Seeking Ireland trip advice

[Robert Thompson]

Hey all -- I'm considering a trip to Ireland and am trying to figure out how much one can accomplish in five full days. I know the country is particularly difficult to drive in, and that seeing the north east and southwest is probably tough to do.
Would an itinerary including Portrush/County Down/Portmarnock (and maybe the Island) be easier than trying to find time to get down to see Ballybunion/Lahinch?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Robert

[David_Tepper]

Robert-

I have made 2 golf trips (1984 and 1994) to Ireland.

As I have gotten older, I have become a big believer in finding one spot that has 4-6 worthwhile golf courses and spending 5-7 days in that area before moving on. I think it is a waste of time and energy to travel about, finding a different place to stay every 2nd or 3rd nite.  

I also believe that it is far more enjoyable to play 4 courses twice than play 8 different courses. To me, it is especially enjoyable to play a links course a 2nd or 3rd time, as there are many features (blind shots, slopes, hidden bunkers, etc.) that you might miss on your first trip around the course. Also, the direction of the wind may change and the course may play very differently because of that.

Ireland has a number a regions where you can find enough quality golf to keep you busy for 5 days, while staying at the same hotel/B&B every nite.

Some suggestions -

In and around Dublin: Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, The Island, The European Club, County Louth (aka Baltray)

The Southwest: Tralee, Waterville, Killarney (2), Ballybunion (2), Lahinch, The Dooks (it might make sense staying in 2 places in this area)  

The West Coast: County Sligo (aka Rosses Point), Belmullet (aka Carne), Enniscrone, Donegal

The Northwest: Ballyliffin (2), Rosapenna, Portsalon, Narin & Portnoo

The Causeway Coast: Royal Portrush (2), Portstewart, Castlerock, Ballycastle

Those are just the better known courses in these areas. As noted, several clubs do have 36-holes. There are probably a few enjoyable "hidden gems" in each area as well.

 

[Michael Plunkett]

The two guys at ham n eggs go every year and swear by using a driver for their group. Driving is tough.  

http://www.hamegg.org/main/    

Their aug 04 recap is up

http://www.hamegg.org/main/article.php?sid=478&mode=threaded&order=0

[Dan Herrmann]

Robert,
My only opinion is to forgo the K Club.  We watched the European Open there a few years ago and were underwhelmed.

Don't fear driving.  I was able to pick up the 5-speed pretty quickly - it's easy if you don't think about it (kind of like a good golf swing!)

[Robert Thompson]

Many thanks to everyone. A couple of points: I've driven in Scotland and am not too worried about the actual driving. It is more a concern about the length of time it takes to get from one point to another. For example, how long would it take to get from County Down to Ballybunion? That's what I'm worried about.
There's a good chance that at least two of us in the group will occasionally play 36 as well. I'm looking to see as much as I can, but County Down, Portrush are likely. The question is can we manage that and get to Ballybunion, or is that biting off more than one could get in five days? Would it be better just to see Portrush, County Down and play Portmarnock in the Dublin area and forget about Ballybunion?

Thanks in advance.

Robert

[Brian_Gracely]

Robert,

The trip from Dublin to Newcastle to Portrush is not a bad drive and can be easily managed.  My brother and I did RCD, Portrush, Portstewart/Portrush in three days, flying in and out of Dublin.  Keep in mind that RCD has more restrictions about days of play for guests that other courses, so check that ahead of time to plan your itinterary.  I wish we had included Portmarnock or another of the N.Ireland courses (Rosses Pointe, etc.) and it sounds like you could work that into your itinerary.

One thing to keep in mind....different currency between Ireland and N.Ireland.  Don't exchange all your money in Dublin or you'll pay the exchange fees twice.

[Andy Doyle]

Robert:

I've been to Ireland twice, and played golf on only one of those trips, so I'm not exactly an expert - but I am very enthused because I just returned last week having gotten my first taste of links golf at Lahinch, Waterville, and The European Club.  This was a sightseeing trip with an incredibly understanding wife, not a golf-centric trip - which accounts for the 3 wide-spread courses.

My inclination on a golf trip would be to do as David suggested - drive less and play a fewer number of courses, but play them several times.

Lahinch and Ballybunion each have 36 holes, and almost equidistant between them is Doonbeg.  In my mind, a fantastic 5-day trip (5 days of golfing) with a minimum of driving would be:

Day 1
Fly into Shannon, rent a car, drive to Lahinch (pretty easy 45 minute drive).
It's your jet-lagged, groggy day, so play the Castle course - twice.
Stay in, or close by the small, charming village of Lahinch.

Day 2
Play Lahinch Old - twice.  
Stay in Lahinch.

Day 3
Drive down to Doonbeg (30 minutes).  Play Doonbeg as many times as the budget will allow.  Finish in time to drive down to Ballybunion to spend the night.

Day 4
Play 36 at Ballybunion - Old/Cashen.  I think they have a policy prohibiting guests from same-day replays on the Old Course.  Spend the night in Ballybunion.

Day 5
Play 36 at Ballybunion - Cashen/Old.  Depending upon the time of the flight home on Day 6, either spend the night in Ballybunion (later flight), or (early flight) drive & find a place close to the Shannon airport.

This would give you 9 or 10 rounds in 5 days, and you probably wouldn't drive more than 200 miles.  You'd get 2 classics (Lahinch and Ballybunion Old), 2 great courses (Ballybunion Cashen and Doonbeg), and 1 good course (Lahinch Castle).

A few other comments.  I don't mind the driving there - it can be a little hairy in places, but it's all part of the fun of being in Ireland.  My accomodation budget is pretty modest - I like the B&Bs (look for the green shamrock).  Between the golf and the pubs, all you need is a decent bed and shower - you don't have time to appreciate much else.  Except for the breakfast - get the full Irish - you won't be hungry until sometime into your second round.

I'm totally hooked - can't wait to go back.  When are you thinking about going?

AD

[Tommy Williamsen]

Roayal County Down deserves to be played twice.  The first time just to go, "Wow."  the second time to actually play the course and try to reach number three in two.  The European Club is worth the visit to see what can be done with a little bit of money a lot of chuzpah and a great deal of imagination.  Also you musts meet Pat Ruddy.  He is worth the trip all by himself.  I would skip Royal Dublin.  I also agree that Portrush is not a bad drive and is well worth the visit.      The must plays in the East are:  Portmarnock, RCD, Portrush, Baltray,  The Island, and then to the south European Club, the new kid on the block.  Have fun.

[Jack_Marr]

The roads out of Dublin have improved significantly over the last year. Kildare and Monisterevin have been bypassed, cutting the trip southwest from Dublin by about30 or 40 minutes. The motorway going south from Dublin has also been extended, making it easier to go south. To drive from Dublin to Co Clare is only 3 hours or so, not much out of your  day really. The's a new section on the road going north too, cutting the time it gets to go to Northern Ireland.

All the advice you've been given is good. But you can't go wrong really. The problem is that there's a number of "musts" in my opinion. Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, RCD,Portrush... I would either play Portnarnock and head southwest, or play Portmarnock and head North. The only really really long trip would be from Northern Ireland to the Southwest.

Anyway, just a personal thing, but I wouldn't miss Lahinch if I was going to Ireland for the first time.

The Northwest is another option...

[ian]

Sean,

What if you have 7 or 8 days to make the trip?

Would you try get Lahinch, Ballybunion, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush into a trip?

You can fly between Dublin and Shannon quite cheap $150. can. Does this become a good option

[Bill Gayne]

Robert,

When planning travel in Ireland by road, I use the following link for directions.

http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp

It's similar to Mapquest which I use at home. The distances and estimated travel times I've also found fairly reliable. I have a preference for Clare and Kerry but you really can't go wrong travelling to any part of Ireland. Be careful at the round-abouts.

Have fun,
Bill

[Don Dinkmeyer]

All of this advice is great. I will also ackn owledge I am the writer of the HamEgg piece on the 2004 trip mentioned above.

I've been bitten by the Ireland bug, bigtime!

My personal favorite is Royal County Down, and surely you'd play it twice if you go that far north. But, more great golf is located in the ballybunion/lahinch area, and you can get in and out of the area from Shannon - quite easily.

As for driving, its not my cup of tea. I do admire those who can do it, though! Traffic is usually never a problem, its just keeping to your side of the road.

You'll be back!

[michael j fay]

Robert:

I think that the Dublin/Newcastle/Portrush is the most doable in five days. I would fly into Dublin drive to Portrush and play there day 1 and 2. Travel to Newcastle play County Down day 2 and 3. Spend one night in each town. In the afternoon of day 3 play County Louth (Baltray)45 minutes north of Dublin. Stay in Malahie and play Portmonarck and the Island Club. There are other venues in Dublin. Fly back out of Dublin.

Aer Lingus accepts American Airlines miles.

I have stayed at some of the least expensive B and B's in these areas and never found the accomodations lacking. After 2 rounds of golf you could probably sleep on the hood of the rental car.

[Brian Phillips]

As a Graduate member of the EIGCA I just had the opportunity to play the south west of Ireland and we played the following:

Waterville - superb course just redone by Tom Fazio
Kilarney - wet inland course not worth playing in my opinion when so many other choices around
Ballybunion - say no more
Doonbeg - a fantastic course, quirky and loads of fun but expensive
Lahinch - my favourite course of all of them.  Hawtree looks to have done a fantastic job on all the greens he has redone.  

We had a bus all week (26 of us) and started on a sunday and was finished on the Friday with one round of golf each day which is more than enough for me especially during a week where it rained everyday and gales were up as much as 80 mph.  This is one thing you need to think about, do you want to spend 8-9 hours in the rain each day for 5 days in a row, because that could happen.

Or you could play one course a day, enjoy a sloooow pint of the black stuff in each of the clubhouses you will be visiting, go have a pint in the village and soak up some of the Irish music or you could run around like a headless chicken trying to get to the next venue just so that you fly back with your checklist completed....

Do you want to enjoy Ireland or do you just want to play golf..?

Sean has given the best advice, decide for one area and stay in that area and get to enjoy Ireland or you might regret it.  You will go back, I promise...there is just something about the place...

Brian

[ian]

I'm officially threadjacking Robert.......sorry

I'm enjoying the replys, so I will further explain the reasons for "wanting it all"

While you all suggest multiple trips, this trip may not come again for me. A combination of cost and time of year required really makes this a tough thing to do.

The biggest factor for going now is my father. We have put off going to Ireland for a dozen years mainly due to my father's health, and my struggles with having a young family. This is the one trip we had not done out of all the trips we talked of doing over our lifetime. I'm very lucky for all the places we went together including Scotland and England. My Dad's 75, so as long as he can go, we are going (I'll pay for it later ).

The limit of the week is because of my work, and this being the worst possible time to take a week off. This will not go over well when I ask for the time.

Why those four, knowing how tough it is to get from one side to the other? My father and I made that list 12 years ago, as the ones we most wanted to see. He has played Ballybunion and wanted to return, Royal County Down is simply at the top of my list of places to see.

Appreciate all the thoughts, but would any of them change if you knew you may likely never get back?

[Robert Thompson]

Ian is welcome to threadjack this one, since he, along with his father, would be my travel companions on this trip....

So answer away.

Robert

[Brian Phillips]

Ian,

Here is my two cents...you will probably make it back to Ireland but your father will not.  It sounds like he has good taste and wants to return to Ballybunion so why not just stay in that area and forget the extra stress of getting to Royal County Down and spend time playing Ballybunion, Lahinch and Doonbeg?

You will have a blast at Doonbeg, it is a course with a hell of alot of humour and great matchplay course.

