Short Tour of Dublin North: Beguiling BALTRAY

[Matt Bielawa]

Will be there in May to check it out myself.  Can't wait!

[Ally Mcintosh]

Played Baltray the other day, first time since 2017.


Aside from a couple of reservations around ineffective bunkers, I’m beginning to think that this could be the most complete course in Ireland.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Played Baltray the other day, first time since 2017.


Aside from a couple of reservations around ineffective bunkers, I’m beginning to think that this could be the most complete course in Ireland.

Having just returned from another round at Co Louth GC, I’m going to double-down on this comment. Baltray is one of the 4 or 5 best.

[Ira Fishman]

We played Baltray yesterday for the first time yesterday. Anyone who travels to Ireland and misses it is making a mistake. And it took me three trips to realize that fact. In particular, I think that the back nine is superb with varied holes that take advantage of the available elevation changes. Throughput the course, fairways bend both left and right with greens sited to challenge the approach shot. And with only a few exceptions, the green complexes are complex in ways that make the short game and putting fun even if frustrating.


Ira

[Tom_Doak]

Having just returned from another round at Co Louth GC, I’m going to double-down on this comment. Baltray is one of the 4 or 5 best.

Can't say that and not provide the rest of the list.  I assume you are "cheating" and only talking about the Republic.

[Darragh Garrahy]

I think Ally is talking about the whole island (just from the regular convos we have on this topic when we meet at our club).


I'd hazard a guess that he has Portrush, Portmarnock, RCD, Baltray, Lahinch in his top 5 in no order.


FWIW I think the same as Ally. It's criminally underrated and I encounter groups of Amercians on trips here who haven't even heard of it let alone considered it.


I would have loved to seen it when it played under the old routing, which Ally has posted here somewhere before.

Having just returned from another round at Co Louth GC, I’m going to double-down on this comment. Baltray is one of the 4 or 5 best.

Can't say that and not provide the rest of the list.  I assume you are "cheating" and only talking about the Republic.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Yes - Darragh is correct that I am talking about the whole island.


I still haven’t quite figured out where to slot St. Patrick’s in to any overall thinking, perhaps because it plays very differently to what I now consider the 6 best prior to its arrival. So I’ve had it floating at No.7 for the last couple of rankings.


And with the Top-6, I can argue them in almost any order. But I have had at times, each of Ballybunion, RCD, Lahinch and Baltray occupy the No.6 slot. Only Portrush and  Portmarnock I’ve never had outside the Top-5. And Portrush has been my No.1 for the last few years.

[Ben Stephens]

Baltray is underrated - I only have played it once need a return trip and a few more rounds on it.

[Sean_A]

Played Baltray the other day, first time since 2017.


Aside from a couple of reservations around ineffective bunkers, I’m beginning to think that this could be the most complete course in Ireland.

Having just returned from another round at Co Louth GC, I’m going to double-down on this comment. Baltray is one of the 4 or 5 best.

Ally


Did you ever find the original Simpson bunker scheme?


Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

Played Baltray the other day, first time since 2017.


Aside from a couple of reservations around ineffective bunkers, I’m beginning to think that this could be the most complete course in Ireland.

Having just returned from another round at Co Louth GC, I’m going to double-down on this comment. Baltray is one of the 4 or 5 best.

Ally


Did you ever find the original Simpson bunker scheme?


Ciao

Hi Sean,


I don’t have anything other than Simpson’s report from 1936 which doesn’t give away much on bunkering.


The overhead from 1960 isn’t too far away from what’s in the ground now and given the lack of investment in golf courses up until that point in Ireland, I suspect it hadn’t changed much since the 30’s.