The Official Golf Thread

[thewobbler]

Lol I'm the same. Was booked and cancelled out twice last year.

I've never even met a Baltray member.

I played it once about 5 years ago. I was a little disappointed if truth be told but I think that was more to do with me being into undulating courses like Enniscrone and the Island at the time. And it was really quite flat and uninteresting.

I think the slightly older me, who has become sick of climbing dunes and looking upon impossible shots, would now really appreciate its subtler challenges. And I'm keeping an eye out for those opens daily.

[JimStynes]

Post on here when they're out, I definitely want a go on it. I love the Valley and RCD wee course for cheaper options. Got a go on the big course at Portrush last year. Amazing experience. Found it far better than RCD.

[thewobbler]

Agreed on Portrush. Best golf course I've ever stood on. RCD is a bit more of a theme park imho. It's an exceptional experience (conditioning, views, wow factor everywhere), but it's just too destructively penal with a few holes (9 and 15 spring to mind) that just don't offer a chance of happiness. The European is similar, especially after the 3rd or 4th hole. Portrush though: strike it well and play for the right part of the green and it's scoreable. Of course I didn't score well, but that wasn't the course's fault!

[Milltown Row2]

Agreed on Portrush. Best golf course I've ever stood on. RCD is a bit more of a theme park imho. It's an exceptional experience (conditioning, views, wow factor everywhere), but it's just too destructively penal with a few holes (9 and 15 spring to mind) that just don't offer a chance of happiness. The European is similar, especially after the 3rd or 4th hole. Portrush though: strike it well and play for the right part of the green and it's scoreable. Of course I didn't score well, but that wasn't the course's fault!

What's the minimum to play those two courses? £120

The course that runs through RCD is as close to a course of that standing that I'll be at. The glimpse it gives you though of the various holes is spectacular

[Franko]

It's a fact that Rory has been in the top 10 golfers in the world for the last 10 years.

Majors have far more currency than rankings.

I don't take much pride in where Martin Breheny puts us at the end of each year but I do in trophies.

They do - and hence, this is accounted for in that they are much more heavily weighted in terms of World Ranking points.

But the fact remains and cannot be disputed that McIlroy is still a top 10 golfer and has finished as such in 11 out of the past 12 years.

So to state as 'fact' that there's 10-15 better players out there than him over the past 6/7 years just doesn't stand up to any scrutiny.

There may or may not be something in the rest of what you are saying.

It may be based in 'evidence' and 'parallels' but at the end of the day, it's only a prediction.

Only time will tell if you are correct.

So I don't really see why you keep bleating on about it.

Majors are the only currency worth talking about. I doubt players take much pride in their rankings if they are not winning the major ones.

McIlroy hasn't won one in 7 years.

We will see. I just think the heightened sensitivity over criticism of McIlroy on here is embarrassing when the criticism is completely justified.

Think you should stick to the strawberries and cream chief.

World ranking in golf is a big deal.

As for the last bit - so you've said.

Over and over again.

It must mean a lot to you.

[JimStynes]

Agreed on Portrush. Best golf course I've ever stood on. RCD is a bit more of a theme park imho. It's an exceptional experience (conditioning, views, wow factor everywhere), but it's just too destructively penal with a few holes (9 and 15 spring to mind) that just don't offer a chance of happiness. The European is similar, especially after the 3rd or 4th hole. Portrush though: strike it well and play for the right part of the green and it's scoreable. Of course I didn't score well, but that wasn't the course's fault!

What's the minimum to play those two courses? £120

The course that runs through RCD is as close to a course of that standing that I'll be at. The glimpse it gives you though of the various holes is spectacular

Double that price and add a bit more

[John Egans left boot]

Agreed on Portrush. Best golf course I've ever stood on. RCD is a bit more of a theme park imho. It's an exceptional experience (conditioning, views, wow factor everywhere), but it's just too destructively penal with a few holes (9 and 15 spring to mind) that just don't offer a chance of happiness. The European is similar, especially after the 3rd or 4th hole. Portrush though: strike it well and play for the right part of the green and it's scoreable. Of course I didn't score well, but that wasn't the course's fault!

The amount of nonsense talked on this last page is laughable. Fact, Portrush only got the open because of political pressure and also unlike any other open venue the amount of public cash promised to the R&A was off the charts, IT WAS NOT BECUASE OF THE COURSE. Hence the R&A had to oversee lots of behind the door issues (politics and all)

Secondly RCD is head and shoulder above any other course in Ireland bar Portmarnock, of course Wobbler and others will have their favourites and they are entitled to that opinion. However lets talk turkey and cut the crap. RCD has issue that the R&A have issues with. It has hosted Walker cups etc but that is mainly down to player demand. After all its always in the top 10 course in most world charts etc Portrush is not. I know for a fact the R&A sent the Amateur championship to Portmarnock last year or year before as the R&A are actively pursuing Irelands best courses. At the same time they sent the girls open to RCD a senior R&A offical overseen both for specific reasons of compiling reports. Indeed read behind the lines Harrington now pretty well up in the R&A and was actively advocating for RCD and Portmarnock to be added to list ( keep an eye on this)

Portrush is the poorest of open venues in terms of course. But that doesn't make a difference arguably having played them all St Andrews is the easiest and Turnberry ( especially since trump came in) the hardest. Last thing on this, yes Covid has had an impact on the roster for the coming years but my information is that whilst Portrush has a contract with the R&A for 3/4 opens by 2040 there are a number of outstanding issues unresolved from its hosting a couple of years back. 2 that I have been informed off were player facilities and the secondly political issues at the Train station on the Saturday night following the Orange Order parade.  Maybe if someone here put an FOI into Tourism NI they might get some feedback to this extend.

