I had asked a few months ago for some advice on getting around Ireland as a single traveler, and having just returned, I thought I'd report back on my experiences. This is not meant to be reviews of the courses. Many other posters much more familiar with the courses have already done good reviews, and I mostly agreed with the more well known GCA/CD findings. So this post focuses on the mechanics of getting around as a single with an aversion to driving on the left side of the road.
The trip was planned around a business commitment to continental Europe for the week after Easter. Therefore my travel dates and duration were defined for me. As usual, I started my planning by compiling a "wish list" taken from The Confidential Guide and from postings here on GCA. After a lot of phone calls and website checks on visitor policies to the various courses, it became clear to me that arriving via Belfast made the most sense. I write this because starting north and working my way towards Dublin established a pattern where the visitor access to the courses I wanted to play lined up well with my need to play them in an order that allowed me to keep moving South, without costly backtracking as a single traveler.
For my Saturday arrival I pre-arranged a taxi ride from Belfast up to Portrush arrival. I found many options available via internet and was able to negotiate what most locals told me afterwards was a pretty good price. Made Portrush my home base for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Walked from hotel to Royal Portrush on Sunday (Easter) Morning. Enough time to wonder around the empty clubhouse to look at the history. No food in clubhouse on Sunday mornings. Club still honored the winter rate despite allowing play off of turf (no mats!) and the new 7th and 8th being open for play. I was first visitor off, behind maybe 4 groups of members that were already many holes ahead. Caddy did an excellent job explaining the changes made for the Open, what was added, borrowed, destroyed from the Valley course etc. Beautiful day of sunshine and played as fast as I wanted, with plenty of stops for picture and note taking.
Original plan was to use same caddy and play Valley in the afternoon, but it turned out he was member of Valley artisan's club, so we both just played and pushed trolleys. Even better! Interesting to listen to my caddy (now companion) describe the changes at Portrush from a Valley member perspective. He took me over to the "old" 18th, which I thought was a great par 3 that's still being maintained to the same level as the other 36 holes. Looked to me like somebody might be hedging their bets in case they make further changes?
Walk back up the hill into town seemed a little steeper and longer post 36 holes. Plenty of good food/pub options in Portrush, including on Easter. Town was much smaller than I expected. Seems like if they are going to hold an Open in Portrush (which I think is great), they could hold one in Portcawl, Dornuch, Aberdeen etc?
I went to bed Sunday knowing heavy rain, cold and maybe even snow was coming Monday. So tried to arrange a really early start. Turns out Portrush taxi drivers also take holidays off. Ended up having a very gracious hotel front desk lady drive me over to Portstewart at 6:30am. First man off again as a solo, I took my time on the wonderful front nine at Portstewart. But it was getting colder, windier and wetter as I turned. Played back nine in about an hour. Last few holes were punishing conditions. Or so I thought- a group went off of one right when I was shaking the water/icicles off my gear behind the clubhouse!!!
Again, no luck with a taxi for the ride back to my hotel, but again a generous good Samaritan, this time in the form of a Portstewart member, got me back to Portrush. If I thought I wouldn't be stranded, I'd have tried to squeeze in a quick round on Portstewart Old. Wow did that look like a perfect setting for a post round, round?
Weather wasn't forecast to improve at all for 48 hours, so I was able to call my Belfast driver to come pick me up a little early. My main transportation expense of the trip saved me dearly in this case, as I was able to depart 8 hours earlier than planned for Newcastle. The weather made it a tough ride. Just brutal pounding weather the entire way. Newcastle was socked in so hard that not only couldn't you see the mountains from the RCD parking lot, you couldn't even see the Slieve Donnard steeple.
No chance of playing that afternoon. Both the RCD and Mourne clubhouses were locked and parking lot's deserted. So I caught up on rest for the first time since arriving 48 hours earlier.
Morning brought slight improvement, just enough that the secretary at RCD let me and two others wander around the clubhouse and then make a dash for the first tee when the rain and wind slowed somewhat. Had another great caddy who again patiently explained how RCD normally plays, showed me some of the driving lines from the back tees, etc. But by the turn we had standing water on many greens and it was just survival golf, even from tees that couldn't have been 6K yards. Stopped in pro shop post round, assistant told me I needed to see rest of clubhouse and go see the Secretary, so I did. He was very generous in refunding the greens fee. Wish it had been a better day for my 24 hours in Newcastle, but I certainly couldn't have been treated any nicer. Decided to leave early for Dublin. What a decision...
Got into Dublin around 5pm. On a whim, asked driver to stop first at Portmarnock, where I was going to be playing a VERY quick round the next morning before sprinting to the airport for flight to the continent. This was the only part of the trip that had been weighing on my mind the entire week. Was supposed to play at 8, and I had a 1PM flight. And I had to check clubs.
I introduced myself in the proshop when I arrived at Portmarnock, asked if I could take a look around the clubhouse and do some shopping, explaining how pressed for time I'd be the next morning. Instead, he offered to let me play right then. 15 minutes later, I was back in my golf shoes, the sun was shining, and me, my clubs, and a trolley were on that spectacular first tee box at Portmarnock with hardly another soul in sight. What followed was 3 hours of one of the most memorable walks of my life. Sunshine, a course that was in perfect shape, and a setting sun. Even had time for a pint in the upstairs lounge with a few older members afterwords. They told me some great, if possible exaggerated, Joe Carr stories. Life is good.
A little extra sleep the next morning and an easy taxi ride to DUB and my first trip to Ireland was over.
A few other things I learned:
- It is a long long walk out to the Portmarnock clubhouse from the town of Portmarnock. Sneaky long. Don't do it.
- Euro's and Lb's are not accepted at as many place on both sides of the border as I thought they might be. An ominous hint of what's to come with Brexit?
- Clubhouses were a little more segregated between members/visitors than I expected.
- Pubs were an absolute blast, even as a single. Seems the entire population works for the tourism board.
- I can't wait to get back
Next trip I think will be with the wife. Stay based out of Dublin the entire time. See Euro Club, the Island, County Louth etc, and definitely return to Portmarnock and RCD.
Thanks to all who offered advice and encouragement. It was a great trip with great golf.
MW