]

So the answer is, there are dozens of good places to stay and play.  Just pick one that fits best.  There are no wrong trips.

[Michael Whitaker]

Book a hotel near Bray. You are then within a reasonable drive to the following "second level" courses: Hankley Common, Liphook, Beaconsfield, Huntercombe, West Hill, Hindhead, Stoke Park and Blackmoor. Good restaurants nearby as well.

Also, you are only 30 minutes from London via train from the Maidenhead or Taplow stations.

[Steve Wilson]

I used Golspie for this year and last.  There may not be as many courses immediately available, but with Brora, Golspie, Tain, Fortrose and Rosemarkie,  Wick, and Reay, there's a considerable collection of reasonably priced high quality links golf.

[David_Tepper]

"I used Golspie for this year and last.  There may not be as many courses immediately available, but with Brora, Golspie, Tain, Fortrose and Rosemarkie,  Wick, and Reay, there's a considerable collection of reasonably priced high quality links golf."

And renting the "Stone's Throw Cottage" at Golspie over looking the golf course and adjacent to the clubhouse is a nice value that includes reduced green fees of 15 pounds a day for everyone staying there.  

http://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk/stone-s-throw-cottage

[Tony_Muldoon]

[
play Castlerock GC....not a 'big name' in my book, although they charge/£$ like one, but 27-top-quality links holes.

atb

Play in the Wednesday Open.  I think it was  £15 in 2008

[Thomas Dai]

play Castlerock GC....not a 'big name' in my book, although they charge/£$ like one, but 27-top-quality links holes.
atb

Play in the Wednesday Open. I think it was £15 in 2008

£15! - highly envious. Great tip, many thanks. Will need to keep this in mind and ensure I play The Bann 9-holer as as a warm-up before tackling the main Mussenden 18-holer, Leg 'o mutton and all.

Castlerock's Mussenden 18-holer, better than Portstewart's Strand-18?

atb

[Thomas Dai]

Last Aug. we spent four weeks in Scotland approximately did:
Aug 6-11 -- in Edinburgh and Fife - Duddingston, Musselberg Old, Elie, Scotscraig (mixed comp) and St. Andrews Jubilee
Aug 12-16 in Nairn - Nairn Dunbar, Fraserburgh and Cullen (twice, once in a mixed comp.)
Aug. 17-28 iin Dornoch -- Brora (twice, once in mixed comp.), Cullen, Nairn Dunbar (mixed comp), Bonar Bridge, Frotrose & Rosemarkie, Tain, Golspie (twice), Struie and RDC
Aug 30 in Cupar -- St Andrews Eden, Kingarrock
Aug 31 - Sept 4 in East Lothian -- Duddingston (mixed comp.), Dunbar (mixed comp.), North Berwick, Gullane #2, and Kilspindie.
That's 26 rounds on 21 courses with only two of them on "The Checklist."
Going back next spring for ~6 weeks, and plan to do something similar, except that we'll have a newbie with us, so we might have to play a couple of big names. Already failed in the Old Course lottery, so we might try other means.

Wow!

Not surprising you're planning to return Ken. What a terrific trip, so much under the radar quality.

atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

Yes, Tenby was still having turf problems in September. They specify you are to use improved lies through the green.
Personally I ignored that specification and played it as it layed.

Step aside I'm coming through.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Thomas,

I'd forgotten about Thetford. Thanks for reminding me. It's a lovely course, sort of heathland, perhaps a little over-wooded in parts, but classy.

I should also have mentioned King's Lynn.

M.

[Jon Wiggett]

Leeds is also good. Fixby, Ogden, Howley Hall, Scarcroft, Pannel, Crossland Heath and many more.

Jon

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,

This thread rams home just how laden with golfing opportunities The British Isles are. Reading through it one's head spins as you become dizzy with the options. A smorgasbord, a cornucopia! 

I will be in Cornwall for two weeks in mid-September 2015 so have made a note of the Cornwall courses. As I do not have a copy of Tom Doaks' recent Confidential Guide could one of you gents flick me a wee list of the courses he alludes to in that region.

Cheers Colin

[john_stiles]

Fly to Manchester. Drive to Southport. Play Hillside, Formby, Southport & Ainsdale, West Lancs, and Wallesey.

Don't forget Hesketh!  Great course and great people.

Would like to third what Dub and Rich said.

Am grateful to have made this trip.

We stayed about a block from the Princes in a Southport B&B with a small downstairs pub frequented by the locals every night.

Usually some mix of about 12 locals plus our group which took up most of the B&B.

One local was an attorney, who was blind, and arrived with his seeing eye dog.  On our very first night the attorney wanders in,  just barely says hello before the bar tender filled a tin pan with beer for the seeing eye dog, a German shepard, and then asked the attorney what he wanted to drink.  The attorney was dressed very well, and had a dry sense of humor.

Each day was great golf, and the night wonderful discussions of politics and life with the locals.

We did manage a day trip north to Silloth.