Dingle Golf Links - Ceann Sibeal

[Ed Tilley]

Dingle golf links is situated at the far end of the very beautiful Dingle peninsula. I have seen it in several places described as the most westerly course in Europe, which is not true as there are golf courses in Iceland. However, this gives some indication of the remoteness. It is about 20 minutes drive west of the town of Dingle. The picture below shows the remoteness of the setting. The clubhouse and holiday cottages are in the right middle of the picture - below the second of the "3 sisters". The course spreads out down and away from the clubhouse to the right in this picture- every green is visible from the house. It is a very remote and beautiful setting. It's remoteness means that very few tour buses are in the area which is part of the charm of the place. It is well over an hour drive from both Tralee and Killarney.



Driving towards the course, my first view was not promising. From about a mile away my first thought was "OMG that's just a field". However, closer inspection revealed plenty of movement and interest. I was very pleasantly surprised by Dingle. There were some excellent holes and a nice variety of green sites. A burn snaked around the property and was well used on a number of holes both for tee shots and approaches.

The first hole is a downhill mid length par 4 with a  nice open drive. The green site is excellent with a burn hard to the front of the green. Downhill and downwind this is a tricky approach.








The second is a long par 3 playing slightly downhill. Trouble long and left this hole encourages the running approach.




The 3rd is a lovely 370 yard par 4 with a narrowing tee shot and a superb raised green.








4 continues the excellent start. A similar length to the 3rd but playing in the opposite direction. Heavy rough and the road awaits a pushed drive. There is plenty of room left but the approach is significantly easier from the right side. The burn crosses the fairway at just under 300 yards which makes long hitters think, particularly downwind. Apologies for the darkness of the pictures. I was using my phone and only worked out how to adjust brightness a bit later!







Looking back


From 3rd tee


Sorry – pictures for 5 did not come out well. A mid length attractive short hole with out of bounds right of the green






The 6th is the first par 5 and, along with the 7th, occupies the flattest, least interesting part of the course. Doglegging right with OOB all down the right of the hole you can bail out safely left but this obviously lengthens the hole.





More to follow – with no dark photos!

[Ed Tilley]

7 is a 400 yard par 4 doglegging right. The drive starts over some pretty fearsome rough. You can bite off as much as you dare to get close to the green but there is plenty of bail out room left. Very much on the flat ground.





8 returns to more bumpy linksland. 360 yards with a very nice little hollow in front of the green making the approach tricky.








9 is a bit of a brute. 450 yards uphill with a raised green shedding approaches on all sides. The drive is very open but the difficulty is reaching and holding the putting surface.






10 is a longish (197) par 3 and is extremely difficult with thick rough and a hollow just short and left of the raised green. In truth I thought this hole was a bit too severe as there didn’t seem to be any bail out.






11 is a downhill par 5 teeing off from the top of the course with the whole links spread before you. There is some thick rough left and right and a burn crossing the fairway at 295 yards which needs to be laid up short of making this a 3 shotter for most. Very thick rough all the way right of the approach means that people err on the left side with their lay up. If the flag is on the left however, an evil little pot bunker short left makes it almost impossible to get close from the left side.






I though 12 was one of the best holes on the course. Slightly uphill on reasonably plain land the green is angled away from front right to back left with deep bunkers all the way along the left hand side. It is reasonably straightforward to be on or very near the front right of the green but very difficult to get to a pin on the left side. There is a ridge in the middle of the green and a lot of slope making it a very difficult 2 putt or up and down.





Last 6 to follow.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Nice Ed.

How long is 12?

Also how are the greens. Most look similar flattish or with a slight b-f pitch?

[Thomas Dai]

Thanks Ed.
Looks just my kinda place and combined with Dooks and Castlegregory etc has me thinking of a future trip.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of the holes.
Atb

[Ed Tilley]

Nice Ed.

How long is 12?

Also how are the greens. Most look similar flattish or with a slight b-f pitch?

Hi Tony,

12 is 161 yards from the back tees. Slightly uphill as well.

The problem with photos is that they tend to flatten contours. There is one photo I have of the 16th green which makes it look like it is pretty flat. However, my pitch landed on the top of a ridge you can't really see, stayed there for 30 seconds, and then rolled back 15 feet to the flag - and these greens aren't quick. Also, 13 I was chipping from just off the back right of the green to a front left pin. I thought I hit a good shot and I ended up about 4 yards off the front right of the green. 12 was another severe green. You can just see my ball on the green on the right just in front of the right bunker. That putt was very hard and I didn't really threaten to get it close to the hole!

