"Twin" courses in Britain & Ireland

[Ally Mcintosh]

If you were to look for an Irish “twin” course to Muirfield, then it almost goes without saying that you’d pick Portmarnock… So many aspects of the courses and clubs are reminiscent of each other…

What other “twins” are there in Britain and Ireland?… The only stipulation is the courses have to be from a different country… England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland… We’ll count the last as one for these purposes…

[Gary Slatter]

Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen.   
Both are wonderful, both have under rated back nines.

The K Club and Loch Lomond.  Both are in the wrong country.

Lahinch and Prestwick (?)  Both are great fun.

[Martin Toal]

The Belfry and Old Head.

Both over-rated and over-priced?

[Brad Tufts]

I was going to go with Royal County Down and Royal Dornoch.

Ballybunion and TOC?

[Ally Mcintosh]

I was going to go with Royal County Down and Royal Dornoch.

Ballybunion and TOC?

Have to say Brad... I can't see either of those two...

Why do you think?

[Scott Warren]

I read a good post by Noel Freeman from back in the day comparing Royal Cinque Ports and Royal Aberdeen as sister courses. Would anyone go with that?

How about Co. Louth and Cinque Ports?

Both have:

A large handful of fantastic and brilliantly sited greens.
Ideal links terrain (flattish with steep, dramatic undulations), but some lesser land that holds them back.
No view to speak of, other than from a couple of tees.
Par 5s that play harder than their length because of great natural minimally-bunkered greens (Deal: 3, 16; Baltray: 3, 6).
A cracking short par 4 (Deal: 6; Baltray: 14)

[Jamie Barber]

How about Arglass in N. Ireland and Nefyn in Wales? Both have dramatic cliff top holes, although perhaps the setting is better than the course.

[Jason Sloan]

Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen.   
Both are wonderful, both have under rated back nines.

The K Club and Loch Lomond.  Both are in the wrong country.

Lahinch and Prestwick (?)  Both are great fun.

Having played each of these courses, I agree with Gary.  The correlation between Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen being the strongest of the 3 pairs.  I would substitute the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles in for Loch Lomond. 

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Otway and Painswick

[Bill_McBride]

Having played Sandwich and walked Royal County Down during the Walker Cup 2007, I think those two are the true twins.  Both have gnarly rough on huge dunes in a double loop routing and are on the seafront.  There is also the same feeling of isolation in the dunes away from the clubhouse.

RCD doesn't have the holes in the flat the way RSG has, but the similarities are way more true.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Having played Sandwich and walked Royal County Down during the Walker Cup 2007, I think those two are the true twins.  Both have gnarly rough on huge dunes in a double loop routing and are on the seafront.  There is also the same feeling of isolation in the dunes away from the clubhouse.

RCD doesn't have the holes in the flat the way RSG has, but the similarities are way more true.

Bill I was thinking  RSG and Portrush?




Brancaster and North Berwick

North Berwich and Lahinch

Not Lahinch and Brancaster.

[Kevin Pallier]

Lahinch & St. Andrews

[Bill_McBride]

Having played Sandwich and walked Royal County Down during the Walker Cup 2007, I think those two are the true twins.  Both have gnarly rough on huge dunes in a double loop routing and are on the seafront.  There is also the same feeling of isolation in the dunes away from the clubhouse.

RCD doesn't have the holes in the flat the way RSG has, but the similarities are way more true.

Bill I was thinking  RSG and Portrush?




Brancaster and North Berwick

North Berwich and Lahinch

Not Lahinch and Brancaster.

I think the similar routings make RSG and RCD more similar.  Nothing similar in the RP routing, it's the farthest possible from two loops of nine.

Those two must have been very early double loop courses.

[Sven Nilsen]

Carnoustie and the European Club, just for the "burns" on 18.

[Richard Phinney]

It has always struck me that, if you take St Andrews out of it (the Vatican City of golf) then it is extraordinary how evenly Irish and Scottish links "twin up".... almost the same number with similar breakdown of new, classic, and quirky.   I made a list once - a kind of Scotland-Ireland battle royal.  I'll see if I can dig it up and make a separate post.

[Gary Slatter]

Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen.   
Both are wonderful, both have under rated back nines.

The K Club and Loch Lomond.  Both are in the wrong country.

Lahinch and Prestwick (?)  Both are great fun.

Having played each of these courses, I agree with Gary.  The correlation between Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen being the strongest of the 3 pairs.  I would substitute the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles in for Loch Lomond. 

Jason    let's go for Triplet courses then      2010, PGA and the K Club       all in the wrong countries and very connected to Ryder Cup !