[Padraig Dooley]

Big overhaul approved for Ballybunion's greens.

http://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2015/3/19/major-15m-overhaul-approved-for-ballybunion-olds-greens

Impressive marram grass also added in front of the first.

[Andrew Bertram]

When is this work scheduled to start

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon Banbury,

wasn't he the guy who planted rye all over Trump's links course?

Jon

[Padraig Dooley]

When is this work scheduled to start

Due to start in the Autumn

[jeffwarne]

Is it just me or does 1.5 million euro seem like a lot to redo greens?
Hopefully the work includes lighting to add a few more visitor rounds to finance it all

[Charlie Gallagher]

I trust they are going to be very careful about maintaining the contours. There are several greens on the 'Bunion that are among the best in the Ireland. Number's  6, 8, and 9 immediately come to mind. 
As for the Marram, that sounds like an effort to toughen up the course. There is not a more unhittable rough to play from that I have experienced.  I expect they are planting that in areas that you should not attempt to play over.
The course is not really long, but put some wind on it from the south west and it is quite a test.

[Rich Goodale]

Marram grass is used on golf courses (by Mother Nature and Man) for dune stabilisation rather than play.

[Jon Wiggett]

What do people think. Will redoing the greens return Ballybunion to the world top ten?

Jon

[jeffwarne]

What do people think. Will redoing the greens return Ballybunion to the world top ten?

Jon

No but the marram grass should do the trick

[Jon Wiggett]

What do people think. Will redoing the greens return Ballybunion to the world top ten?

Jon

No but the marram grass should do the trick

Yeah, especially if they plant it in the greens

[Jerry Kluger]

I understand the course is scheduled to reopen this month with the new green surfaces - anyone know how they turned out, etc.?

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

There was a comprehensive article in the most recent Golf Course Architecture magazine.


http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/restoring-the-ground-game-at-ballybunions-old-course


I don't think there was any intention to toughening the course; the soil composition of the greens were a problem. I think they also removed some unsightly cart paths. I'm sure Adam Lawrence can give an update, if he reads this.


Fescue was mentioned in the Irish Golf Desk link, not Marram.

[Tom_Doak]

Fescue was mentioned in the Irish Golf Desk link, not Marram.

I hope they haven't planted any marram.  One of the great things about Ballybunion is that you can nearly always find a wayward tee shot, though you still wind up making a big number on the hole.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Donal,

I believe they have been planting marram in various areas.

I hadn't realised that they were building a completely new 7th green. That was one of Simpson's.

Need to get down and see the work.

Ally

[Doug Siebert]

Wow, sounds like an ambitious project but from the description they are improving the only two things I ever thought left room for improvement. I recall from my last visit in 2005 the greens seemed a bit less true than the other courses in the area, particular Lahinch which putted smooth as glass. Hopefully getting rid of the poa will fix that. I've also felt there was too much room to the right of the 7th green - it never felt proper that the bailout should be towards the ocean.

I'll be eager to hear reports of how it plays this summer, and what people think of the change on the 7th.

[Sean_A]

Fescue was mentioned in the Irish Golf Desk link, not Marram.

I hope they haven't planted any marram.  One of the great things about Ballybunion is that you can nearly always find a wayward tee shot, though you still wind up making a big number on the hole.

Huh?  The last time I was at Ballybunion the rough (lush meadowy gunge) was appalling and most Merion-like (but worse)...lost balls from not far off fairways was not uncommon.  Lahinch was quite a bit better, but their fairways had been narrowed.  Its a shame to see tw0 great courses mistreated this way.


Ciao

[Doug Siebert]

Huh?  The last time I was at Ballybunion the rough (lush meadowy gunge) was appalling and most Merion-like (but worse)...lost balls from not far off fairways was not uncommon.  Lahinch was quite a bit better, but their fairways had been narrowed.  Its a shame to see tw0 great courses mistreated this way.

Doesn't it depend on their weather? I recall on my first visit the rough was terrifying, even if you found your ball you'd be lucky to hack it out more than 50 yards. On my return visit it was quite playable, not quite as playable as say Muirfield since it was still green instead of brown but our group of a dozen or so lost only a handful of balls there.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Donal,

I believe they have been planting marram in various areas.

I hadn't realised that they were building a completely new 7th green. That was one of Simpson's.

