The Official Golf Thread

Started by laoislad, December 28, 2006, 07:07:48 PM

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thewobbler

I'd have a top 3, then a load of ties.

1. Royal Portrush: absolute perfection. Just can't describe how wonderful this place is.

2. The Island: breathtakingly beautiful, proper pulse racing golf.... but too difficult for the like of me.

3. Rosapenna Sandy Hills: I was led to believe this would be an impossible monster. I found it very playable. Extraordinary views. A great course for driving the ball.

Really enjoyed Portmarnock Links, Murtagh, Narin, Rosses Point, Strandhill. I love playing Seapoint too. I've absolute respect for the European, Enniscrone and RCD, but they're all too difficult and wouldn't drive out of my way for those ones.

For parklands, I would usually prefer the classic, smaller and more subtle courses. Coollatin, Woodenbridge, Malone, Lisburn. Though I was very taken by Killeen Castle in all its modern beastiness, while Druid's Glen is just a pleasure to play. If pushed I'd say my favourite parkland is Rathsallagh in Wicklow. It's quite young, but plotted through a dense forest in an unusually understated way by Christy Jr, it feels like it's been there forever.

trailer

Quote from: TwoUpTwoDown on May 28, 2021, 09:46:37 AM
No doubt similar has been discussed here before. But what would be your Top 5 courses? I'm very fortunate to have played some of the best courses on this island but are there any gems I'm missing. I intend to spend this summer ticking more off the list. In no particular order 5 favourites would be:

Murvagh
Narin and Portnoo
Kinsale
Killarney
Enniscrone


In no particular order
Portrush
Baltray
Murvagh
Concra Wood (Underrated)
Ardglass

A few others I like
Slieve Russel (Great society course)
Fota Island
Druids Glen
I played a few in California including the Safeway open course with a mega hangover.

Aiming to knock a few more of the list this year in Ireland. Also had planned to do a East Coast USA tour, Harbour Town and poss Kiawah Island and a few in Florida but the pandemic has put paid to those plans for now.


thewobbler

Forgot about Slieve Russell. It's a fantastic course, and would be in my top 5 parklands. It's an unusually good design in that it is big and clever enough to test anyone's abilities, but is still very playable fun for mediocre golfers like me. As you say, a great society course

trailer

Quote from: thewobbler on May 28, 2021, 10:22:38 AM
Forgot about Slieve Russell. It's a fantastic course, and would be in my top 5 parklands. It's an unusually good design in that it is big and clever enough to test anyone's abilities, but is still very playable fun for mediocre golfers like me. As you say, a great society course

Agree it is seriously underrated. Seapoint as you mention is good and I forgot about Sandy Hills. Another spectacular course even if it is in Donegal ;-)
I see there is a new course opening up in Downings. Hopefully I'll get to play it sometime. I'll be praying for no rain.

TwoUpTwoDown

Many a great society outing I played on it. Also every time I have played it Slieve Russell has had greens on another level.

East Coast of America tour would be brilliant. I played Merion, Baltusrol and Galloway National when living in Philly, all great days out, Merion in particular.

I notice the new St Patrick's links course is opening in Rossapenna this summer so I'll make a point of playing that. It looks quite interesting
https://www.linksmagazine.com/st-patricks-links-tom-doak-new-design-ireland/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insider3.15.21

JimStynes

Me and a few mates are heading up to play all 3 courses at Rossapena. 195 euro for all 3. I've never played it so looking forward to it. My aim this summer is to play 5 or 6 of the top courses. It's that bloody expensive for some of them though that it totally puts me off. I don't care how good the course is, I wouldn't pay near £300 for it.

thewobbler

I'm booked into St Patrick's for June 27th.

I've a nagging fear they might push out the course opening. Hopefully not. Playing a new Doak course on its first weekend of opening would be quite the honour.

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Quote from: JimStynes on May 28, 2021, 10:52:52 AM
Me and a few mates are heading up to play all 3 courses at Rossapena. 195 euro for all 3. I've never played it so looking forward to it. My aim this summer is to play 5 or 6 of the top courses. It's that bloody expensive for some of them though that it totally puts me off. I don't care how good the course is, I wouldn't pay near £300 for it.

Watch out for the opens. We played a few courses last year (Baltray being one) and it's more reasonable than the standard green fee. They're mid week... no bother to you though ;-)

JimStynes

Quote from: trailer on May 28, 2021, 10:55:30 AM
Quote from: JimStynes on May 28, 2021, 10:52:52 AM
Me and a few mates are heading up to play all 3 courses at Rossapena. 195 euro for all 3. I've never played it so looking forward to it. My aim this summer is to play 5 or 6 of the top courses. It's that bloody expensive for some of them though that it totally puts me off. I don't care how good the course is, I wouldn't pay near £300 for it.

