[MClutterbuck]

Wanting to add 1-2 courses to itinerary, hopefully in the style of Brora or Elie.


Thanks!

[David_Tepper]

Baltray (County Louth) and Ardglass might work.

[Bernie Bell]

I've not played Elie or Brora, and am not sure what you mean about that style exactly, but I don't think Ardglass, Portstewart or Castlerock would disappoint.  And I can't imagine that I will ever pass through Dublin again without stopping at The Island if that's not on your list already.

[Steve Lapper]

The Island and Ardglass.....one at each end.

[jeffwarne]

Lots of geography there.Not sure of the common denominator of Elie and Brora but..


Near Dublin is Corballis-compact, rough n ready-a wonderful pairing with the very nearby Island. If you haven't included The Island-these are it.


just north of Dublin-Layton and Bettystown(would've said nearby excellent County Louth 20 years ago but it's no longer hidden or cheap)


The ones mentioned-Ardglass, Castlerock(plus the Bann nine), Portstewart are solid and Ballycastle has 13 links holes of the 18


1.The Island and Corballis (small in scale)is one stop shopping in Dublin
or
2.Layton and Bettystown is on the way-paired with County Louth    probably my first choice
or
3.Castlerock plus Bann 9
or
any of the others mentioned in NI


The real gems are just a very short ferry ride or drive away from Portrush....
Northwest(compact), Portsalon(spectacular)-now that's a day that would make you forget Brora and Elie

[Michael Whitaker]

Baltray (County Louth) and Ardglass might work.

Baltray is outstanding course. Highly recommend.

[Garland Bayley]

Baltray (County Louth) and Ardglass might work.

Baltray is outstanding course. Highly recommend.

But is it an Ellie or Brora?
If looking for quirk like Ellie, not there. If looking for livestock maintenance like Brora, not there.

For those in the know, how "raw" are Corballis, Bettystown, Ardglass, and Ballycastle?
Port Stewart, and Castlerock are not raw.

[jeffwarne]

Baltray (County Louth) and Ardglass might work.

Baltray is outstanding course. Highly recommend.

But is it an Ellie or Brora?
If looking for quirk like Ellie, not there. If looking for livestock maintenance like Brora, not there.

For those in the know, how "raw" are Corballis, Bettystown, Ardglass, and Ballycastle?
Port Stewart, and Castlerock are not raw.

I suggest if one wants Brora to go play Brora. Likewise with Elie.
Plenty of worthwhile gems to choose from on the recommendations above list-none where the livestock are maintaining (see Mulranny, Achiil Island or Gweedore; but nowhere on his route)
Given the lack of commonness between Elie and Brora, I took the question to mean hidden gems the regular Joe hasn't played.


Corballis is scruffy in a great linksy compact muni kind've way, not livestock. Ardglass less linksy more clifftop, L&T a fun local links and Ballycastle same with 5 pedestrian inland holes.

[Bernie Bell]

If you're looking for more "hidden," I haven't played it but heard and read good things about Kirkistown Castle.  I'd like to get there some day.

[jeffwarne]

If you're looking for more "hidden," I haven't played it but heard and read good things about Kirkistown Castle.  I'd like to get there some day.

I have played it-subtle-perhaps at the lower end of gems mentioned so far.
That may be a bit harsh as  played it after flying all night and they were  in the middle of a heat wave!
Nearly every James Braid course I've played  I've loved so I may have been the problem-not the course.
It is not easy to get to and involves a small ferry> I didn't mention due to trying to pair with other courses.
If one were to play it they might swing up to play 9 hole seaside Larne en route to Portrush.

[Garland Bayley]

I hear Royal County Down is quirky. Lots of blind shots like Elie.

[Garland Bayley]

Jeff,

What do you think of Greencastle?

[Mark Pearce]

I hear Royal County Down is quirky. Lots of blind shots like Elie.

And they won't let you play in denim, either.....

[Thomas Dai]

I'll add another.
At Royal County Down there are two courses - the Championship course that many rave about and head to play ...... and a second 18- hole course.
It's called the Annesley and it is a delightful gem.
It appears to be short on the card as it has quite a few par-3's, epic ones too, but is full of quirk and interest and challenge with firm bouncy undulating terrain.
atb

[Sean_A]

The two courses which intrigue me the most are Annesley and Portrush Valley. Valley Links is a bit like Brora, but I haven't seen the revised version of the course. I recall seeing photos of Annesley and being impressed...though the course looks tight and if it has the rough of its big brother... well then, not so much fun.

As Jeff states, Corballis is close to Dublin and The Island. It's kind of an oddball design with a few shit holes, a few head scratchers and a handful of great holes. If you are looking for a bit of fun for a few rubles less, Corballis is a good shout.

Bushfoot also intrigues me.

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

The two courses which intrigue me the most are Annesley and Portrush Valley. Valley Links is a bit like Brora, but I haven't seen the revised version of the course. I recall seeing photos of Annesley and being impressed...though the course looks tight and if it has the rough of its big brother... well then, not so much fun.

As Jeff states, Corballis is close to Dublin and The Island. It's kind of an oddball design with a few shit holes, a few head scratchers and a handful of great holes. If you are looking for a bit of fun for a few rubles less, Corballis is a good shout.

Bushfoot also intrigues me.