I thought the greens at Dingle were absolutely superb. There was a real variety about them with some flat ones, some slopey ones. Some raised greens, some dell type greens, and some using the burn excellently. I thought they were a clear notch above the greens at Dooks which, although all solid, just didn't have the variety at Dingle.

Ed

[Jim Sherma]

Thanks Ed.
Looks just my kinda place and combined with Dooks and Castlegregory etc has me thinking of a future trip.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of the holes.
Atb

Thomas - I did that trip a while back and strongly recommend it. Did 2 days at Dingle, one at Dooks and played Castlegregory coming back to Dingle after playing in the morning at Ballybunion Old. Other than staying in BallyB the night before playing the Old I stayed in Dingle for this stretch. Oddly I was by myself as my family was visiting my wife's high school friend who lives outside of Cork. Dingle is a great little town and the golf was wonderful.

[Ed Tilley]

13 was very interesting. A short (465 yard par 5) but for most a 3 shotter due to the tee shot and green. The hole doglegs sharply to the right around the course boundary. Long hitters can cut the corner but that is a real risk, particularly into the wind as the carry is 230 yards or more depending how much you cut off. There is a burn in front of the green which has some very severe slopes.










14 is a steeply downhill short par 4, driveable for longer hitters. Very difficult to judge the approach due to a severe slope just short.






15 is a mid length par 4 with a boundary wall awaiting the hook from around 210 yards onwards. Some Irish mist fell at this stage so photos were a bit rushed. Not Dingle’s finest.






16 is an superb short par 4 (360 yards) doglegging right around some heavy rough. You can bail out left but the burn runs along the left of the fairway at around 230 yards. It then turns diagonally right across the front of the green. These photos don’t show it but the green has some serious slope from back to front. Driving line in the first photo is at the clubhouse.








17 is another interesting hole. It is 420 yards from the very back tees but I played from 380 yards. The burn crosses the fairway and it was approx. 230 to carry for me. I took this on but in hindsight I should have laid up as the fairway narrows over the burn and the right rough is pretty severe. The green falls away back and right.







From over the back right.



18 is similar to 9 but longer at 500 yards and a par 5. Steeply uphill the fairway is interrupted by broken ground and bunkers 80 yards short. The green has some very severe slopes.








All in all a very pleasant experience with a relaxed vibe. Would I encourage anyone to go 3 hours out of their way to see it? No but it is most definitely worth a go if you are anywhere near the area. The drive around Slea Head at the end of the peninsula is spectacular as is the drive over Conor Pass. Dingle links is a very worthy add on to these.

[Thomas Dai]

Well done and thanks Ed. The more I see the more I like.


Where would you place CS in relation to other links you've played?



Out of interest how much time do folks reckon it would take to drive Dooks-Ceann Sibeal, CS-Castlegregory, C-D or to/from other nearbyish courses?


Atb

[RJ_Daley]

Ceann Cibeal has been on my radar ever since I read about it in Richard Phinney's book, "Links of Heaven".  The think real deal Irish culture and the Eddie Hackett, town project to get this first 9 holes completed, along with the remoteness and described raw beauty captured my imagination upon reading about it.  Thanks for the photo and descriptive tour, Ed.

[Ed Tilley]

Well done and thanks Ed. The more I see the more I like.


Where would you place CS in relation to other links you've played?

Atb

I do have a list - see below of the links I've played. It's certainly not in the top drawer, or even the one below that, but it is well worth a play

Royal County Down
Royal Dornoch
Royal St. Georges
Ballybunion Old
Turnberry
Royal Portrush Dunluce
St. Enodoc
Carnoustie
Waterville
Formby
Silloth on Solway
Saunton East
Machrihanish
Enniscrone
Cruden Bay
Burnham & Berrow
Tralee
Saunton West
Ballybunion Cashen
Carne
Machrihanish Dunes
Pennard
Royal Portrush Valley
Portstewart
Royal St. David's
Perranporth
Dingle Links
Dooks
Tenby
Royal North Devon
Aberdovey
Le Touquet Mer
Castlegregory
Pyle & Kenfig
Rosslare
Mullion
West Cornwall
Nefyn & District
Cardigan
Borth & Ynyslas
Wimereux
Minehead
Weston Super Mare
Newport Links

[Ed Tilley]

Out of interest how much time do folks reckon it would take to drive Dooks-Ceann Sibeal, CS-Castlegregory, C-D or to/from other nearbyish courses?

