[Ally Mcintosh]

Seeing as Sean is in list mode, I'd be interested in the 10 courses he would recommend for GCA'ers to visit for a 5 day trip, 8 rounds on the same course?


All things to be taken in to consideration.

[John Kavanaugh]

I'd be very interested when joining a course that you are going to play 8 times in 5 days becomes the best option. I'm thinking the cost of 8 unaccompanied green fees in 5 days may be similar to a years dues.

[jeffwarne]

I could go for one TOWN for a week-Dunfanaghy-and have.
Very cost effective when renting a house.
One course? not so much



Dunfanaghy-multiple plays there-with afternoon 9ers at Cruit or Gweedore.
Couple trips over to Portsalon(spectacular drive over the bridge) with afternoon Otway 9.


Don't think I could do 8 rounds at same course-but if I did it would be Portsalon, Northwest or Dunfanaghy(course and the town a great combo) in Donegal.
Pennard, Aberdovey, Cardigan in Wales.
Deal
Formby
St. Enodoc
Did it at Waterville my first trip overseas years ago so maybe I could.


Might throw Dingle into the mix for the town and course as well

[Greg Gilson]

Here goes my 2 cents worth:


TOC, Cruden Bay, North Berwick, Prestwick, Machrihanish, Swinley Forest, Lahinch, The Island


Got to 8! Happily spend 1 week just playing those and experiencing all the variety under different conditions.

[Jay Mickle]

Add Walton Heath to the list of previously mentioned.

[Bill_McBride]

Deal and Rye

[Charles Lund]

I wonder how many courses could not accommodate that kind of request.

St. Enodoc offers a five and I think there is a seven round ticket.  Five rounds have to be played over seven days and I think there is a seven round in 10 day ticket.  The five day ticket worked well for me.

I like trips with multiple rounds on fewer courses, as opposed to single rounds on many courses, although on a first trip, one round per course can provide a way of selecting favorites for return trips.

I'd be curious which courses offer multi-day tickets.

Charles Lund

[Mark Pearce]

Elie offers a 7 or 14 day membership, so that's one.  I'd like to think The Yank would enjoy 5 days at Elie.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Ally this is fantastic ! And when he replies, 'we'll have grounds more relative than this. The (5 days) play's the thing, wherein we'll catch the conscience of the king' The Yank.

[Sean_A]

Seeing as Sean is in list mode, I'd be interested in the 10 courses he would recommend for GCA'ers to visit for a 5 day trip, 8 rounds on the same course?


All things to be taken in to consideration.

10 courses?  I think for 5 days and so many rounds they have to be links to have the best chance of experiencing different playing conditions.  How bout

Sandwich
North Berwick
TOC
Rye
St Enodoc
Deal
Muirfield
Elie
Pennard
Perranporth

Personally, for an extended trip over one course I would probably focus on St Enodoc or Elie....maybe Hunstanton if they do deals.     

TOC & N Berwick would be on the list if they weren't public courses which get rammed.  Sandwich & Rye would be on the list, but they would be too expensive. 

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

My short list for this would be:


North Berwick
Prestwick
TOC
Rye
Ballybunion
Lahinch
St. Enodoc
Silloth [because I haven't been back since 1982; I don't know if it's really worthy of this company]
Deal [so Noel F will stop hounding me about it ]




In the States:


NGLA
Cypress Point
Crystal Downs
Prairie Dunes
Somerset Hills [because of the different hole locations on those greens!]
The Loop
Pacific Dunes
Old Macdonald [if they let me set the hole locations for a few days!]

[Garland Bayley]

I basically play almost all my rounds at the same course so I have no problem with this exercise. I assume I'm not to include my home course.
My 10 in NO particular order.
Tenby
Perranporth
Bude
Royal North Devon
Carne
Strandhill
Portsalon
Juniper (OR)
Bandon Crossings
and of course
Jawbone Creek

I could of course list resort courses at Bandon, but I choose to list more economical plays.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I should have a go at this:


1. Lahinch - Pretty sure this would be my first choice in Ireland.


2. Elie - Have to choose somewhere on the East Neuk because it's a lovely place to stay. Even though I think Elie is getting a little more plaudits than it should among the glitterati on here, it would be my choice.


3. Prestwick - Great course with loads of variety, easy walk, brilliant lunch. Tackling those holes over 5 days straight would be an honour.


