Many of you on here will have played The Island Golf Club, north of Dublin City. Over the past 6-8 months the course has been ‘upgraded’ by Martin Ebert. The front nine has been reconfigured as the club seeks to have a front nine that matches the reputation of the back nine… and removed the problem of the entrance road and the lone house on the right as you drive in, which were at risk from the 8th tee shot.
I visited last week and took some photographs of the new work – before playing those first nine holes.
The key changes are as follows (measurements from white tees):
Hole 3
Measurement 462 metres.
The 3rd hole has been extended to a par five with a tee box moved back 67 metres and two fairway bunkers added, one left, one right. They are prominent from the tee and add more depth to the hole. There were no bunkers previously.
Hole 4
Measurement 143 metres.
The 4th hole (which heads north, in a similar direction to the 3rd) is the par three created by Martin Hawtree a few years ago and now revamped by Ebert. A new back tee offers some stunning views to Lambay Island, Ireland’s Eye and Howth, as well as over holes 2 and 5.
It is a challenging short hole with a small green and short, tight run-offs. Ebert implied in an interview I had with him that the original green surrounds were considered too tough so they were ‘improved’ to make the hole easier. If that’s the case then it was seriously difficult before because if you miss the putting surface on any side you will now be left with a shot that requires real creativity to a shapely green. It’s a fabulous hole that is equal to the par three 13th and 16th with the added bonus of views. It may well become The Island’s stand out hole, although that honour goes to the 15th in my book.
Hole 5
Measurement 391 metres.
The par four 5th (old 4th) now doglegs from left to right, not right to left as before. With a new green on the site of the old practice green, near the clubhouse, it has added 35 metres from the white tees.
It is a tough driving hole unless you fade the ball. A tall and solid dune fills the outside of the elbow and it is easy to go long and into the rough. From there your view of the green is blocked. Try to cut off too much of the corner and it is a similar result. The old green was tough to hold and the new version is no easier, with steep run-offs especially over the back. I like the hole less than the original version… but then I draw the ball so the old shape suited me perfectly. It is not as attractive as the old hole, certainly from the tee and while longer its Index has changed from 6 to 8.
Hole 7
The old 6th has upgraded fairway bunkering, favouring the ‘torn’ appearance.
Hole 8
Measurement 389 metres.
The 8th is a new par four on the terrain previously occupied by the old 7th. The teeing grounds are in the same location but this hole is much straighter, with the new green further to the right of the old green. The new green complex is where the buckthorn used to be. It is 21 metres shorter than the old Index 4 7th but is now Index 2.
You drive between a corridor of dunes (as on the 9th) with a couple of bunkers on the left of the landing zone. It is a good driving hole (favour the left) and, alongside the 9th, it promises a battling finish. It also possesses a lovely green complex with sharp fall-offs and a bank at the rear that can be used as a backstop. It’s the strongest of the changes for me but I am still sorry to see the old 7th go as it employed the best use of the natural terrain, with a ridge running into the green from 30 yards out. It was quirky and difficult to play. That said, the attractive new green complex presents opportunities for some intelligent links shots. It is no easy approach shot on a long hole.
Hole 9
Measurement 374 metres.
The 9th is a long, straight and tough par four back to the clubhouse. A large sand waste area fronts the tee with a dune nudging in from the right to hide some of the fairway.
Everything about the 9th hole is new and when you stand on the tee you are practically on the old 7th green. You drive over a large sandy waste area (a few of which have been introduced on the front nine), through a corridor of dunes and into the teeth of the prevailing wind (SW). The green is simpler than most but it is nestled tightly into surrounding cordon of dunes. A nasty, rough strewn hollow waits just to the front left of the green, along with a hidden sand waste area.
Additional Comments:
The hole order no longer starts with eight par fours followed by a par three. It is now: 4, 4, 5, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. I loved the previous start of eight par fours. It showed how different par fours could be with constant changes in direction and different terrains. But a member tells me it was very tough to play, week in, week out, and the new order does mix things up.
Rippling fairways have been added to holes 5, 8 and 9. They are attractive and give a strong links feel but, I would argue, they don’t reflect the smoother fairways of elsewhere.
The par has changed from 35 to 36 and the length has increased from 2996 metres to 3164 metres for the white tees. The back tee measurements have not yet been assessed by the GUI.
To be honest, it's hard to react positively to changes when you loved what was there before. It will take me time to get used to them but I hope the above comments and photographs explain the changes… and whet the appetite for when you next play here.