Watch out for the opens. We played a few courses last year (Baltray being one) and it's more reasonable than the standard green fee. They're mid week... no bother to you though ;-)

I'm off to Wednesday now and then only a few weeks and I'll have plenty of mid week opportunities  :D
I love links golf but I am shite at it. I have too high a ball flight and m punch shots are crap as I never practise that type of shot. Also, I find that a lot of courses getting better the more you play them and get to know them better.

thebigfella

#6414
Top 5 in Ireland (at the moment), no way I could pick international

1. RCD
2. Portrush (Dunluce)
3. Lahinch (Old)
4. Portmarnock
5. Tralee/The Island/The European (hard to decide but I do like playing Tralee more)

Just on Parklands, haven't got an invite to play Adare since it was redone and not paying full whack with a caddy etc...so the 2 I would put is Mount Juliet and Killeen Castle. The opens of the blacks in Killeen Castle are pure carnage  ;D

Druids Glen is great but the conditioning hasn't been where it should be the last number of years.

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Quote from: thebigfella on May 28, 2021, 11:41:01 AM
Top 5 in Ireland (at the moment), no way I could pick international

1. RCD
2. Portrush (Dunluce)
3. Lahinch (Old)
4. Portmarnock
5. Tralee/The Island/The European (hard to decide but I do like playing Tralee more)

Just on Parklands, haven't got an invite to play Adare since it was redone and not paying full whack with a caddy etc...so the 3 I would put is Mount Juliet and Killeen Castle. The opens of the blacks in Killeen Castle are pure carnage  ;D

Druids Glen is great but the conditioning hasn't been where it should be the last number of years.

Killeen is a monster. Great condition though. Forgot that I played it. Shot a billion or so.

JimStynes

Quote from: trailer on May 28, 2021, 11:48:24 AM
Quote from: thebigfella on May 28, 2021, 11:41:01 AM
Top 5 in Ireland (at the moment), no way I could pick international

1. RCD
2. Portrush (Dunluce)
3. Lahinch (Old)
4. Portmarnock
5. Tralee/The Island/The European (hard to decide but I do like playing Tralee more)

Just on Parklands, haven't got an invite to play Adare since it was redone and not paying full whack with a caddy etc...so the 3 I would put is Mount Juliet and Killeen Castle. The opens of the blacks in Killeen Castle are pure carnage  ;D

Druids Glen is great but the conditioning hasn't been where it should be the last number of years.

Killeen is a monster. Great condition though. Forgot that I played it. Shot a billion or so.

You're a busted flush. Leyton Hewitt went round her in 65

John Egans left boot

Heading off to play three crackers this bank holiday weekend in Scotland.

Turnberry followed by Royal Dornoch and then Brora ,some travel in between but Brora in particular is meant to be unreal.

Trump is an ass but by god the changes in that course and Turnberry in general cannot be underestimated, very decent price and easy to get too from Belfast, well worth a visit for many on here.

trailer

Quote from: JimStynes on May 28, 2021, 12:16:35 PM
Quote from: trailer on May 28, 2021, 11:48:24 AM
Quote from: thebigfella on May 28, 2021, 11:41:01 AM
Top 5 in Ireland (at the moment), no way I could pick international

1. RCD
2. Portrush (Dunluce)
3. Lahinch (Old)
4. Portmarnock
5. Tralee/The Island/The European (hard to decide but I do like playing Tralee more)

Just on Parklands, haven't got an invite to play Adare since it was redone and not paying full whack with a caddy etc...so the 3 I would put is Mount Juliet and Killeen Castle. The opens of the blacks in Killeen Castle are pure carnage  ;D

Druids Glen is great but the conditioning hasn't been where it should be the last number of years.

Killeen is a monster. Great condition though. Forgot that I played it. Shot a billion or so.

You're a busted flush. Leyton Hewitt went round her in 65

:-\

thebigfella

Quote from: trailer on May 28, 2021, 01:21:55 PM
Quote from: JimStynes on May 28, 2021, 12:16:35 PM
Quote from: trailer on May 28, 2021, 11:48:24 AM
Quote from: thebigfella on May 28, 2021, 11:41:01 AM
Top 5 in Ireland (at the moment), no way I could pick international

1. RCD
2. Portrush (Dunluce)
3. Lahinch (Old)
4. Portmarnock
5. Tralee/The Island/The European (hard to decide but I do like playing Tralee more)

Just on Parklands, haven't got an invite to play Adare since it was redone and not paying full whack with a caddy etc...so the 3 I would put is Mount Juliet and Killeen Castle. The opens of the blacks in Killeen Castle are pure carnage  ;D

Druids Glen is great but the conditioning hasn't been where it should be the last number of years.

Killeen is a monster. Great condition though. Forgot that I played it. Shot a billion or so.

You're a busted flush. Leyton Hewitt went round her in 65

He was 21 when he burst onto the scene with that 65. Couldnt do it at 22. FACT