I’ve gotten my first taste of Irish links golf (Lahinch, Waterville, and The European Club) and I’m gut-hooked.  I'm planning a golf-only return visit – hopefully in May 2006.  Never too early to start planning!

I’m looking for some advice from the cognoscenti of golf in Ireland.  I can’t decide whether I should go back to the southwest or to venture into the unknown (to me) northwest.  Given the following background/parameters, what would you recommend?

The trip will likely be around 10 days – all the wallet and family will allow – so, say 8 days for golf.  It will likely be a self-booked, rental car and B&B kind of trip.  This trip is all about the golf – I’m not concerned with sightseeing or luxury accommodations.  My favorite day of my (business/vacation with wife/managed to squeeze in some golf) trip last fall was playing Waterville in the afternoon and having a big bowl of beef stew, brown bread with butter, and a couple of pints of Guinness at a pub in Kenmare.

I plan on playing 36 holes a day and I prefer to play each new course twice.  I actually enjoy driving in Ireland, but I would prefer not to drive too far between courses.  For instance, I evetually want to play Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, and Portmarnock, but I will save those for another trip.

I’m recruiting a couple of buddies to go along, none of whom have played in Ireland, which may affect the destination, i.e. the “famous” courses versus the “unknown gems.”

Southwest courses under consideration:

Lahinch - Old
Lahinch - Castle
Doonbeg
Ballybunion - Old
Ballybunion - Cashen
Tralee
Ceann Sibeal
Dooks
Waterville
Old Head

Northwest courses under consideration:

Connemara
Carne
Enniscrone – The Dunes
Enniscrone – Scurmore
Rosses Point (County Sligo)
Bundoran
Donegal
Narin and Portnoo
Rosapenna – Old Tom Morris
Rospenna – Sandy Hills
Portsalon
St. Patrick’s
Ballyliffen – Old
Ballyliffen - Glashedy

What would be your ideal itinerary?  What courses are “must play,” what courses are in, what courses are out, what courses have I left out?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Andy

Ted,

Cool website - thanks!

AD

Here is a good site for planning:

http://www.northandwestcoastlinks.com

If you fly into Shannon, I would use Enniscrone as my first base camp and stay with Mr & Mrs Gallagher. It is like being in camp at the end of Enniscrone's driveway. Nothing fancy, but she will make you breakfast no matter what time you play!

GLEANN EADA
Bartra, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo.
Tel: +353 (0)96 36491
Email: agallagher31@eircom.net
Web: www.agallagher31.ie

From Enniscrone you can easily make afternoon trips to Carne and County Sligo. Then catch Donegal or Narin & Portnoo on you way up to a North base camp probably near Royal Portrush. I have not played up there, but there is lots of info on that websites for B&B's and hotels.

If you fly into Dublin, I would try to play Royal County Down, then Royal Portrush and finish at County Sligo. You can still catch Enniscrone, but Carne (which I love) may be too far.

Don't hotel hop every night, find 2 or 3 base camps and make some day trips.

PS. There are 27 holes at Enniscrone, but the third nine is just for casual flat golf. You are there for the Dunes 18. Also Enniscrone is roughly 4 1/2 hours from both airports.

Andy

It's impossible to really give an ideal itinary, as nearly all of the links golf you list are excellent. The two courses I'd like to play would be Enniscrone and Lahninc. They are quite far away from eachother, though.

If you're hiring a car, look at the route planner online to see what kind of time you have to spend in a car between courses.

If you're on a budget, the northwest is the best, in my opinion. Accomodation, golf and food will all be cheaper.

There's no wrong answers, though.

Hi Andy,

I'd also recommend the Northwest, although I love spending time in Ennis (great trad music) and playing Lahinch and Doonbeg. If time is a concern, it's quite a drive out to Connemara and Carne, so that could be a factor to consider. Although I do have to say that I think Carne is one of the best links courses in Ireland, but it's a long way out there and not much else around.

A few other thoughts: Skip the Enniscrone Scurmore course. Skip Bundoran. Consider adding Cruit Island, a 9-hole course near Narin & Portnoo (on the way from there to Rosapenna). Skip St. Patrick's. That leaves:

Carne (Belmullet)
Enniscrone (Dunes)

Rosses Point (County Sligo)
Donegal (Murvagh)

Narin and Portnoo
Cruit Island

Rosapenna (Old)
Rospenna (Sandy Hills)
Portsalon

Ballyliffen – Old
Ballyliffen - Glashedy

Rob

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.  This is the kind of advice I'm looking for - prioritizing the courses given limited time.  I would love to spend the whole summer wandering around playing, but that will have to wait for either retirement, divorce or winning the lottery, whichever comes first.

I am going to try and fit Connemara in the trip - it was actually the first Irish links course I ever laid my eyes on.  I spotted the sign while driving out in Connemara on a family vacation 6 years ago & convinced everyone to have a look.  I poked around the course a bit (didn't have my clubs with me), and we spent a lovely afternoon down on the beach below the course - I swore I'd get back to play it some day.

Rob - great website (I'll be back to it soon  ).  My 9 year-old son owes you thanks - he had a school report on Ireland last week & I showed him how to download and print the aerial of Ireland you posted (the one without the courses marked).  All the kids thought it was cool (so do I!).

Andy

I would, as some others have suggested, favour the north-west (not because the south-west isn't fun, but because you have already been there. Also, there is no doubt that north-west is cheaper and less on the tourist trail than the more celebrated courses in the mid and south-west).

I did a trip last year which embraced Narin & P, Cruit Island ( a 9 holer), both the Rosapenna courses and Portsalon. It was a great trip - highly recommended. The two Ballyliffin courses are also close to Portsalon, though the drive is a bit longer. Alternatively, you could fold them into a trip when you decide to go to Portrush.

Andy - I've made this offer a few times before, and some have taken me up on it... but if you get up to the north and are playing either Portrush or Portstewart (which you sure as hell should, time allowing), then you won't regret a round at Castlerock GC, right near there.  My cousin is a member and if there is anything I am certain of in this life it's that he can and will show you a good time.  He also owns a B&B there, which oh yes would be a very nice place to stay - his family runs it.

Let me know if you do get up that way and I'll alert my cousin.  In the meantime, here's the web site for Castlerock...

http://www.castlerockgc.co.uk/

and here's my cousin's b&B

http://www.linksview.co.uk/

Yes, I can guarantee you wouldn't regret visiting them.

 

TH