A Fan's Photo Tribute to Lahinch - New 12th Green Photos Added

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Patrick, now if someone can persuade Mucci etc to resurrect the NGLA thread then my virtual life will be complete!

Lahinch is definitely worth this depth of treatment and I look forward to starting again at the beginning. 

[Patrick Glynn]

Thought this was a cool pic, it really shows the amazing dunes the front 9 is routed over & how strong the back 9 is on the flatter land.

[Mike Bowline]

Thought this was a cool pic, it really shows the amazing dunes the front 9 is routed over & how strong the back 9 is on the flatter land.

OMG where did you get that picture?

[Patrick Glynn]

The perks of being a member/local  

Hole 14 Par 4

Blue 461
White 451

Drive:
The bunker you can just make out in the distance is ~270 yards off the tee.



Approach from ~ 200



From 100 yards short highlighting the wonderful natural valley one plays through:


From just short right of the green, I love the flowing contours of this green. Subtle, but they make for tremendous amounts of fun.



EDIT: a nice panoramic of the hole, looking back from the Dell.

[Tim Johnson]

Patrick
I just came across this thread for the the 1st time and you have brought me right back to May 2004. I played this course with my dad and we rate it as one of the best we played. My dad is 78 and not that internet savy so I am in the process of saving each picture to show him them all when I visit next.
Thank you very much for posting these pictures, you have much better one than mine. EspeciallyThe Dell, my pictures did not do it justice.

[Brad Fleischer]

Pat

It's about time. I can't belive it's been two summers already since I was there.

Finish it up buddy !!

Brad

[Michael Taylor]

What an amazingly beautiful course. That dell hole looks like so much fun.

Pat,

What's your favorite hole on the course and why? Least favorite?

Pup

[Patrick Glynn]

Brad, Michael & Tim,

Thanks for the kind words.

If I had to pick a favorite hole I would go with 4, The Klondyke. I just love the history of the hole and the fact that there have been golfers playing this exact hole for 120 years. As a ~480 yard par 5 it could easily be dismissed by some, however play the hole into any strength of a wind and it is one tough hole while still offering up a chance at a birdie. Even with being a member, the 2nd shot is one of the most enjoyable to hit and as you walk around the hill there is still an element of surprise to see where you ball has finished. That and the green complex is one of my favorite - just such a variety of approach shots and putts available.

Least Favorite? I think this is where Lahinch's strength really shows. I can tell you straight off what my least favorite hole is at Ballybunion, Royal Portrush, TOC, Carnoustie, but have to struggle to come up with one for Lahinch. At a push, I don't like playing the 7th particularly even though it is one of the most picturesque holes out there. The 2nd shot is quite severe & it does not do offer a huge amount of recovery shots.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Patrick,

This is a mouthwatering photo tour of Lahinch. Well done!!

I played Lahinch in July 1985, so my memory is a bit fuzzy regarding the course. My father paid £10 as an adult and £5 for me and my brother as juniors. I'm afraid to ask how much it costs now for an adult and two juniors.

When we arrived at the course, it was raining quite heavily. By the time we reached the 2nd green, the skies opened up and it just bucketed down. We had to quit and ask if we could return the next day. Sure, no problem they said. I think I managed to par the Dell hole and also indexes 1-4.

I always placed Lahinch just behind Ballybunion, but after seeing these pictures, I think it just might be a better course overall.

My only complaint is that I recently saw a picture of of the 16th or 17th hole and in the background was a stretch of new houses along the main road that runs between the Old and Castle courses. Did the club own this land? And if yes, why did they sell this land? As with much of Ireland (and many golf courses), the setting is less attractive since the boom of the Celtic Tiger.

Do they still have the alternative green on the Dell hole?

Dónal.

[Patrick Glynn]

Dónal,

Lahinch is a pretty good deal right now, (though not as good as that!) at €100 and €40 for Juniors. I personally think anything over €175 is madness for a game of golf but I know certain clubs in Ireland and the UK charge those sums.

Those are some very good pars on 3, 6, 10 & 15 - you must have been driving the ball well.

There have always been houses on Liscannor Road, but the ones you refer to are the 3 new ones just off the 16th green? The club did not own this land to the best of my knowledge. I think that they are quite nice houses, at least they are not 4-story monstrosities. Have you ever noticed how many white bungalows there are in the area?  