Need to get down and see the work.

Ally

Yes, Ally, they did plant some marram (but not to toughen up the course) behind the 7th green as they reshaped the mounding when they moved the green closer to the cliff edge. I think they also planted some at places like the 15th where they redirected the cart paths. 

[Tim_Weiman]

Donal,

I believe they have been planting marram in various areas.

I hadn't realised that they were building a completely new 7th green. That was one of Simpson's.

Need to get down and see the work.

Ally

Yes, Ally, they did plant some marram (but not to toughen up the course) behind the 8th green as they reshaped the mounding when they moved the green closer to the cliff edge. I think they also planted some at places like the 15th where they redirected the cart paths.

Donal,


Did you really mean the 8th hole?

[Ally Mcintosh]

Donal,

I believe they have been planting marram in various areas.

I hadn't realised that they were building a completely new 7th green. That was one of Simpson's.

Need to get down and see the work.

Ally

Yes, Ally, they did plant some marram (but not to toughen up the course) behind the 8th green as they reshaped the mounding when they moved the green closer to the cliff edge. I think they also planted some at places like the 15th where they redirected the cart paths.

In front of a few tees as well I think. The 1st maybe?

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Donal,

I believe they have been planting marram in various areas.

I hadn't realised that they were building a completely new 7th green. That was one of Simpson's.

Need to get down and see the work.

Ally

Yes, Ally, they did plant some marram (but not to toughen up the course) behind the 8th green as they reshaped the mounding when they moved the green closer to the cliff edge. I think they also planted some at places like the 15th where they redirected the cart paths.

Donal,


Did you really mean the 8th hole?

Sorry Tim, I meant the 7th. I always think the short par three is the 9th for some reason.

[Patrick Glynn]

Believe the course opened this weekend - I am going to be playing there in mid-May. Really interested to see how the greens turned out, though given its been one of the wettest winters in recorded history, my expectations are suitably adjusted.


I am very keen to see the new 7th green - it is likely a more spectacular site but I am unsure where I stand on changing such an historic course.



Just a note on the fairway width - at Lahinch, we have a strong rough management program & the fairway widths have actually widened slightly over the last 15 years. There is a balance between challenge, safety & fun - I think we are getting there. To put it in context, no links course in GB&I is as wide as Bandon (a resort) but Lahinch is definitely wider/more forgiving than Portrush (in my experience).




Patrick

[jeffwarne]

Believe the course opened this weekend - I am going to be playing there in mid-May. Really interested to see how the greens turned out, though given its been one of the wettest winters in recorded history, my expectations are suitably adjusted.


I am very keen to see the new 7th green - it is likely a more spectacular site but I am unsure where I stand on changing such an historic course.



Just a note on the fairway width - at Lahinch, we have a strong rough management program & the fairway widths have actually widened slightly over the last 15 years. There is a balance between challenge, safety & fun - I think we are getting there. To put it in context, no links course in GB&I is as wide as Bandon (a resort) but Lahinch is definitely wider/more forgiving than Portrush (in my experience).




Patrick

Patrick,
While it's great to hear Lahinch is holding the line on fairway width, Portrush is hardly somewhere to draw as a comparison.
Last I was there, (5-6 years ago) not only was it narrow, but the nearby rough was unplayable and unmowed with substantial woody plants growing in it as evidence of a lack of mowing for a very long time #no fun.
Ironically, I've been in and past the area 3-4 times since and had no desire to return.Too many more fun places around.


What generally amazes me in general about golf today is how often courses suck the fun out of playing by narrowing and growing to strengthen defenses, rather than speaking up and addressing the actual issue

[Patrick Glynn]

Agreed Jeff - I too played Portrush & found it quite narrow. Definitely not the bastion of width, but as its one of the top ranked courses in Ireland, I felt a fair comparison.

Back on topic - going to play BallyB next month & report back on their progress.

[Thomas Dai]

Ref - 7th green at Ballybunion Old.


I found this on the clubs website.


What's with the two greens set-up? Can someone throw some light on the history of the hole and is the clifftop green in this overhead as it is now or where it was before it was recently altered?


http://www.ballybuniongolfclub.com/courses/the-old-course-hole-by-hole/ - and then go to hole 7


Atb

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