Ciao

Goodness_ should've mentioned the Valley Course! I know that's a favorite of yours Sean as it is mine ( i guess they lost some prime real estate to tyhe new holes on the Dunluce)
I played the Annesley course at RCD many years ago and it had many amazing linksy dunesy heroic/strategic/fun holes on a scale similar to the Bann course. it also had a few pedestrian holes which also made sense for its audience. From what I undertsand though it's been redone and there are less pedestrian holes. It was tight but really, really cool on a smaller scale than RCD and supposedly much better now than it was in 1997!


I also played Bushfoot and I remember not being all that impressed, but that was 20 yplus ears ago and it may have been that it just wasn't the scale or boldness of the other courses played on that trip . I remember parts were several farmlandish holes with river proximity not as dunesy though I may appreciate that more now.


Garland-I enjoyed Greencastle in spots enormously, but it has some pedestrian awkward inland holes and there are better , more convenient choices listed.Highs nearly as high as Dunfanaghy, but lower lows.
Could be paired nicely as a contrast and on the on the way to Ballyliffin, but Northwest GC's smaller scale is a better pairing with Ballyliffin's bigness.But none of these is geographically on his way.

[MClutterbuck]

Thank you all. Will respond in more detail after, but Elie and Brora were:
 
1. Natural
2. Quirky
3. Pleasant surprises
4. Fun
5. Relatively inexpensive

[Blake Conant]

Can anyone speak to:

Rush
Seapoint
Cairndhu
Cushendall

All look to have some interesting holes

[MClutterbuck]

I've not played Elie or Brora, and am not sure what you mean about that style exactly, but I don't think Ardglass, Portstewart or Castlerock would disappoint.  And I can't imagine that I will ever pass through Dublin again without stopping at The Island if that's not on your list already.

Thanks Bernie. Porstewart and The Island dont seem comparable to Brora or Elie. Green fees are a very different order of magnitude and infrastructure wise they seem very different as well. Both are on my itinerary. Will look into the other 2.

[MClutterbuck]

Lots of geography there.Not sure of the common denominator of Elie and Brora but..


Near Dublin is Corballis-compact, rough n ready-a wonderful pairing with the very nearby Island. If you haven't included The Island-these are it.


just north of Dublin-Layton and Bettystown(would've said nearby excellent County Louth 20 years ago but it's no longer hidden or cheap)


The ones mentioned-Ardglass, Castlerock(plus the Bann nine), Portstewart are solid and Ballycastle has 13 links holes of the 18


1.The Island and Corballis (small in scale)is one stop shopping in Dublin
or
2.Layton and Bettystown is on the way-paired with County Louth    probably my first choice
or
3.Castlerock plus Bann 9
or
any of the others mentioned in NI


The real gems are just a very short ferry ride or drive away from Portrush....
Northwest(compact), Portsalon(spectacular)-now that's a day that would make you forget Brora and Elie

Thanks Jeff! Will look into these!

[Garland Bayley]

...
Bushfoot also intrigues me.

Ciao

Don't bother with Bushfoot, unless you really have to see four links holes, and some inland blah.

I have seen the seen the revised Valley course, and I don't recall the rough being that bad. Akin to Brora is a good statement.

[Mark Pearce]

I've not played Elie or Brora, and am not sure what you mean about that style exactly, but I don't think Ardglass, Portstewart or Castlerock would disappoint.  And I can't imagine that I will ever pass through Dublin again without stopping at The Island if that's not on your list already.

Thanks Bernie. Porstewart and The Island dont seem comparable to Brora or Elie. Green fees are a very different order of magnitude and infrastructure wise they seem very different as well. Both are on my itinerary. Will look into the other 2.

Portstewart is long enough to host a European Tour event recently and is priced accordingly.  It's very good but it ticks very differeboxes to both Elie and Brora.

[Clyde Johnson]

Can anyone speak to:

Rush
Seapoint
Cairndhu
Cushendall

All look to have some interesting holes

Rush: Some nice ruffled ground, with a kind of funky routing. The first two drop down from the fore dune, then a long five doglegs hard around a boundary of greenhouses (!). From this pastoral ground, back into the links, out and then back in again. The seventh climbs to an elevated green. A compact finish with a three dropping across the entrance road, and then a short four somehow squeezed in - I wouldn't want to park my car on a busy day! "Doak 4", and only a tenner a pop.


Seapoint: Drove into the car park, walked a few holes and turned around. Caught a glimpse from the north end of Baltray...no regrets! A modern 'championship' course, bereft of much intrigue.


Cairndhu: Driven beneath this on the road from Larne to Ballycastle. Never imagined there would be a decent course on the cliffs above, but wish I'd stopped after looking at their website.


Cushendall: Drove into this one on the same journey, and didn't ponder leaving my car for long. Flat parkland, with flat greens, sandwiched between beach and river.




Ballycastle, Laytown and Bettystown, and the Bann course at Castlerock would make for three less heralded courses of interest on that stretch of coastline. None remotely in the class of Brora or Elie, though.


 

[Blake Conant]

Thanks Clyde! Cairndhu’s opening stretch looked quite dramatic, and that 11 minute course video was the finest of its kind...

[Clyde Johnson]

Thanks Clyde! Cairndhu’s opening stretch looked quite dramatic, and that 11 minute course video was the finest of its kind...

Oh, their second hole looks PMW...I wonder if it plays as dramatically from the ground as it does the drone!!?

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