4. North Berwick - Although I'd be concerned at how busy it is, this is a perfect repeat course in a lovely town. Needs to come in tow with access to the main clubhouse.


5. Ganton - Just loved the course so much, I could easily see myself choosing this as a "quiet" option, golf, food, literature and sleep.


6, 7, 8 & 9: These would have to be some English links, some of which I haven't played (like Westward Ho!, Hunstanton and Rye) but which I intuitively believe would be the ideal courses and locales. Also St Enedoc. Maybe Formby?


Guess I could choose Sandwich but it's a bit all round BIG and although I loved Deal, not sure I'd go with it either.


10. Connemara - This isn't for the course (which I like a lot but could drag over 8 rounds of bad weather - very long) but for the location which is my favourite "get away from the city" locale in Ireland.

[Thomas Dai]

5 days, 8 rounds, same course, especially some of the ones mentioned herein that aren’t flat. Sounds like a recipe for boredom and very sore feet.
If pushed one of the courses I might consider however, would be on a flat, sandy peninsula just north of Dublin! I might be tempted to play the Clubs other 9 at some stage as well though! And Jeffs nomination above is a good one too.
Atb

[Sean_A]

10. Connemara - This isn't for the course (which I like a lot but could drag over 8 rounds of bad weather - very long) but for the location which is my favourite "get away from the city" locale in Ireland.

I know what you mean.  I only selected areas where I would like to spend time. Which is why I didn't include places like Lahinch and Ballybunion for myself. 

Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

5 days, 8 rounds, same course, especially some of the ones mentioned herein that aren’t flat. Sounds like a recipe for boredom and very sore feet.
If pushed one of the courses I might consider however, would be on a flat, sandy peninsula just north of Dublin! I might be tempted to play the Clubs other 9 at some stage as well though! And Jeffs nomination above is a good one too.
Atb

I could hardly mention my home club although I think it's a good choice (and have in fact done 8 rounds over 5 days there - bliss). I went there yesterday for a round and decided to leave the clubs in the car and just enjoy the walk.


Surprised you and Jeff think that the one course stay is a recipe for boredom. I think it is the perfect way to settle in to a rythym of both golf and life. If you choose to play in this fashion, the course and town forever remain part of you I reckon.

[Mark Pearce]

Before I joined the club I used to do this pretty much every year at Elie.  Buy a 7 day pass, play every morning at the crack of dawn on my own, then a few times during the week again in the afternoon with members.


If I had to pick 10 (and not picking anywhere I'm a member of) it might be these:


Ganton - great choice this, quiet, welcoming and a short walk from the Greyhound.  Only issue might be the lack of things to do in the evenings.
Kington - these courses have to be fun and there has to be a chance they'll play differently from day to day.  Kington ticks both. 
Barnbougle Dunes/Lost Farm - I can't imagine staying at Barnbougle and not playing both courses but if I could only play one I'd be happy with either.  Worth it just for the views.
Prestwick - a fabulous suggestion from Ally.  I'd need to be with a group so that at least some of the golf was foursomes.
Yale - great fun, again, and this stay would be long enough to work out how to play some of those holes.
Swinley Forest - not the best of the heathlands but a course that would repay the repeated plays and a great club to be around for 5 days.
De Pan - this strikes me as a great place to hang around for 5 days, the course is a delight and Utrecht is a city I'd love to see more of.
Kingston Heath - I played so badly there on my one visit but a fabulous course and welcoming club.  I struggled to decide between KH and RMW but, for the sake of this exercise (and limiting myself to one course in Melbourne), KH wins this time.
New South Wales - 5 days in Sydney?  Walking over the hill on the 5th 8 times in that period?  A chance to settle in and enjoy the club's wine cellar (I'm assuming that's OK)?  A chance to marvel again at the mess Greg Norman created at the 18th?  It's a shoe in.
RCP - again, I'd need company to play some foursomes, but great fun (again), different challenges from day to day and a fabulously welcoming club.


What strikes me is that I considered a couple of my favourite courses (Muirfield, Silloth) and dismissed them (too hard for 8 games in 5 days, not enough to do in the village) but see that The Yank did choose Muirfield!

[Thomas Dai]

I could hardly mention my home club although I think it's a good choice (and have in fact done 8 rounds over 5 days there - bliss). I went there yesterday for a round and decided to leave the clubs in the car and just enjoy the walk.
Surprised you and Jeff think that the one course stay is a recipe for boredom. I think it is the perfect way to settle in to a rythym of both golf and life. If you choose to play in this fashion, the course and town forever remain part of you I reckon.

