Cruit Island

[Thomas Dai]

Some friends and I are currently considering a trip to western Donegal next springtime. We're already aiming for the likes of Narin & Portnoo, Dunfanaghy, Portsalon and have seen the photo tour of Gweedore herein.

Should we include Cruit Island?

I've read good things about Cruit but also some lessor comments. There is no photo tour on GCA, the clubs website doesn't have any course photos and we haven't been able to find many photos on other websites.

Any advice (and photos) would be very welcome.

Thanks in anticipation.

All the best

[jeffwarne]

Google "Cruit Island photos"
plenty of hits come up, including a video by "Hidden Links"

If you still don't want to play it after that well....I can't help you then

If you're looking for sophisticated beard pulling stuff(whatever that is), you won't find it there.(you'll get a few GCA naysayers)

Just incredible scenery, some spectacular/unusual and very fun holes, wild terrain, a great welcome(before and after) at the clubhouse.
The perefct pair with N &P or Dunfanaghy.

I'd combine N&P(very scenic) with Gweedore(less scenic but has its moments)
and Dunfanaghy(less scenic in spots but also has great moments) with Cruit.

Big fan of 27 hole days finishing with the 9 holer if possible
Throw in Otway with Portsalon

[mike_malone]

Some dangerous blind shots and some beautiful scenery are on tap. I wouldn't go far out of my way but if nearby you should play it. Of course in West Donegal everything is out of the way.

[Tom_Doak]

Thomas:

I went to Cruit Island in March to review it for The Confidential Guide.  As a sample of the upcoming book, I'll share it here.  Note that the Doak scale rating includes a one-point deduction, because the course is only nine holes.

Cruit Island GC, Lower Cruit, Co. Donegal.  Architect unknown.              
This wild and woolly nine holes occupies the far north end of “Critch” Island, the last few miles of which are reached by a one-lane road with passing places.  Most of the nine holes seem to radiate from a hill in the center of the property; playing out toward the points often requires a blind shot over a near crest, while the holes that return to the center feature uphill [or sometimes up-and-over] approaches to greens where you can only see the top half of the flagstick.   The “signature” par-3 6th, playing over rocky crevasses along the shoreline, pays witness to the full power of the Atlantic Ocean, though with so little room for a green and a backstop before it falls away into the sea, it’s a golf hole only a geologist would love.  But for those who love their golf sporty, every hole at Cruit Island has something to say for it.  4 - - -   [2013]

[Jim McCann]

Thomas:

Don't miss Cruit Island - and I can vouch for Narin & Portnoo and Portsalon too - if you're in that part of the Emerald Isle.

Don't take my word for it, plenty of others have written favourably about it in recent times:

http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/productdetails.asp?id=356

Here's a wee pictorial taster of what awaits you:









When compared to what many believe to be the best 9-holer in England, it knocks it into a cocked hat, and then some...  

[jeffwarne]

Careful Jim, you're going to rile up the beard pullers..............

and you've ruined a perfect good Sunday for me because now I'm looking at airfares....again

[Jim McCann]

Jeff:

I'm glad to see the author of the Confidential Guide appears to be docking 1/2-sized courses a point for some reason on his rating scale, otherwise that other celebrated (and sacred) 9-holer in Suffolk might - God forbid - have been afforded a perfect 10 in the next edition of the book...   

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Thomas:

I went to Cruit Island in March to review it for The Confidential Guide.  As a sample of the upcoming book, I'll share it here.  Note that the Doak scale rating includes a one-point deduction, because the course is only nine holes.

Cruit Island GC, Lower Cruit, Co. Donegal.  Architect unknown.              
This wild and woolly nine holes occupies the far north end of “Critch” Island, the last few miles of which are reached by a one-lane road with passing places.  Most of the nine holes seem to radiate from a hill in the center of the property; playing out toward the points often requires a blind shot over a near crest, while the holes that return to the center feature uphill [or sometimes up-and-over] approaches to greens where you can only see the top half of the flagstick.   The “signature” par-3 6th, playing over rocky crevasses along the shoreline, pays witness to the full power of the Atlantic Ocean, though with so little room for a green and a backstop before it falls away into the sea, it’s a golf hole only a geologist would love.  But for those who love their golf sporty, every hole at Cruit Island has something to say for it.  4 - - -   [2013]

Tom:

Cruit Island was designed by the former City of Derry GC professional named Michael Doherty. He also designed Cloughaneely - a fairly decent 9 hole parkland course - which is about a mile from Falcarragh town.

Thomas:

I can only echo what has been written here already by others. I walked the course when they were seeding the greens in 1992 (I think?). The finishing touches (see Jim's second photo) are a little rough, but it was built for next to nothing. I'd recommend it if you're in the area, as you probably will be if your're thinking of playing N&P. Put it another way, what's not to like about Jim's photos?

EDIT: Just checked the date: was it really 1986? Time flies. Cloughaneely could have been 1992.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom:

Cruit Island was designed by the former City of Derry GC professional named Michael Doherty. He also designed Cloughaneely - a fairly decent 9 hole parkland course - which is about a mile from Falcarragh town.

Thomas:

I can only echo what has been written here already by others. I walked the course when they were seeding the greens in 1992 (I think?). The finishing touches (see Jim's second photo) are a little rough, but it was built for next to nothing. I'd recommend it if you're in the area, as you probably will be if your're thinking of playing N&P. Put it another way, what's not to like about Jim's photos?

EDIT: Just checked the date: was it really 1986? Time flies. Cloughaneely could have been 1992.

Donal:

Thank you for the info.  Any idea who designed Mulranny or Macroom?  Those are the only two other Irish courses for which I have not been able to assign a designer.

[M. Shea Sweeney]

This is one of the best golf experiences of my life so far--- rugged, low key, fun--- missing this would be a mistake.

Doak 4? I know I have a lot to learn, but I guess  more than I thought...

Good luck.

[Thomas Dai]

Thank you all for your thoughts, soon to be book extracts and splendid photos. I think Cruits going to be on the schedule!
All the best

[jeffwarne]

Thomas:

I went to Cruit Island in March to review it for The Confidential Guide.  As a sample of the upcoming book, I'll share it here.  Note that the Doak scale rating includes a one-point deduction, because the course is only nine holes.

Cruit Island GC, Lower Cruit, Co. Donegal.  Architect unknown.              
This wild and woolly nine holes occupies the far north end of “Critch” Island, the last few miles of which are reached by a one-lane road with passing places.  Most of the nine holes seem to radiate from a hill in the center of the property; playing out toward the points often requires a blind shot over a near crest, while the holes that return to the center feature uphill [or sometimes up-and-over] approaches to greens where you can only see the top half of the flagstick.   The “signature” par-3 6th, playing over rocky crevasses along the shoreline, pays witness to the full power of the Atlantic Ocean, though with so little room for a green and a backstop before it falls away into the sea, it’s a golf hole only a geologist would love.  But for those who love their golf sporty, every hole at Cruit Island has something to say for it.  4 - - -   [2013]

a "4"
"every hole has something to say for it"

anyone who misses this course/experience because it's a "4" should question why they would travel to Ireland (or anywhere else for that matter)
No matter how hard one pulls his beard (or someone else's)---There's no architect living or dead that can create a better setting/canvas-and I'm still trying to think of a bad/non interesting hole.
I would suggest it's a must see of any Donegal agenda.

I've gone back every time I've been in Donegal and been wowed each time

[Phil Lipper]

I can't recommend Cruit Island enough, visually its stunning, and IMHO there are some very very good holes. Its one of my most memorable golf experiences ever. We drove there from Narin & Porto on our way back to Sligo and it was more than worth the diversion.