Is it not also about spending time with your Dad just as much as visiting courses to tick off? Sorry to play Devils Advocate..

Brian

[David_Tepper]

Ian/Robert-

My guess is that it will take 3 1/2 to 4 hours to drive from Ballybunion/Lahinch to Newcastle (Royal County Down). I cannot imagine doing it in less than 3 hours under any circumstance.

Do you really want to spend 7+ hours of the 5 days you will be in Ireland driving across the country twice? You could spend that time playing 2 more rounds of golf!

If you are flying into/out of Shannon, I would suggest sticking in that area and playing Ballybunnion, Lahinch, Doonbeg and maybe Tralee.

If you are flying into/out of Dublin, play Portmarnock, the Island, Baltray and Royal County Down.  

The only way I would consider including Ballybunnion and Royal County Down on the same 5-day trip would be if you were flying into Shannon and home from Dublin. That way, you only have to drive across the country once.

Spend more time on the golf courses and less time in your car!!!

DT

[Brian_Gracely]

Ian,

You probably have far better connections than I do, but check the days that those clubs allow guests, as I don't believe it's everyday....especially Ballybunion and RCD.  I suspect it will effect your itinerary.  But given the circumstances....just find a way to make it happen.  Leave early and let dad sleep in the car.  Sounds like a great trip, enjoy!!

[Bill Gayne]

I made the drive both ways in August from west Clare (Doonbeg or Lahinch) to Newcastle and it's a solid six hour drive each way or twelve hours round trip. From Ballybunion I would plan on 6.5 hours each way. I had nearly two weeks so it wasn't that bad. It would be difficult in a 5 day trip. I concur with others who have suggested picking one region in Ireland and sticking with it if you have five days.

[Bob_Huntley]

Robert and Ian,

Listen to Brian Phillips and David Tepper.

When speaking for five and six hour drives in Ireland, one must remember these are not on interstate highways or freeways, but a lot of it is on country roads. This is driving with a capital D, and I grew up driving on the left side of the road.

I used to travel these insane distances to "get it all in' but have for some time, remained in a core area and played from there. Ian, I am the same age as your father, I would suggest you relish the courses mentioned by Brian and David.    

[ian]

Bob, Brian and David,

I appreciate your comments and get your point loud and clear. Bring Dad home alive .

We will pick one of the two areas so that the most enjoyable trip can be had.

It's funny, I have always said there will be other opportunities when I have turned down a spectacular invite (Ben Dewar thinks I'm crazy), and here I am lacking the same patience.

Thank-you all for you smart insight.

Ian Andrew

[Brian_Gracely]

I appreciate your comments and get your point loud and clear. Bring Dad home alive .

Ian,

After my first (and unfortunately, only) round at RCD, I told myself that I wanted my ashes spread on the crest of the hill on the 9th hole.  So if I was your father, I might ask you to leave me at RCD

And please don't take that as a morbid comment.....it's just that RCD is that special!!    

[Philip Gawith]

robert - david tepper and jack marr and bob huntley are correct. trying to get RCD and ballybunnion into the same trip, within 5 days, is not to get the best out of your trip. focus either on the north or the south. it is either a case of going to shannon and then south, but including lahinch and probably doonbeg, or dublin and going north to take in RDC , portrush and some of the northwest courses. i think the south option probably has a slight advantage on the aesthetics front, but if you go north, and especially north-west, you will feel less like you are in the middle of the thundering tourist herd.

[Jason McNamara]

Appreciate all the thoughts, but would any of them change if you knew you may likely never get back?

If the idea is lots of (mostly great) courses, and some but not too much driving:

1. land Dublin, afternoon @ Portstewart
2. Royal Portrush (2nd: Castlerock or RP again)
3. Royal County Down (twice?)
4. County Louth  (2nd: The Island or CL again)
5. Portmarnock (2nd: Royal Dublin or The Island)

Have a great trip,

Jason