Is there a Brora or an Elie in Ireland - somewhere in between Dublin & Portrush?

[Alex Miller]

Thanks Clyde! Cairndhu’s opening stretch looked quite dramatic, and that 11 minute course video was the finest of its kind...

Was not expecting to hear Sofi Tukker as the backtrack for a small Irish clifftop course

https://youtu.be/SmBaYnEF1uE

[Blake Conant]

Thanks Clyde! Cairndhu’s opening stretch looked quite dramatic, and that 11 minute course video was the finest of its kind...

Was not expecting to hear Sofi Tukker as the backtrack for a small Irish clifftop course

https://youtu.be/SmBaYnEF1uE

That video is a hidden gem in and of itself!  the drone sound effects at the very beginning let you know you're in for a real treat.


But I digress... perhaps Seapoint Golf Links isn't worth a visit, but maybe the Seapoint Pitch and Putt Club (unaffiliated with the big course) just north of it is worth a stop.  They look to have several holes playing over rumpled links and only 6 euro all day green fee.

[Stewart Abramson]

1. Natural
2. Quirky
3. Pleasant surprises
4. Fun
5. Relatively inexpensive

I'd say Corballis checks all those boxes. It's actually very inexpensive


Link to Corballis photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157709067494176


Corballis #4 a par 3 115 yards 419

[Ally Mcintosh]

Clyde is underselling Seapoint - it has some lovely links holes abutting the sea. It also has some standard modern, long parkland holes on the land removed from the sea. These must be the ones he walked.


On the other hand, Cairndhu trades on its 2nd hole. It has some very average stuff going on elsewhere.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Nice trawls through "not" the usual suspects.




I've yet to play it, but one of the friendliest clubs I've ever dropped into is the 9 holer at Sutton, in North Dublin.  I believe they have an Open every Wednesday which would be fun to join.


https://www.suttongolfclub.org/


It looks an easy walk with 6 links holes and a a few the other side of the railway tracks.  If it was quiet you could just play 12 holes?


Plus if you want to understand Golf in Ireland you need to know about JB Carr - this was his home club.


https://www.suttongolfclub.org/j-b-carr/


I leave it to others to rate its Quality but it looks to fit the bill. 








I would also single out Corballis, a total gas! However It's short,  tight and trickly and not at all like the two you picked out.

[Thomas Dai]

Corballis does look pretty cool.
Like Tony, I was wondering about Sutton.
What’s St Anne’s in Dublin like?
Atb

[Ally Mcintosh]

Corballis does look pretty cool.
Like Tony, I was wondering about Sutton.
What’s St Anne’s in Dublin like?
Atb

Sutton is an old, traditional club with a lively membership. The club has a much higher stature than the course. It has a couple of cool holes in 8 and 9 and a few short, tight, quirky links holes as well, albeit very squeezed in. The three on the other side could be redone to feel more links like. It’s a perfect little members nine holer, nothing more.


St. Anne’s is a true links and has some excellent holes. 16 to 18 is an almost great finish but the rest of the back nine is laid out like a tin of sardines. A few really good holes on the front side also... Quality level comparable to Laytown & Bettystown though slightly less loveable.

[Jeff Johnston]

Some v good shouts on here at either end of the journey and at points in between. I'd echo Ally's thoughts on Sutton and St Anne's, and also throw in a mention for the clubhouses at both, which make excellent use of their locations. In the bar at Sutton in particular you feel like you are almost out in Dublin Bay (though that could be the lively membership factor as well).

If quirk is your thing, in the same neck of the woods I'd also throw in a mention for the heathlandy Howth GC, on elevated land around Howth Head, and a James Braid design (I would guess still bearing a lot of the original imprint). Lots of elevation change, blindness and doglegs like they just don't (or can't) do any more. The 5th in particular is a dogleg you won't believe (think of trying to go up a helter skelter and you get a sense of it).

There was a mention of Kirkistown above - a v fun links (incorporating the unhittable par 4 10th as SI 1) but a bit of a detour. The Ards Peninsula is lovely though so if you have time do consider this one. One option would be to take in the Annesley at RCD (and / or Ardglass, which is even closer) and then make your way to the little ferry across the bottom of the lough at Strangford - brings you over to Portaferry which is then just 15 / 20 mins from Kirkistown. Wouldn't be a bad 36 (or 54!) that actually.

Whatever else, the one I wouldn't miss out of all those mentioned is Portrush Valley. A must.

Enjoy!

[mike_malone]

 I didn’t experience Brora or Elie as second rate hidden gems. I would say that Baltray comes close to them as a fun place to play that is just below that highest tier.


I need to play the Valley course at RPR.

[MClutterbuck]

Great responses, thanks everybody!

[Stewart Abramson]

I can't add much to Ally's summary of Sutton. In addition to#8 and #9, I liked #2. #6 is a fun , tough little par 3. Of the three non links holes, #4 was interesting with a burn and pond in play. Here's a link to photos.   https://flic.kr/s/aHsmEep7kf
I'm posting from my phone. If the link doesn't work I'll fix when I get to a computer

[Jeff Johnston]

good pics Stewart.

I mentioned Howth GC - in Stewart's first panoramic pic (of Sutton #2) that's the Howth course in the background going up and over the saddle on Howth Head. As you can imagine the views are fairly decent from up there.

[Stewart Abramson]

good pics Stewart.

I mentioned Howth GC - in Stewart's first panoramic pic (of Sutton #2) that's the Howth course in the background going up and over the saddle on Howth Head. As you can imagine the views are fairly decent from up there.

Thanks Jeff. Howth is a cool place to spend a day when visiting Dublin even if you don't play golf there. It's a short train ride from the center of Dublin and just a stone's throw from Sutton. I would have liked to play the Howth course, but this was a non-golf day on our most recent visit to Ireland. Howth (non Golf) Pix:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157712717999853

[Clyde Johnson]

Yes...Howth is a pretty good spot to enjoy vistas of Dublin's and surrounds, though you'd want to do it on a better day than I did!


Even if the green complexes are rudimentary, the routing has plenty of adventure and intrigue, especially as you initially tack your way up the slopes.


As has been mentioned, the fifth is one of the severest doglegs imaginable, turning near ninety degrees up a near vertical hill for 150 yards or so, over there thick banks of heather!!