The alternate Dell is still alive and well - it is only used during the dreary depths of winter to give the proper Dell a rest.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Dónal,

Lahinch is a pretty good deal right now, (though not as good as that!) at €100 and €40 for Juniors. I personally think anything over €175 is madness for a game of golf but I know certain clubs in Ireland and the UK charge those sums.

Those are some very good pars on 3, 6, 10 & 15 - you must have been driving the ball well.

There have always been houses on Liscannor Road, but the ones you refer to are the 3 new ones just off the 16th green? The club did not own this land to the best of my knowledge. I think that they are quite nice houses, at least they are not 4-story monstrosities. Have you ever noticed how many white bungalows there are in the area?  

The alternate Dell is still alive and well - it is only used during the dreary depths of winter to give the proper Dell a rest.

Patrick,

Those green fee rates are pretty good.

Those long par 4s were well out of my reach in two, so I had to play to my strengths. I played them as par 5s and managed to chip and putt for pars. I think I was off 20 at the time and the thought of a par giving me 3 pts focussed the mind. If only I could do the same these days 

Yes, I noticed in the same picture of the 16th, a plethora of houses up on a hill behind the town. It's the same everywhere. Rosapenna and Dunfanaghy in Donegal are "perfect" examples

I'm looking forward to the remaining holes of your photo tour. It's been worth the wait since 2008 

Is the par 3 3rd hole still there? Is it still maintained just in case it's needed? 

Dónal.

[Patrick Glynn]

Dónal - when Hawtree rerouted the course, the 3rd (a new hole by Burke in the ~40s I believe) gave way to the extending of the 2nd green site.

Hole 15 Par 4

Blue 466
White 439

Consecutive long par 4s may seem like a bit of a brute, however they run in opposite directions. 15 is one of my favorite 450 yard + par 4s anywhere, to my mind only Muirfield comes close to matching its quality.

Tee Shot:



From the start of the fairway, ~125 yards from the tee box, gives you an idea of the uphill flow to the hole:



Approach from 165, beside the centerline bunker:



From 100 yards, that bunker short of the green really plays on your mind even though is is 15 yards short of the green surface.



From just short left of the green:



A short from beyond and right of the green, taken by Brian McDonagh.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Patrick,

Great to see this thread alive again... As you know, I've met with your uncle on a number of occasions to try and document the changes in the course... But one thing I'm really struggling with are photographs... Specifically overheads such as this but especially from directly above via satellite... Google Earth is no good and The National Library had no old ones... Or the holy grail for me is some photographic evidence of the course between the years 1928 and 1935, especially the first four holes... But any old course photos in general

Fr.Enda said that the pub owner on the corner of Liscannor Road (I forget his name... and the pub name) may be able to dig some up... Any help you could give in this area would be very much appreciated...

At the moment my writings are on hold because I'm working in Italy... But I really to need to get the portions on Lahinch and Ballybunion properly underway...

That's a fantastic overhead you posted above...

Thanks again,
Ally

[Ally Mcintosh]

As for 15, I'm a big fan of the drive especially... Because from the tee you can't see the left fairway at all... Your sightline just shows you that big bunker and deep fescue jutting out halfway in to the fairway, making you believe the hole is very narrow... Which of course it is if you hit that far... But it's a safe tee-shot for the 4-wood (wind dependant) just short of that bunker with ample room left...

[Ash Towe]

Patrick,
Thanks for picking up this photo tour again.

I really liked 14, the subtle changes of direction and use of the mounds really make up a terrific and thoughtful example of architecture.

[Tony_Muldoon]

The perks of being a member/local 

Hole 14 Par 4

Blue 461
White 451
From 100 yards short highlighting the wonderful natural valley one plays through:

 

Patrick, I’m not sure that is a natural valley.  MacKenzie cut through a dune in exactly the same way at Littlestone.

Keep it coming.

[Patrick Glynn]

Tony,

I am not 100% on this, but I am pretty sure the 14th predates MacKenzie. I will look into it - natural or not, still a great feature.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Tony,

You could well be right...

Patrick,

The 14th hole is MacKenzie (1928).... If you can believe this, the Gibson course (1907) played its 8th hole from approximately where the current 8th forward tee is, diagonally across where the 9th fairway is (you know that diagonal ridge on 9 that we all love - manmade by Gibson is my guess - his fairway sat on top on that exact orientation) with a blind second shot to the current 14th green... A fascinating hole... But probably not a good one...

