Golf Club Atlas

GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: T_MacWood on December 04, 2004, 10:56:36 AM

Title: Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: T_MacWood on December 04, 2004, 10:56:36 AM

A couple that immediately come to mind are Cruden Bay and Ballybunion....but I also understand there are less famous courses, like Burnham & Berrow or Silloth, that have them as well.  Really which golf courses in the world...I've seen some pretty dramatic dunes else where...like Holland and South Africa (and Nebraska).

Not necessarily the highest dunes....the most dramatic.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: SPDB on December 04, 2004, 11:19:30 AM

A couple that come to mind:

Royal St. David's
Royal Aberdeen
Lahinch
Murcar
Sandwich
St. Enodoc

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Pete Lavallee on December 04, 2004, 12:40:09 PM

Add Perranporth in Cornwall to that list.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: ForkaB on December 04, 2004, 12:54:12 PM

Tom

The trouble with your question is that not long after a dune becomes "dramatic" it collapses or is otherwise eroded.  I think the course with the dunes of the most magnificent scale is Birkdale, but this is because they have been stabilized with vegetation for many years, and the routing allows them to maintain their shape.  Of course, if you can stomach the words subtle and dramatic in the same sentence, the older gracefully eroded dunes such as at St. Andrews, Ballyliffin, Dornoch, Brora, etc. best fit the bill.....

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Norbert P on December 04, 2004, 01:16:03 PM

           

              Carne Golf Links, Belmullet, Ireland.

(http://www.hayes-golfreisen.de/images/5/64a2463c3553f7f9047c9afcdb8cdd0c.jpg)

 Lahinch and Enniscrone have some of my favorite dunes, as well.

 

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Norbert P on December 04, 2004, 01:43:59 PM

 Though I've never played it, and not exactly in the UK, but above it intermittently, I hear that Fra Mauro Highlands Golf Club (lone member Alan Shepherd) has some fantastic impact created (non-eolian) dunes.

"One of these days, Alice! ... to the moon!"   Jackie Gleason

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Jeff Fortson on December 04, 2004, 05:53:43 PM

Of the ones I have played, I would nominate Cruden Bay.  I have not played in Ireland so my vote could change if I were to ever play there.


Jeff F.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Yancey_Beamer on December 04, 2004, 06:07:23 PM

The Island Golf Club outside Dublin is said to have the largest dunes in Ireland.It's a dramatic setting and to me Ireland's equivilant of Cruden Bay.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Robert Thompson on December 04, 2004, 09:32:47 PM

Cruden Bay is amazing in spots, especially the middle of the front nine. Murcar, just down the road, is also amazing -- once more largely on the front nine. It opens tamely enough, but holes 3 thru 8 are truly standouts on what remains one of my most memorable rounds of golf.
Montrose, near Carnoustie, which I played with GCA's own Robin Hiseman (a member), also has some excellent dunes. However, in what is surely to become a more common site, many of the tees on this excellent course where situated on the dunes which are now eroding badly. It is a shame -- there were some amazing tee shots before....

Robert

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Gene Greco on December 04, 2004, 09:47:59 PM

Portstewart front nine.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Tommy Williamsen on December 04, 2004, 09:51:25 PM

The European Club has some very dramatic dunes, as does Royal Birkdale.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Sean Walsh on December 05, 2004, 02:33:39 AM

Of those I played the largest were in order:

Enniscrone, Carne, The Island, Cruden Bay, Lahinch, Doonbeg.

Small but dramatic (thanks Rich):

Ballyliffin Old, TOC, Brora, County Louth (e.g 14th), Royal Dornoch.

Small and Bland:
Nairn, Ceann Sibeal.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: T_MacWood on December 05, 2004, 10:02:59 AM

Maybe I should have framed the question: which course as the most perfect dunescape for golf...perhaps a combination of lower lying dunes with a dramatic dune here or there. What about County Down?

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Paul_Turner on December 05, 2004, 11:40:08 AM

I agree with Pete.  In terms of drama, the dunes of Perranporth reign free:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/paulturner/PerranporthNAF.jpg)
The newly wed GCAer

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/paulturner/Perranporth7.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/paulturner/Perranporth5a.jpg)

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Michael Wharton-Palmer on December 05, 2004, 10:37:37 PM

Awesome pictures of Perranporth, which I have not played.
I have played alot of the links courses at home, but the ones that always stick in my mind are those of Royal Birkdale.
I lose track of the holes,but if I remember correctly, the tee shot on # 13 is hit between two towering dunes..an awesome teeshot on this superb par 4..especially on the heels of number 12, one of my favourite par thress anywhere.

I love dunes..Ballybunnion, Burnham and Berrow, Hunstanton,Hillside..all have some great dunes, even the smaller ones that frame Western Gailes.

Links golf..the more I think about it, the more I miss home!!!!

Mr Doak, thanks for giving this country Pacific Dunes, it feels like, smells like,and plays like home.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Tom Dunne on December 05, 2004, 10:51:33 PM

I'm surprised Royal Portrush hasn't been mentioned yet. And I have to second The Island--some of the dunescapes there are just wonderful.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Jack_Marr on December 06, 2004, 03:01:28 AM

(http://www.carnegolflinks.com/gallery/images/gallery%2014_jpg.jpg)

'nuff said.

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Philip Gawith on December 06, 2004, 03:27:24 AM

the sandy hills course at rosapenna has some pretty serious dunes, as does the second, unlamented course at Ballybunnion.

i believe the largest sand dunes in the world are on the coast in Namibia, south of Walvis Bay (open up your atlas chaps!), but i think they are a bit severe for golf!

Title: Re:Which golf courses in the British Isles have the most dramatic dunes?
Post by: Robert Thompson on December 06, 2004, 10:39:13 AM

I've posted a couple of shots of Montrose and its dunes on my blog: http://goingforthegreen.blogspot.com/

It strikes me that a number of the great golf dunes could disappear -- at least erosion is starting to cut into the massive one at Montrose.