Hello
I'm a weary travler from Iowa (play mostly Harvester GC) visiting cousins in Ireland. I was hoping to play Ballybunion, Portmarnock, Lahinch, and Old Head, but things didn't work out. Rather, they worked out much better than my original plan. My cousin insisted I visit Enniscrone, Rosses Point, Belmullet (Cairn), and Connemara, however. What an unbelieveable golfing experience.
The only downside was that I nearly broke my back lugging my wet gear around with me in the bag. Waste of time; it only rained once! Very lucky, looking out at the weather today. Hailstones, although I'm informed this is not typical.
I have never ever experienced anything like Cairn (have I spelled this right?) in Belmullet. It's unlike any other golf course I 've played. The architect seems to have resisted the obvious temptation to route the course allong the vallies between dunes, instead choosing a less obvious routing. While playing the course, you can see the holes that could have been built, but what presents itself is something much more special.
The fairways are much wider than the other links courses that I've played. There is no wild rough by the side of the fairways. In no wind, it was tricky, but not overly difficult. When the wind blew the second day I played, it was an exhillerating test. The penalties for missing the fairways, however, can be severe. I can't commend the designer highly enough. How he managed to introduce such subtilty in a course with such heaving dunes is beyond me.
Enniscrone and Rosses point are also brilliant, althoug not in the same category as Cairn (maybe Enniscrone). Breathtaking scenery, brilliant golf. Connemara has one brilliant nine, and one average one. There is a third nine I didn't play.
Can't wait untill I get to play there again (cousin is a member of Cairn, so it looks likely) He also pointed me in the direction of this site, whish I hope to look in on from time to time.
Until later
Devon from Dubuque.