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Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Cruit Island
« on: November 22, 2005, 01:23:09 PM »
Has anybody played this course?  It is a 9 hole links course in Co. Donegal.  

Ciao

Sean
New plays planned for 2025: Ludlow, Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2005, 02:22:13 PM »
Sean - I have played it. Well worth the visit. We were en route from playing Narin&Portnoo up to Rosapenna.

Brendan Dolan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2005, 02:31:44 PM »
I played it in 2003, and it is well worth the trip.  It is quite remote.  Has some really fun holes, and a nice mix of long and short par fours.  The highlight is the par 3 6th hole which plays over a little inlet of the ocean.  It is a special little place.  

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2005, 03:31:44 PM »
P. Gawith -

Why am I not surprised that you have played BOTH Cruit Island and Narin & Portnoo?

I played N&P in 1994, discovering the course more or less by accident. A VERY memorable round. The 360 degree view from the 4th or 5th tee, where you first get to see the beach and the bay is absolutely stunning.

DT

Andy Hughes

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2005, 03:47:55 PM »
"Perhaps I'm incorrect..."--P. Mucci 6/7/2007

Brendan Dolan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2005, 01:34:07 AM »
Here is a quick rundown of the holes.
1st Hole 430-410
The first tee shot is blind as you drive off the top of a dune down into a large valley.  The second shot is 150 yards to a fairly large green.  The clubs entrance road crosses about 75 yards short of the green, which is a neat little cork.
2nd Hole 400
This hole plays straight away and all up hill. It is another difficult hole played to a big green.
3rd Hole 300
The third hole is striaght away, but blind from the tee.  After about a 150 yards the topography falls striaght to the green.  There a three or so cross bunkers about 10 yards short of the green.  A cliff lurks relatively close to the back of the green.
4th Hole 340
The tee sits right on the edge of a cliff, and the drive is up hill.  The green is protected by a couple of bunkers, and the putting surface is some what bowled.
5th Hole 270-250
The 5th is an interesting hole as it bends around some rather large dunes.  The player can not see the green if they try to go for it.  If one lays up they must negotiate some bunkers as they approach one of the smaller greens on the golf course.
6th Hole 140
The 6th is one of my favorite short par 3's that I have ever played.  There are two different tees and both create a unique challenge.  The green sits out on a point, and everything funnels into the middle of the green.
7th Hole 330
This is a really neat hole one drives into a small valley and then approachs a very neat punchbowl green.  There are a number of bunkers that must be negotiated on the way.
8th Hole 190
This is a difficult par 3.  If I remember correctly the green is raised just slightly above the surrounding terrian, which causes balls that just barely miss the green to be defflected away from it.
9th Hole 300
Another short par four, played to a unique green setting.

I definitly look forward to returning to play Cruit some time in the near future.  This course will never play the same as the wind really likes to blow and the routing weaves back and forth, which forces the golfer to continue asking what type of shot should be played here.

Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2005, 05:57:21 AM »
David - as I recall, I played N&P on your recommendation! As for Cruit Island, I think Dr Johnny Brown - occasionally of this parish - pointed me towards it.

Sean - I can't recall the exact timings, but apply the general Irish rule that everything is fairly slow! How long are you planning to travel for? I am not sure that you want to be trying to do Derry and Donegal in the same, shortish trip.

 In two separate trips I have played both courses at Ballyliffin, Portsalon, both courses at Rosapenna, Cruit and N&P - all are good courses - and, of course, once you go East of Derry you get to Portrush etc.

Those courses are all before you get to Donegal, Rosses Point, Enniscrone, Carne etc - hence my thinking that you would ideally need two trips, one to do the courses closer to Derry, the other to do the ones which are a bit further west and south, but still essentially in the north-west.

Sébastien Dhaussy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2005, 06:42:18 AM »
Who is the designer of Cruit Island ? Can't find it on the site irishgolf.com ("unknown").
"It's for everyone to choose his own path to glory - or perdition" Ben CRENSHAW

Sean Walsh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Cruit Island
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2005, 05:59:37 AM »
Delightful pictures.  This course made my short list for the trip in 2003 but was just a course too far at the time.  I hope to play it on my return in 2007.

Is there enogh good ground nearby for the course to expand to 18?  Or is it better to leave a few wonderful 9 holers for us to enjoy? :)