Ireland's 30 Greatest

[Bart Bradley]

Sean:

How can you leave out Lahinch?  Lahinch is fun, memorable, challenging, strategic, quirky, undulating, beautiful, and without a doubt worth a detour to see...Sean, it would be worth a detour from Charleston, SC; let alone if one is already in Ireland!!

Bart

[Sam Maryland]

of the courses I've played on the list I enjoyed Castlerock as well as any...

[Sean_A]

Sean:

How can you leave out Lahinch?  Lahinch is fun, memorable, challenging, strategic, quirky, undulating, beautiful, and without a doubt worth a detour to see...Sean, it would be worth a detour from Charleston, SC; let alone if one is already in Ireland!!

Bart

Bart

I do beg your pardon.  I knew there were ten!

Ciao

[Shane Wright]

I get why people don't like Tralee as much because of the front 9, but why don't many here care for the back 9.  Is it just too dramatic?  I thought it was one of the most enjoyable and beautiful 9's I have ever seen. 

You don't get to hit the typical links style shots but IMO it is still a great 9.

Giving a few other architects on here a chance at the back 9 piece of ground would really have been fun. 

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sean gave it a mention but Rossapenna Sandy Hills is one extraordinary course.  I will start a picture thread one of these days. You can often classify Links courses as either playing in the corridors between the dunes or the older ones with blind holes across them,  but on the new course the feleing is of playing ABOVE the dunes "On Top of the World"! A great big tough beauty.  Richard Phinney picks this course out in his feature interview as the underated new course in Ireland.

My reservations were a certain sameness about the repetition of raised greens on Par 4's but I believe Tom Doak is talking to them about making them more aproachable.  The Old course will be greatly improved when the new nine opens.

Rossapenna will climb and climb up these lists in future. Today, I rate it above Ballyliffin or TEC, as  Pat Ruddy's best course and I believe it can be improved.

Oh and the scencery is not half bad too.

[Tom Huckaby]

I am absolutely digging the love and respect for Casterock... long-timers here are rolling their eyes because every time it comes up I mention this... but my cousin lives right near it and is a member and in fact former holder of the Castlerock Cup.....

I did really enjoy the course myself.  Great to read others have also.

Next time there check for the name JOHN FRENCH on the Cup... yes that is my slightly older and very much cooler cousin.

 

[Tommy Williamsen]

Mr. Williamsen,

You're a bit hard on the likes of Donegal and Connemara, IMHO.  I also can't help noticing that, in your comments, you note more overrated courses than underrated ones.  Unless you add sufficiently more courses to the mix, I'm not sure that works. 

I thought about that myself.  Some of the ones I say are overrated but still should be in the top 30. You could be right about Connemara.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, i agree about the inland courses.  I have played about 15 of 'em and while they might be good I don't know why anyone would travel to play them.  English heathland courses are way above. 
I probably like more of the links courses than you do though.  There are some like Narin and Portnoo that are little sleepers.  I played a little course in Arklow that was pretty good as well.

[Tom Dunne]

I refuse to choose between Portrush and Co. Down. 1 and 1a in my book. Ballybunion Old. Lahinch.

Of the others that I've seen or played, I'd say the overrated are: Waterville (only slightly, it's very good); Malone (way over-treed and Augusta'd-out); Belvoir Park (a neat place and a solid course for what it is, but not a world-beater--think Eindhovensche); and Ballyliffin (either course, but especially Glashedy).  

Underrated: Portstewart; The Island (stellar routing, magnificent dunes, and some one-of-a-kind holes--would probably be in my top 10); Ardglass (not on the list)

PS to Sean Arble: The great thing about The Island is you never have to plan a trip around it--if you're in Dublin for any old reason, you can get there on the DART!

[Kevin Pallier]

Tommy

To each is own, but for MY money, the only courses that I have seen in Ireland which I would say are at least worth a day's detour or more hassle are


Ballybunion
Carne
Co Down
Donegal
Enniscrone
Lahinch
Portmarnock
Portrush
Portstewart
Sligo

Given the breath and quality of courses in Ireland I wouldn't even reco folks see the following unless its 3rd trip or something: Tralee, TEC, Baltray & Portmarnock Links though all may be considered top 30 - I don't know or care really. 

Sean

Spot on

I have not seen Carne but would possibly add Waterville. I thought it was probably worth the effort to get too.

[Sean_A]

PS to Sean Arble: The great thing about The Island is you never have to plan a trip around it--if you're in Dublin for any old reason, you can get there on the DART!

Tom

Yes, I really like The island and at the moment it sits just outside the others I mentioned as really must sees.  I suspect over the long haul if I were able to afford the crazy prices (Island included) of some Irish courses I would think even more highly of The Island.  Its amazing really that such a small area as Ireland could have some many wonderful courses.  I organize a links trip every year and so keep a loose list of options I would definitely like to play again which happens to be 36 courses, 10 of which are in Ireland!  Its getting harder and harder to organize a trip for overseas visitors which has a variety of good to great courses at good value - heavy sigh. 

Ciao

[Jim Nugent]

My guess as to how we at GCA.com, on average, would rank the first 5:

1.  Royal County Down
2.  Ballybunion
3.  Lahinch
4.  Royal Portrush
5.  Portmarnock

[Sean_A]

My guess as to how we at GCA.com, on average, would rank the first 5:

1.  Royal County Down
2.  Ballybunion
3.  Lahinch
4.  Royal Portrush
5.  Portmarnock

Jim

You are probably correct with your 5, but if its pure quality of the golf holes (not the be all and end all imo) I would alter the order and add one course for myself.

1. Ballybunion (I still haven't seen a better golf course than this)
2. Portrush
3. Lahinch (this was before the changes - could be better could be worse)
4. Co Down
5. Enniscrone over Portmarnock everday - I think it is better, more varied and more fun

Ciao
 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Sean,

You need to go back to Baltray... I've noticed you disregarding it before...

...I know you think the flatter inland holes let it down

[Sean_A]

Sean,

You need to go back to Baltray... I've noticed you disregarding it before...

...I know you think the flatter inland holes let it down

Ally

You hit the nail on the head.  I didn't care for the flat holes near the road - to the point of them putting me off the course.  This is a bit unusual for me because I like dunesy holes broken up with flatter holes, but it doesn't seem as though much effort was made to make these good or interesting holes.  Given the price of a game at Baltray I haven't been too enticed to go back.  Though I have to admit that Tony's pix really showcased some great stuff there. 

I spent a few nights in the dormy rooms with some chaps because poor weather stopped the ferries running and I had a great time.  The entire three days I had this old geezer as a caddie who just pointed out lines and clubs with a cigarette hangin off his lip and smoke protection squint.  He was good if a little short on conversation.  Anyway, whenever I had a cigar I offered him one and he would tuck it away rather than light it up - I thought this quite odd.  After 3 days he had quite a few of my cigars.  Later that evening we were having drinks with the caddies and he starts offering what were my cigars round (to me as well!) like I had never seen them before!  Even as I type this it I recall how funny this was - the cheeky bastard.  I don't spose he or many of his kind are with us any longer.     

Ciao

[Jonathan Cummings]

1. Royal Portrush 1888 Harry Colt
RANKED TOO HIGH. TOP TEN BUT CERTAINLY NOT #1  TOUGH DRIVING COURSE BUT THE GREEN SITES ARE NIT #1 QUALITY
2. Portmarnock 1894 WC Pickeman/Mungo Park
DEMANDING DRIVING COURSE WITH GREAT GREEN SITES.  LACKS CHARM. COULD BE #2
3. Royal Co Down 1889 Old Tom Morris/Harry Colt
SIMPLY ONE OF THE THREE BEST COURSES IN THE WORLD.
4. Ballybunion Old 1893 Lionel Hewson/others
SECOND BEST COURSE IN IRELAND
5. The European Club 1987 Pat Ruddy
I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED TEC.  I AGREE WITH ITS RATING.
6. County Louth 1892 Tom Simpson
A VERY GOOD COURSE WITH GREAT GREEN SITES, BUT FOR SOME REASON I DON’T LIKE THE COURSE.
7. Waterville 1901 Eddie Hackett/John Mulcahy
THIS COURSE IW WAY OVERRATED.  UNLESS IT HAS BEEN CHANGED THE GRASS IS THE WRONG KIND.
8. Mount Juliet 1991 Jack Nicklaus
A NICE COURSE BUT NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 20.
9. Lahinch 1892 Old Tom Morris/Alister MacKenzie
RANKED TOO LOW.  SHOULD BE THREE OR FOUR.
10. The K-Club 1991 Arnold Palmer
I DON’T THINK IT SHOULD EVEN BE IN THE TOP 30 AT ALL.
11. County Sligo 1894 Harry Colt
A GOOD SOLID COURSE BUT AGAIN I HAVE NO LOVE FOR IT. RATED TO HIGH
12. Druid's Glen 1995 Pat Ruddy/Tom Craddock
PROBABLY THE BEST OF THE NEW INLAND COURSES
13. Killarney (Killeen) 1893 Eddie Hackett/William O'Sullivan
RELIES ON ITS SETTING.  RANKED MUCH TO HIGH
14. Ballyliffin (Glashedy) 1947 Pat Ruddy/Tom Craddock
VERY VERY TOUGH START.  COULD BE RANKED HIGHER.
15. The Royal Dublin 1885 Harry Colt
PROBABLY RANKED OK BUT IS ON PRETTY BORING TERRAIN.
16. The Island 1890 Sundry
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A GEM.  SHOULD BE RANKED HIGHER.  BRILLIATNLY ROUTED
17. Carlow 1899 Tom Simpson
HAVE NOT PLAYED IT
18. Portstewart 1894 Sundry/Des Griffin
GREAT FRONT NINE BUT BACK NINE IS A LET DOWN EVEN THOUGH IT IS DIFFICULT.
19. Donegal 1960 Eddie Hackett/Pat Ruddy
DECENT BUT NOT GREAT.  I WOULD NOT HAVE IT IN THE TOOP 20.
20. Connemara 1973 Eddie Hackett
ABSOLUTELY BORING.
21. Malone 1895 Fred Hawtree
HAVE NOT PLAYED
22. Enniscrone 1918 Eddie Hackett/Pat Ruddy
HAVE NOT PLAYED IT SINCE THE REDSIGN.  DYING TO GET THERE
23. Belvoir Park 1927 Harry Colt
HAVE NOT PLAYED IT.
24. Portmarnock Links 1994 Bernhard Langer
NICE RESORT COURSE BUT NOT TOP 30 QUALITY
25. Castlerock 1901 Ben Sayers
BELONGS TO BE RANKED A LITTLE HIGHER
26. Tramore 1894 Col H. Tippett
HAVE NOT PLAYED IT
27. Killarney (Mahony) 1893 Sir Guy Campbell
GREAT 18TH HOLE BUT THE OTHER 17 HOLES ARE NOT TOP 30
29. Hermitage 1905 James McKenna
HAVAE NOT PLAYED IT
30. Tralee 1895 Arnold Palmer
PRETTY SEETTING BUT ONLY A STEP ABOVE MEDIOCRE. 

MISSING;  CARNE, DRUIDS HEATH, CASHEN, OLD HEAD, DOOKS

Pretty damn good summary.  I've played all but a few, some many times.  Here's a few where we differ:

Waterville - strong in chararter and challenge.  Top 10
Juliet - I would put it higher than Druids (best modern inland), neither though very highly ranked

I would consider for inclusion, Rosapenna (Old) - because of the front nine, Portsalon and Portnoo/Narin - all arguable Top 30.

I assume Old Head and Doonbeg are to new for consideration...

JC

[archie_struthers]

 


I've made but one trip to Ireland but it ws a doozy as I got to play Portrush , Portmarnock. County Down , Malone.  Portstewart and a few more great venues.


County Down was otherworldy from the trip in Billy Bush's car from Dublin at a speed that was quite the rush to the  clubhouse to the putting green then the golf itself , wow , so many fabulous holes all in a row. Ive often felt it was the equal of Shinnecock and Pine Valley  , my personal favorites in the states.

This being said there was something about Royal Portrush that just couldn't be nailed down, it was like going to Brigadoon ... or there and back again

I walked from the fifth tee down the hill and thru the gorse and flowers on the far right path and didn't know if I had died and gone  to heaven, or if the pot o gold was right around the corner  , there is something  really special at Portrush , and the golf is fabulous  I understand how it could be so highly rated , as Gandalf said ," there's more to  this Hobbit  than meets the eye"   

of course he could have been speaking of the mithril coat ...but i'd prefer a feathery >>>

[Jack_Marr]

There's been a lot of changes to Lahinch since this list was done.

Baltray is a wonderful course, I think. It's all about the greens there, really.

Enniscrone is also a joy. Lahinch and Enniscrone might be my two favourite courses.

[Carl Nichols]

Putting aside for a moment the view that one shouldn't forego a round at an Irish links course for an Irish inland course, what are people's views of Malone GC (in Belfast)?  My various searches didn't turn up anything definitive. 

[J_ Crisham]

Surprised to see that Carne gets little mention in this listing. It is probably one of the most spectatcular sites in Ireland. The dunes are quite remarkable. Very similar to the back 9 at Tralee or the home stretch at Ballybunoin. This is also as sporty a course as you will find in Eire. the drive out to Belmullet is long but worthwhile. One of my top 5 in Ireland of the 30 or so I've played .         Jack

[Jack_Marr]

Carne is a love-it-or-hate-it course, I think. I loved it, so I joined.

I think if the new nine there are done right, it could become somethign really special.

[Niall C]

Putting aside for a moment the view that one shouldn't forego a round at an Irish links course for an Irish inland course, what are people's views of Malone GC (in Belfast)?  My various searches didn't turn up anything definitive. 

Carl,

I note that Archie mentioned Malone in a list of great courses that he played so presumably he rates it. Speaking for myself I played it once on a trip that included the highly rated Belvoir Park (Colt) course in Belfast and I thought both courses were excellent with Malone possibly being the easier and maybe more fun to play. Definitely worth a visit.

Niall

[Carl Nichols]

Thanks Niall.  I'm planning a shortish trip to Northern Ireland (or perhaps northern Ireland) and am trying to decide whether a day of inland golf in Belfast is worth doing for the experience/change of pace.