[Patrick Glynn]

Ally,

That is interesting - I must talk to Enda to clarify a couple of other points. I think the green itself is more a Gibson piece of work than MacKenzie, though I am not sure I am qualified to offer that opinion... I know when Doak visited (in the early 90s I think) he met with the Secretary of the club, Brud Slattery, and impressed Brud by picking out the 2 remaining MacKenzie greens on the course (9 & 11) which backs up my assertion.

Anyways, onto the 16th,

Hole 16 Par 3
Blue 195
White 192

An interesting use of the dune that separates the 13th fairway from the 15th green. The teeshot is played from on high down to a well bunkered green, the longest par 3 on the card and generally plays into the prevailing wind.

Tee Shot to a large, but well bunkered green:



From just short left of the green, with the obligatory shot of Banjo (our dog) in the corner:



EDIT: Nods to Brian for a new pic of the green from short right:

[Patrick Glynn]

And from the Lahinch website, here is another nice overhead to give you an idea of the layout.

[George Pazin]

Can't say much but thanks. These are the best kind of threads on here.

[Patrick Glynn]

17 is a solid par 4 that continues the inevitable return to the clubhouse - it has been pointed out to me that the teeshot is quite blind, however I had not considered it so. I guess this is a prime example of where the teeshot is only blind the first time you play it!

17 Hole Par 4

Blue 434
White 408

Tee Shot: this hole plays deceptive long as there is an upslope into which all tee shot land unless you can carry it ~240 through the air (and into the prevailing wind).



From just at the start of the fairway:



Here gives an idea of the upslope that limits the run out of most drives:



Approach: A strong tee shot will leave one a good view of the green. Notice the fairway undulations - makes for some interesting stances. Best angle in is from the left hand side with out of bounds lurking if pull it badly.



These two carnivorous bunkers are actually set quite a ways back from the green but really play on the mind on the approach shot.



Green: This picture gives you an idea of the site of the green (taken from short and right).



Many courses talk about being walkable, Lahinch has many short green-to-tee walks. The 18th tee is only 5 yards off the back right of the 17th green as you can see in this picture.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Patrick,

I wish Brud was still around as he would probably provide the missing links for me... Although he passed a great deal on to your uncle, I think we may have lost some information with him as well....

The 14th should be a Gibson green alright (pre-MacKenzie)... It's the exact location but from a different orientation... That's why it's a good guess by Tony that the dunes may have been split by MacKenzie...

As for the 9th and 11th being the only original MacKenzie greens in the mid-nineties, I don't want to question Brud Slattery because he was probably around in the 1928-1935 period, but I've looked through all the committee minutes from that period with your uncle.... John Burke gets all the stick for "flattening" the greens but he wasn't even present at all of the meetings where this work was agreed - Ross seemed to be the man to me... I have a note back home of which greens were to be altered (and it's only about 6 or 7) and interestingly this includes the 9th where they were going to soften a ridge... Now this happened over a few years and the change to the 9th was stand alone so maybe it never happened... There were definitely other original greens out there pre-Hawtree... But they probably weren't MacKenzie alright...

As for Burke, he was indeed present at the 1935 meeting where they agreed to design the new Par-3 3rd... So how much was Burke?... I don't know... But I really, really want to be able to place some of MacKenzie's routing so I need as much info from 1928-1935 as possible... I've a suspicion MacKenzie's 3rd played to the left (since eroded) of the dune you currently drive over... This hole was rerouted by 1935 and the MacKenzie second could very well have come down nearer the current 3rd fairway... This is very tenuous at present though...

There's got to be people at the club who know something... Fancy giving me a hand?... It's starting to feel like a murder mystery...

[Patrick Glynn]

Ally,

I am away at University right now but when I get home I will see what I can rustle up for you.

Brian McDonagh, the greenkeeper has been kind enough to send me on some newer (and better) pictures. There are a few different angles and some actually have sunshine in them. Course looks very well.

To keep things 'ordered' I am going to post 11A next, and then finish with 18.

A taste of what is to come:

[Patrick Glynn]

Hole 11 Par 3

Blue 170
White 156

This hole is entirely new and has a tendency to polarise opinions. I like it, but am glad that the original 11th is still intact.

Tee shot: I think this picture justifies that the change has merit. Wow.





A few green site / glamour shots in the sun.

From short right:



From up on the 12th back tee (right).



From high up in the hills on the left (a very very bad tee shot!)



From just short left: