Jameson Golf Links, Dublin

[Adam Lawrence]

Have been in Dublin for the last two days at the newly-named Jameson Golf Links, formerly the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.

The hotel and course was acquired in 2019 by the Canadian Gagliardi family, and they have been working on this rebranding pretty much ever since. It makes sense in a way that few rebranding exercises I have ever seen do. The property was originally the estate of the Jameson whiskey family, the hotel is based on the original Jameson House, much extended obviously, and John Jameson III (who is buried in the churchyard to the right of the first hole) had a private nine hole course in the grounds in the 1850s, when there was basically no other golf in Ireland.

Irish golf architect Jeff Lynch of (re)Golf has been working on the course for the last year or two, making significant changes to Stan Eby's original design. He has tried to address the fact that almost the entire course was north/south in an environment where the prevailing wind comes from the west or southwest by building a couple of new east/west par threes in the big dunes next to the sea, the excellent ninth and fifteenth, he has rerouted several holes and made alterations to improve the course's connection with the sea, including the new volcano twelfth green, high atop a big dune.

Most exciting, though, is the new seventeenth hole, which will come into play in the new year. The existing hole is a very tough par three to an elevated green with a very deep bunker cut into the left front side. Jeff is turning the hole into a short four a new green he has built in previously unused terrain behind the current one -- it is fabulous, rollocking land, and will be a brilliant little hole.

The hotel is an excellent base for golfers playing the courses in this area of Ireland -- Portmarnock, the Island and Royal Dublin, even up to County Louth, as well as the Jameson course itself. They are working on stay and play packages that will include the best local courses. I recommend it highly.

[Ben Stephens]

Jeff Lynch is a great guy (he really looks like Clark Kent!) good to see the work at Jameson Golf Links going well.


Its probably a better marketing strategy to call it Jameson Golf Links than Portmarnock Golf Links 

[Adam Lawrence]

Jeff Lynch is a great guy (he really looks like Clark Kent!) good to see the work at Jameson Golf Links going well.

Its probably a better marketing strategy to call it Jameson Golf Links than Portmarnock Golf Links 

I think that is unarguable. The issue is that the Jameson brand/trademark is owned by Pernod Ricard, an enormous multinational drinks company, and they are _super careful_ about protecting their intellectual property. The new owners have (actually fairly amazingly) persuaded PR to partner with them on this -- I think it will be a big win for both organisations.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Whilst it’s a family name - I play occasionally with the great grandson of John Jameson next door - it’s primarily a brand name these days.


More and more, new golf courses are named after the developer rather than the location. Are we only one step away from all new golf courses being named after a sponsor, as in football / soccer etc… (e.g. The Aviva or The Ethihad)?

[Adam Lawrence]

One of the most interesting things I learned while there was about John Jameson III's private course from the 1850s. The first proper golf club in Ireland was Royal Curragh, founded 1858, so the Jameson Links property has a reasonable claim to be the home of golf in Ireland.

[Ally Mcintosh]

One of the most interesting things I learned while there was about John Jameson III's private course from the 1850s. The first proper golf club in Ireland was Royal Curragh, founded 1858, so the Jameson Links property has a reasonable claim to be the home of golf in Ireland.

There were even a couple of original holes from that course until this renovation removed them!

[Ben Stephens]

One of the most interesting things I learned while there was about John Jameson III's private course from the 1850s. The first proper golf club in Ireland was Royal Curragh, founded 1858, so the Jameson Links property has a reasonable claim to be the home of golf in Ireland.

There were even a couple of original holes from that course until this renovation removed them!

Were the original holes any good?

[Adam Lawrence]

One of the most interesting things I learned while there was about John Jameson III's private course from the 1850s. The first proper golf club in Ireland was Royal Curragh, founded 1858, so the Jameson Links property has a reasonable claim to be the home of golf in Ireland.

There were even a couple of original holes from that course until this renovation removed them!

Really? I didn't know that.

[Ally Mcintosh]

One of the most interesting things I learned while there was about John Jameson III's private course from the 1850s. The first proper golf club in Ireland was Royal Curragh, founded 1858, so the Jameson Links property has a reasonable claim to be the home of golf in Ireland.

There were even a couple of original holes from that course until this renovation removed them!

Really? I didn't know that.

