Situated 15 miles from Letterkenny, on the idyllic shores of Lough Swilly, Otway GC claims to be one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. Having celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018 Otway is certainly well-established. In recent years there were rumours of Otway’s demise. The main land owner couldn’t negotiate satisfactory lease terms for a field which contained an integral section of the course. Three greens and two tees were ripped from the course, but the landowner had the chutzpah to redesign the course using a separate plot of land he owned. This land houses the new holes; 7 & 8. The miniscule third hole was created by playing up the plateau used by the NLE 5th green. The outstanding 2nd is also a new hole. Some may lament the passing of the old course, but the new arrangement may well be a blessing in disguise. The densely bunched nine holes are a marvel of shrewd design. Of course, it isn’t perfect golf, but more often than not Otway is worthy golf and a valuable member of the rich Donegal golf family. Yes, Otway is very much open. In fact, the day before our arrival a club event was held.
The scorecard makes little sense as 18 holes. When will clubs learn to embrace what they are rather than what they are not?
Course Map
As signs instructed, we knocked on a bungalow door and were greeted by the land owner's mother. After a brief chat of which I caught about one in two words, we duly paid our modest green fee and sauntered to the 1st tee. Having seen the set-up of a small house (separate from the payment bungalow) and a parking space reserved for the Chaplin, I sensed something singular was about to unfold. I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the opening tee shot. I suspect travellers on the WIld Atlantic Way with no intention of playing golf stop to rest here. Playing over the 9th green, the 1st green sits on the low ground near the beach. To the right is more golf leading to a peninsula with a Martello tower at its edge. Macamish Fort is a Napoleonic battery built by the British circa 1813 to defend the bay of the same name against French invasion or the Irish Rebellion. I nearly gave up the game in favour of a walk, but my better senses turned me straight. Back to the shot at hand.
An awkward hitch in the routing has us reclimbing the hill to play the 2nd. I wonder if folks hit their tee shots for the second while on high ground? I don't like the walk, but there can be no doubting the vicious quality of the hole. The club generously allows for two shots to reach this 210 yard hole...the shortest par 4 I have ever encountered. There are two more holes of par 3 length registered as par 4s. The card says total par of 64 (should be 32!), but that is more indicative of a bogey score. 30 is the par for expert players. Regardless of the par designation, the 2nd is certainly an All-Ireland candidate.
No green can outshine the tee shot, but the 2nd is one of a few provacative greens.
Despite being billed as links, Otway most certainly is not.
The third barely reaches a yardage of triple digits, but feels like an assault course. The course yardage disguises the difficulty of the design.
More to follow.
Ciao