Being a bit tongue in cheek Ally, but I reckon you realised that and I do have considerable liking for Portmarnock.
Seriously though, same course for 8 rounds over 5 days would be boring for me, although great company/craic would minimise this. Low boredom threshold I’m afraid.
One village or small town location with a few interesting courses in the area, now that would be different, and is how I try to organise any trip. So a base near StA, or East Lothian, or Ayrshire, or the Moray Firth to name a few in Scotland, and I could name many more throughout GB and especially in Ire would be terrific, especially during the off or shoulder season when they’re less likely to be busy. Time to smell the roses too.
Some great areas mentioned by others though. Very tempting.
Atb

[mike_malone]

These are courses I have played in no order.


Ballybunion is magical to me.


Lahinch’s dunes would change play based on the wind.


Deal is the most fun once you get away from the clubhouse.


North Berwick has so many quirky holes I imagine playing each differently each time.


Royal Porthcawl would delight me as I play those par fours over and over.


Swinley Forest might be fun if the greens weren’t puddling.


TOC’s variety increases with each play.


Narin/Portnoo has so many enjoyable short shots.


Rye’s ridge enchants.


And for Sean and his unparalleled hospitality I go Burnham and Berrow over Pennard by a nose.

[Rich Goodale]

To this New England Yankee, the main criterion for intensive stays (golfing or otherwise) is the avant and apres ambience. Without local charm and camaraderie, 5 days anywhere doing anything gets boring very quickly.   I've done this and gone back to Ballyliffin (Old), Painswick, and I've happily done it at Dornoch for 40 years.  I'm there right now---5 consecutive days without golf, but a great place to ring in the New Year with family and friends.

I've never done this in the USA (unless you count places I've been a member and lived close by).  If I could choose any future courses that fit Ally's criteria; Myopia, Valley Club and my current  courses come to mind.

[Sven Nilsen]

Old Macdonald [if they let me set the hole locations for a few days!]

Curious as to what hole locations you'd like to see. 


As you can probably guess, the set up of Old Mac is a hotly debated topic out here.

[Jack Carney]

Interesting question and some great answers; of course. I only get to the area once every seven years or so. Therefore, would hate to concentrate on one location. I do like to play a course at least twice with different pin locations but by the third day I would be drawn pretty strongly to other courses Im sure

[Tom_Doak]

 
As you can probably guess, the set up of Old Mac is a hotly debated topic out here.

How so?


After we built the course, Mr. Keiser outlined big portions of certain greens where he didn't want them to ever put the hole, which included a bunch of places I would love to see a hole, every once in a blue moon.  [Or more often than that.]  One of the last times I was there, a couple or three years ago, the maintenance staff used a couple of those locations [like the left wing on #1] the day I played ... and they heard about it afterwards.  So, I have assumed they are mostly sticking to the management-approved spots.

[Sven Nilsen]

With regards to the setup, the general consensus is that they don't emphasize a lot of what makes the course fun.

They use the left wing on 1 on a regular rotation.  Same for front middle on 3, left on 4, right on 16 and front left on 17 (one of the toughest pins on property.  I'd agree if someone said these locations are used too frequently.


To a lesser extent, they've used the ridge on the left on 6 and way back against the backstop on the left side of 13.


Seems like they've stopped using the apron on 11 and way back on 12.  There are a couple of locations I don't see enough of, like front right on 2 and way back right on 13.


Never seen it on the front of 8, front of 15 and left side of 18.


Am I missing any of the spots you'd want to play to that aren't in the regular rotation?

[Michael Whitaker]

If one is going to spend 5 days in one place there needs to be a good selection of accommodation, restaurants and pubs. Plus, the course should offer enough variation on each play to maintain one's interest. And, the club should be very welcoming and offer a good value for all this fun.

I propose that Deal is the ideal candidate... especially if you visit during Deal Week which offers nine days of golf for £250!

Here is a link to the lineup during the 2017 Deal Week: https://www.royalcinqueports.com/uploads/royalcinqueports/File/Deal%20Week%20-%20Visitor%20Form.pdf

The town of Deal is a fun place during August with lots of good places for food, beverage and frivolity. The course is second to none and offers a different challenge every day.

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