Yes, parts or all of 8, 9 & 15 were on the original course. That’s not to say that they weren’t redesigned by Stan Eby back in the mid-nineties (I suspect they must have been) but he incorporated hole corridors that were used on the original course in those areas.


They were three of the best holes although I found 8 a bit of an awkward dogleg with a great last 100 yards (the original bit). I prefer the new hole.


Of course, I’m reporting the above off anecdotal information. I’ll try and dig a bit deeper to see if the story has just been passed around wrongly.

[Mark Smolens]

Have been in Dublin for the last two days at the newly-named Jameson Golf Links, formerly the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.

The hotel and course was acquired in 2019 by the Canadian Gagliardi family, and they have been working on this rebranding pretty much ever since. It makes sense in a way that few rebranding exercises I have ever seen do. The property was originally the estate of the Jameson whiskey family, the hotel is based on the original Jameson House, much extended obviously, and John Jameson III (who is buried in the churchyard to the right of the first hole) had a private nine hole course in the grounds in the 1850s, when there was basically no other golf in Ireland.

Irish golf architect Jeff Lynch of (re)Golf has been working on the course for the last year or two, making significant changes to Stan Eby's original design. He has tried to address the fact that almost the entire course was north/south in an environment where the prevailing wind comes from the west or southwest by building a couple of new east/west par threes in the big dunes next to the sea, the excellent ninth and fifteenth, he has rerouted several holes and made alterations to improve the course's connection with the sea, including the new volcano twelfth green, high atop a big dune.

Most exciting, though, is the new seventeenth hole, which will come into play in the new year. The existing hole is a very tough par three to an elevated green with a very deep bunker cut into the left front side. Jeff is turning the hole into a short four a new green he has built in previously unused terrain behind the current one -- it is fabulous, rollocking land, and will be a brilliant little hole.

The hotel is an excellent base for golfers playing the courses in this area of Ireland -- Portmarnock, the Island and Royal Dublin, even up to County Louth, as well as the Jameson course itself. They are working on stay and play packages that will include the best local courses. I recommend it highly.

Stayed there several nights on my last trip across the pond. One evening, a guy in our group wasn't particularly hungry at dinner so he asked for a "fruit plate." The waiter was confused, but eventually came back with a large serving tray covered with 10-12 different pieces of fruit. And they say we speak the same language?

[Ally Mcintosh]

Have been in Dublin for the last two days at the newly-named Jameson Golf Links, formerly the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.

The hotel and course was acquired in 2019 by the Canadian Gagliardi family, and they have been working on this rebranding pretty much ever since. It makes sense in a way that few rebranding exercises I have ever seen do. The property was originally the estate of the Jameson whiskey family, the hotel is based on the original Jameson House, much extended obviously, and John Jameson III (who is buried in the churchyard to the right of the first hole) had a private nine hole course in the grounds in the 1850s, when there was basically no other golf in Ireland.

Irish golf architect Jeff Lynch of (re)Golf has been working on the course for the last year or two, making significant changes to Stan Eby's original design. He has tried to address the fact that almost the entire course was north/south in an environment where the prevailing wind comes from the west or southwest by building a couple of new east/west par threes in the big dunes next to the sea, the excellent ninth and fifteenth, he has rerouted several holes and made alterations to improve the course's connection with the sea, including the new volcano twelfth green, high atop a big dune.

Most exciting, though, is the new seventeenth hole, which will come into play in the new year. The existing hole is a very tough par three to an elevated green with a very deep bunker cut into the left front side. Jeff is turning the hole into a short four a new green he has built in previously unused terrain behind the current one -- it is fabulous, rollocking land, and will be a brilliant little hole.

The hotel is an excellent base for golfers playing the courses in this area of Ireland -- Portmarnock, the Island and Royal Dublin, even up to County Louth, as well as the Jameson course itself. They are working on stay and play packages that will include the best local courses. I recommend it highly.

Stayed there several nights on my last trip across the pond. One evening, a guy in our group wasn't particularly hungry at dinner so he asked for a "fruit plate." The waiter was confused, but eventually came back with a large serving tray covered with 10-12 different pieces of fruit. And they say we speak the same language?

You’ll need to enlighten me. I’ve no idea what a “fruit plate” is if it’s not a large platter of fruit?

[Sean_A]

Have been in Dublin for the last two days at the newly-named Jameson Golf Links, formerly the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.

The hotel and course was acquired in 2019 by the Canadian Gagliardi family, and they have been working on this rebranding pretty much ever since. It makes sense in a way that few rebranding exercises I have ever seen do. The property was originally the estate of the Jameson whiskey family, the hotel is based on the original Jameson House, much extended obviously, and John Jameson III (who is buried in the churchyard to the right of the first hole) had a private nine hole course in the grounds in the 1850s, when there was basically no other golf in Ireland.

Irish golf architect Jeff Lynch of (re)Golf has been working on the course for the last year or two, making significant changes to Stan Eby's original design. He has tried to address the fact that almost the entire course was north/south in an environment where the prevailing wind comes from the west or southwest by building a couple of new east/west par threes in the big dunes next to the sea, the excellent ninth and fifteenth, he has rerouted several holes and made alterations to improve the course's connection with the sea, including the new volcano twelfth green, high atop a big dune.

Most exciting, though, is the new seventeenth hole, which will come into play in the new year. The existing hole is a very tough par three to an elevated green with a very deep bunker cut into the left front side. Jeff is turning the hole into a short four a new green he has built in previously unused terrain behind the current one -- it is fabulous, rollocking land, and will be a brilliant little hole.

The hotel is an excellent base for golfers playing the courses in this area of Ireland -- Portmarnock, the Island and Royal Dublin, even up to County Louth, as well as the Jameson course itself. They are working on stay and play packages that will include the best local courses. I recommend it highly.

Stayed there several nights on my last trip across the pond. One evening, a guy in our group wasn't particularly hungry at dinner so he asked for a "fruit plate." The waiter was confused, but eventually came back with a large serving tray covered with 10-12 different pieces of fruit. And they say we speak the same language?

You’ll need to enlighten me. I’ve no idea what a “fruit plate” is if it’s not a large platter of fruit?

Plus 1.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Have been in Dublin for the last two days at the newly-named Jameson Golf Links, formerly the Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links.

The hotel and course was acquired in 2019 by the Canadian Gagliardi family, and they have been working on this rebranding pretty much ever since. It makes sense in a way that few rebranding exercises I have ever seen do. The property was originally the estate of the Jameson whiskey family, the hotel is based on the original Jameson House, much extended obviously, and John Jameson III (who is buried in the churchyard to the right of the first hole) had a private nine hole course in the grounds in the 1850s, when there was basically no other golf in Ireland.

Irish golf architect Jeff Lynch of (re)Golf has been working on the course for the last year or two, making significant changes to Stan Eby's original design. He has tried to address the fact that almost the entire course was north/south in an environment where the prevailing wind comes from the west or southwest by building a couple of new east/west par threes in the big dunes next to the sea, the excellent ninth and fifteenth, he has rerouted several holes and made alterations to improve the course's connection with the sea, including the new volcano twelfth green, high atop a big dune.

Most exciting, though, is the new seventeenth hole, which will come into play in the new year. The existing hole is a very tough par three to an elevated green with a very deep bunker cut into the left front side. Jeff is turning the hole into a short four a new green he has built in previously unused terrain behind the current one -- it is fabulous, rollocking land, and will be a brilliant little hole.

The hotel is an excellent base for golfers playing the courses in this area of Ireland -- Portmarnock, the Island and Royal Dublin, even up to County Louth, as well as the Jameson course itself. They are working on stay and play packages that will include the best local courses. I recommend it highly.

Stayed there several nights on my last trip across the pond. One evening, a guy in our group wasn't particularly hungry at dinner so he asked for a "fruit plate." The waiter was confused, but eventually came back with a large serving tray covered with 10-12 different pieces of fruit. And they say we speak the same language?

You’ll need to enlighten me. I’ve no idea what a “fruit plate” is if it’s not a large platter of fruit?

Plus 1.

Ciao

Plus 2

[Niall C]

Numpties. It's obviously a plate made of fruit.


Niall

[Charlie Goerges]

Fruit plate. I'm trying to imagine expectations vs reality on this one. Was he expecting a plate full of artfully sliced fruit and instead received a plate containing whole fruit, like an apple, a pear, some strawberries etc.?


Inquiring minds want to know!