I've had the pleasure to travel to Ireland (and N Ireland) 4 years ago and 2 weeks ago. I played 8 in 8 days the first trip, and 5 in 4 days the 2nd trip, plus a repeat of Corballis Links. Here's my ranking and with some short commentary.
Asterisk represents I played it 4 years ago, and thus my recollection is foggier
13) K Club*- boring. Parklands design with common Palmer Design cliches. 16,17 and 18 were pretty good holes.
12) Corballis Links* - don't let the #12 ranking fool you. I LOVE this course, but it's hard to compete with what's ahead. For $27 it's by far the best bang for the buck in golf.
A great "poor man's Links" course that I will likely make a stop for each visit to Ireland. I played this last time and I darted for this course as soon as leaving the Dublin airport. I had to play it twice. Originally was 9 holes, 9 more were squeezed in a few decades ago, resulting in a silly but fun routing. You can't take your game too seriously here. "The toughest Par 66 in the world" we're told. It abuts The Island Golf Club. Id love to see Ran Morrissette feature this club in a future article on short courses.
11) Doonbeg*- Some really cool holes carved into the dunes. Not enough directional change. Front 9 was essentially downwind and high in the dunes. Back 9 was all headwind and in the flatter territories. Amazing opening hole (that might even rival Hooper???)
10) Portstewart Strand- Amazing majestic dunes on the front nine. Tough to rout holes through the narrow valleys and felt a bit like Disneyland. Back nine was fun but far more bunkers than necessary, as the design became overly penal, as many good conservative tee shots with my 4 wood eventually found pothole fairway bunkers. Loved the 17th hole. This was the 2nd round I played that day and it wore me out
9)The Island Club*- Was my first exposure to links golf. Memorable holes: 1, 2, 6, 14 SUPER narrow fairway, 18. Definitely want to play again.
The European Club- I'm not sure what's more interesting, my conversation with designer/owner Pat Ruddy or the 20-hole layout. I'm gonna go with Ruddy here, but let's just say I found the entire course a joy that made me think on every shot
7) Waterville*- some big wigs must have been having a party because numerous black helicopters come in and out. 4 years later I struggle to recall too many distinctive holes but I know I left there really liking it and I want to return.
6) Portrush Valley (aka Rathmore GC)- I played this the day after Dunluce and I felt like I enjoyed my round here more. Perhaps it is a less stressful course to play. A great example of a course that can be spectacularly fun and interesting without using much bunkering, suggesting how great the greens sites and grounds are. If I recall correctly there are only 18 on the entire course. If given 30 days to play the Portrush courses, I'd play here for 18 of them, leaving 12 for the Dunluce. This is a course I'd like to play again and again. I couldnt help but notice the par 3 yardages went as follows: 135, 140, 155, 165, 178. Good job not forcing me to play the same club on 2 holes I suppose. The shortest one was the hardest one.
5) St Patrick's Links- my first Doak design I've played. The biggest difference I noticed between common old links courses, and St Past's is the greens. Quite undulating greens as I'd expect from TD (especially hole 11!) without feeling excessive, I felt I could read them better than the greens the older links. Excellent work maintaining ancient dunes appearance, though I was pretty sure I could tell where they were modified. I'm a moss fanatic and I couldnt help but notice the young moss growth in areas where dunes were reshaped. Holes 12-15 are of exceptional beauty and strategic variety. I loved the temptation of the short 18th.
4) Portrush Dunluce- Dont't let the false front of the 1st green F@(k your score with 4 extra strokes like it did mine. Loved the par 5 2nd hole. On 3 green "the hips don't lie, I'm starting to feel it's right". An exceptional mix of memorable holes. Holes 9-12 might be the least memorable, but are well made up for by the halfway house. I only wish I could have seen the PortR courses before the redesigns for the Opens. That said, 16,17,18 was a wildly fun bunch of finishing holes--perhaps among the best, excepting CPC's 14-18.
3) Lahinch (Old)*- I played this on Sunday in torrential rains when Lowry won the open on the adjacent side of the island. Was great fun to watch the locals in the clubhouse witness his win. Opening hole reminds me of Dunluce's 1st, though I parred it rather than a snowman. Holes 3,4,5,6, and 8 are 2nd to none. The new 11th was excellent. Front 9 definitely more memorable than the back.
2) Ballybunion (Old)*- I can see why Watson loves it so much. If it wasn't for our forecaddy, I'd have played far worse but probably had more fun, as he wasn't much for personality and help. I can't recall 2 holes feeling remotely similar to one another. At the moment I recall 4, 6, 7, 11, and 18 the best. I want to own one of the trailers abutting the course.
1) Royal County Down (Championship)- played CPC twice, I struggled to fathom how any course could rank higher than it. CPC, RCD and PV often round out the world Top 3 in many media outlets. After having played RCD, I understood how it could take CPC head-on for the top spot. Now I have to somehow find my way on to Pine Valley. Beautiful scenery, wild surprises and very few holes feeling similar. RCD was the most fair design regarding challenge. Dunluce and some Portstewart pushed some challenges that also took away some of the fun. RCD did not in any way. Our forecaddy (also the Caddy Master), Mick, was the star of the round, showing me the ropes to having my bets round of the week in Ireland. Hole 16 felt like it did not belong with the others. Lo and hedolg 16 was modified for a Walker Cup. I really didnt like it. The concrete lined pond on 17 was a little silly too. Those are my only criticisms.
Courses I'd like to play again: Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Portush Dunluce
Courses I'd like to play again and again: Portrush Valley, Corballis Links
RCD I'd like to play again and again and again and again and...