Had a 3rd round at St. Patrick's before heading south and wanted to post a few more photos of the course from some different angles.
At this point on this trip, I've played both Ballyliffin courses, the Rosapenna courses, Buncrana, North West, Narin & Portnoo, Cruit Island, Donegal, Rosses Point, Strand Hill, and Enniscrone (Carne to come on Monday, but I've been there before). I think it's fair to say that St. Pat's is nothing like any of them. It has the dramatic dunes of Enniscrone and Carne (and obviously it's neighbor, Sandy Hills), but it feels far bigger than any of them. N&P and the Old Course at Ballyliffin have some moonscape fairways like the 11th at St. Pat's, but not to such an extreme. None of the courses have greens that are even close to the massive size of St. Pat's.
It's funny, but after three plays, I think I would categorize St. Pat's as a second shot course. On my last day, I was on 7 of the first 9 greens in regulation, but had 6 bogeys because I was on the wrong part of the green, which made birdies impossible and two-putts unlikely.
Looking back down the fairway from behind the 2nd green.A closer look at the 3rd green.Tee shot on 4. This played downwind all three days I was there, but apparently it typically plays into the wind. Second shot into the par 5 4th. Small pot bunker that protects the front right of the 5th green. Waste area that cuts across the 6th fairway.View of the blind shot into the 7th green.What you see after you climb the hill that fronts the green.Looking back down 7 fairway from the hill behind the green.The center(ish) fairway bunker on the 10th.Fairway contouring on 11. The photo doesn’t begin to convey just how huge the mounds and valley’s are. Looking back down 13.This angle of 17 shows the deep depression that protects the front left of the green. View of 17 from the 18th tee.A wider angle view of the tee shot on 18.