Moral of the story don't wet your pants over Portrush top 10 in Ireland yes, top five NO!! Worst course in open roster current Tick!!!  Again Wobbler and Jim Stynes some of this is fact, some opinion, I not actively offsetting your views.

[thewobbler]

There's an awful lot of opinion in what you describe as fact.

[mackers]

Both Portrush and RCD are outstanding courses but personally I prefer Portrush.  Better, fairer course.

[John Egans left boot]

There's an awful lot of opinion in what you describe as fact.

Opinion on what are the best and worst open courses, however most of the rest is fact Wobbler open to you proving me wrong on this

[JimStynes]

There's an awful lot of opinion in what you describe as fact.

Opinion on what are the best and worst open courses, however most of the rest is fact Wobbler open to you proving me wrong on this

Most of the stuff you've posted is literally of no interest to me. Portrush in my opinion is a better course for someone at my level. I played Portrush when I was playing well off an 8 handicap but played RCD when my handicap was in the high teens. So maybe the better I get the more enjoyable RCD will be. I don't like the blind tee shots in RCD. It's an amazing course but I simply prefered Portrush, that's all. I couldn't care less about NI tourist board or political pressure. I haven't played enough of the other big courses in Ireland to have an opinion on them, mainly because they're too expensive for the normal person. Baltray is next on the list though. Wobbler is getting me sorted with a cheap green fee.

[thewobbler]

All I'm going to say to you is that all these world golf ranking systems which house RCD in the top 5, also always house Portrush in the top 10.

There's 35,000 golf courses in the world. There's 8-10 course in the wider Open circuit and only 2 of them (St Andrew's and Muirfield) ever feature above Portrush.

If they're all wrong about Portrush then surely they're also all wrong about RCD.

Hence no facts. Just opinions.

[NotedObserver]

Agreed on Portrush. Best golf course I've ever stood on. RCD is a bit more of a theme park imho. It's an exceptional experience (conditioning, views, wow factor everywhere), but it's just too destructively penal with a few holes (9 and 15 spring to mind) that just don't offer a chance of happiness. The European is similar, especially after the 3rd or 4th hole. Portrush though: strike it well and play for the right part of the green and it's scoreable. Of course I didn't score well, but that wasn't the course's fault!

The amount of nonsense talked on this last page is laughable. Fact, Portrush only got the open because of political pressure and also unlike any other open venue the amount of public cash promised to the R&A was off the charts, IT WAS NOT BECUASE OF THE COURSE. Hence the R&A had to oversee lots of behind the door issues (politics and all)

Secondly RCD is head and shoulder above any other course in Ireland bar Portmarnock, of course Wobbler and others will have their favourites and they are entitled to that opinion. However lets talk turkey and cut the crap. RCD has issue that the R&A have issues with. It has hosted Walker cups etc but that is mainly down to player demand. After all its always in the top 10 course in most world charts etc Portrush is not. I know for a fact the R&A sent the Amateur championship to Portmarnock last year or year before as the R&A are actively pursuing Irelands best courses. At the same time they sent the girls open to RCD a senior R&A offical overseen both for specific reasons of compiling reports. Indeed read behind the lines Harrington now pretty well up in the R&A and was actively advocating for RCD and Portmarnock to be added to list ( keep an eye on this)

Portrush is the poorest of open venues in terms of course. But that doesn't make a difference arguably having played them all St Andrews is the easiest and Turnberry ( especially since trump came in) the hardest. Last thing on this, yes Covid has had an impact on the roster for the coming years but my information is that whilst Portrush has a contract with the R&A for 3/4 opens by 2040 there are a number of outstanding issues unresolved from its hosting a couple of years back. 2 that I have been informed off were player facilities and the secondly political issues at the Train station on the Saturday night following the Orange Order parade.  Maybe if someone here put an FOI into Tourism NI they might get some feedback to this extend.

Moral of the story don't wet your pants over Portrush top 10 in Ireland yes, top five NO!! Worst course in open roster current Tick!!!  Again Wobbler and Jim Stynes some of this is fact, some opinion, I not actively offsetting your views.

I played portrush a few times in the run up to the open and couldn't believe the hype! Good course but does not live long in the memory compared to many others on the west and east coast of Ireland. I've been to all Irish opens along with the British open in recent memory and it's the poorest for spectators also.

[thebigfella]

I think RCD is the better course over Portrush. Not by much mind and not convinced on some of the changes made to the Dunlunce links.

If it's non-competitive it's RCD all day long but in a competition it "possibly" sways the other direction as less blind shots and a bit more space of the tee.

[JimStynes]

What's the best park land course in the North?