Atb

I stayed at Inch beach. You would go through Inch to get from Dooks or Killarney to Dingle Links. Both Dooks and DL took me about 35 minutes so, on a good day it would be about 70 minutes. However, I went early morning and I would expect it to take 90 minutes if you went during Tour Bus time. Killarney a little bit longer.

To get to Dingle links you have to go through the town of Dingle and it is about 20 minutes from there. Dingle is about 40 minutes from Tralee. Castlegregory is 5-10 minutes off the Dingle to Tralee road - about 30 minutes from Dingle and 15-20 minutes from Tralee. I'd advise basing yourself in Dingle if you were considering the trip. You could easily do DL, Dooks, Castlegregory and Tralee. Even Ballybunion would probably be only 90 minutes from there and it is a beautiful spot.

[Thomas Dai]

Ed,


That's a terrific list and many thanks for the timings. I am indeed plotting a trip in that direction, off-season though.


Atb


PS - I was at Frilford the other week. Played the Green Course from the white tees, very enjoyable as usual. Do they ever use the new back tee on the par-3 6th, the one that's set back another 15-25 yds?

[Ed Tilley]

Ed,


That's a terrific list and many thanks for the timings. I am indeed plotting a trip in that direction, off-season though.


Atb


PS - I was at Frilford the other week. Played the Green Course from the white tees, very enjoyable as usual. Do they ever use the new back tee on the par-3 6th, the one that's set back another 15-25 yds?

Played the Green course last night. Just managed to get in 18 holes before it got too dark.

There are a load of England Golf competitions this week at Frilford. It was the Red and Green Monday and Tuesday, and Red and Blue Wed - Fri. On the Green course yesterday, the only tee markers were England Golf tee markers which were right at the back - including the 6th. The par 3s are brutal from the very back. The 2nd is 220+ yards and the 6th is very, very hard. It's a 5 or 6 iron into a green that is really designed for no more than an 8 or 9 iron. They only play it from that tee in medals - so 3 or 4 times a year. Any regular play or stableford comps are from the normal tees. I think that is sensible as I'm not sure the hole really works from the back.

This was only the second time I've ever played the 6th from the very back - made 3 yesterday but made 7 in the medal a few months ago! That time the hole was into a very strong wind so I was hitting a rescue club into that green which is ridiculous.

Incidentally, there is talk of "softening" that green, i.e. making the back to front slope less pronounced. They say that there are very few pin positions on the current hole but I must admit I'm not sure about that change.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Out of interest how much time do folks reckon it would take to drive Dooks-Ceann Sibeal, CS-Castlegregory, C-D or to/from other nearbyish courses?

Atb

I stayed at Inch beach. You would go through Inch to get from Dooks or Killarney to Dingle Links. Both Dooks and DL took me about 35 minutes so, on a good day it would be about 70 minutes. However, I went early morning and I would expect it to take 90 minutes if you went during Tour Bus time. Killarney a little bit longer.

To get to Dingle links you have to go through the town of Dingle and it is about 20 minutes from there. Dingle is about 40 minutes from Tralee. Castlegregory is 5-10 minutes off the Dingle to Tralee road - about 30 minutes from Dingle and 15-20 minutes from Tralee. I'd advise basing yourself in Dingle if you were considering the trip. You could easily do DL, Dooks, Castlegregory and Tralee. Even Ballybunion would probably be only 90 minutes from there and it is a beautiful spot.

Thanks Ed all clear now.  Agreed Dingle is a town with a great vibe.
I will save my comments on Dooks until you do your next promised thread, but I find myself in broad agreement with your lisiting.  For my money putting Waterville so high is the only one that seems out of place. Just below Tralee would fit best to my mind.

[Chris DeNigris]

Came upon this very good thread from the Eddie Hackett thread- somehow I had missed it when Ed orig posted it in August.  Nice photos and review of Dingle- I'm still kicking myself for skipping the Dingle/Dooks combo on my only trip so far to the Enchanted Isle. 

Ed- nice list of links but with all that west coast gallivanting  how in the world did you miss Lahinch?