2 weeks of bliss in Ireland….

[hammergolf]

Well, I decided over the weekend to add another week to my Ireland trip next month. Counting the days!

 

Day 1 Arrive in Dublin, drive to Slieve Russell then play there and stay the night.

Day 2 Drive to Sligo, check into my rental house then play Strandhill

Day 3 Play Carne Links

Day4 Play Enniscrone

Day 5 Play Rosses Point, then drive to rental in Dunkineely

Day 6 Play Donegal

Day 7 Play Narin & Portnoo

Day 8 Drive to Dublin to drop off the guys at airport, then drive to Ardglass and play

Day 9 Drive to Portstewart and check into rental then take the day off

Day 10 Play Castlerock

Day 11 Play Ballyliffin

Day 12 Play Portstwart

Day 13 Play Portrush, then drive to Drogheda.

Day 14 Play Baltray

Day 15 Drive to Dublin airport and fly home

 

Lots of golf, but so excited to go. I’ve never done 14 rounds in 15 days, but I’ll probably swap out between walking one day then riding the next. I’ll be posting pics and updates. If anyone has restaurant recommendations for the last week I’d love to hear them!

 

[ajgoodal.704]

Going all in I see!  That is going to be one mega trip.  How are the car rental prices for that long?  They were insane a few months ago when I was there.  Have they come back down?  

[hammergolf]

5 hours ago, ajgoodal.704 said:

Going all in I see!  That is going to be one mega trip.  How are the car rental prices for that long?  They were insane a few months ago when I was there.  Have they come back down?  

Yeah, had planned to take a Northern Ireland trip next year but decided to just add it into this trip. I’m renting a small SUV for $497 the first week since there will be three guys. For the next week I’m renting a compact since it will just be myself and it’s $380. That’s a little higher than they were last year, but not crazy like they were in the summer.

[ajgoodal.704]

1 hour ago, hammergolf said:

Yeah, had planned to take a Northern Ireland trip next year but decided to just add it into this trip. I’m renting a small SUV for $497 the first week since there will be three guys. For the next week I’m renting a compact since it will just be myself and it’s $380. That’s a little higher than they were last year, but not crazy like they were in the summer.

That is much better than some of the numbers people were being quoted back in June.  We paid about the same for a van which we had pre-booked in 2021.  Can't wait to read about your adventure. 

[hammergolf]

22 minutes ago, ajgoodal.704 said:

That is much better than some of the numbers people were being quoted back in June.  We paid about the same for a van which we had pre-booked in 2021.  Can't wait to read about your adventure. 

I’m going to try and post daily with pics and course summary. I’m counting the days!

[Quebec Club Ho]

2 hours ago, hammergolf said:

I’m going to try and post daily with pics and course summary. I’m counting the days!

OMG!!! That sounds awesome!!! Godspeed! Be brave driving on the 'other' side and on those narrow roadways! Have the best time!!! :DDDD

I just got my acceptance for international membership at Murcar! So I'm going to play and hang out at the 'club!' And visit Cruden and Royal Aberdeen. And maybe some of the others.We'll compare trips after!

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, Quebec Club Ho said:

OMG!!! That sounds awesome!!! Godspeed! Be brave driving on the 'other' side and on those narrow roadways! Have the best time!!! :DDDD

I just got my acceptance for international membership at Murcar! So I'm going to play and hang out at the 'club!' And visit Cruden and Royal Aberdeen. And maybe some of the others.We'll compare trips after!

I’ve been across the pond quite a few times so I’m pretty comfortable driving on the other side and the narrow roads, so hopefully all good there. That sounds awesome that you joined Murcar! Maybe on my Scotland trip next year to Aberdeen and Highlands area we can get a round in. Cruden Bay is very high on my bucket list, as well as RA. Murcar, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Nairn, and Dornoch will fill in the rest of the trip. I’m going to try and post pics and course summaries of my trip here daily. Have a GREAT trip!

[Quebec Club Ho]

On 9/9/2022 at 11:25 PM, hammergolf said:

I’ve been across the pond quite a few times so I’m pretty comfortable driving on the other side and the narrow roads, so hopefully all good there. That sounds awesome that you joined Murcar! Maybe on my Scotland trip next year to Aberdeen and Highlands area we can get a round in. Cruden Bay is very high on my bucket list, as well as RA. Murcar, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Nairn, and Dornoch will fill in the rest of the trip. I’m going to try and post pics and course summaries of my trip here daily. Have a GREAT trip!

Next year??!!! I'm going back in either May to June or June to July. Hit me up! That'd be awesome to join up!!! My people will talk to your people to discuss the details! 😉 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Quebec Club Ho said:

Next year??!!! I'm going back in either May to June or June to July. Hit me up! That'd be awesome to join up!!! My people will talk to your people to discuss the details! 😉 

Sounds great!

[stanford88]

I hope your trip is going well hammergolf!

[sabram]

Sounds like a great trip. Too bad you have to drive back to Dublin mid trip. The only place I'd try to add would be Rosapenna to see the new St Patrick's as you'll be iso close.

[Scooby555]

Sounds cold, wet, and windy.. BRRRRR

[El Gringo]

On 10/19/2022 at 11:29 AM, sabram said:

Sounds like a great trip. Too bad you have to drive back to Dublin mid trip. The only place I'd try to add would be Rosapenna to see the new St Patrick's as you'll be iso close.

St Pat's is something special. I spent two days playing and one wandering around with a putter in hand. At first blush there isn't a better course in Ireland I have seen. 

 

I am told by folks I trust that Sandy Hills has been made more playable with some widening and bunker adjustments. I did play the OTM course again and it's still very good. 

 

Away from Rosapenna, also played Otway, a very cool 9 holer. It's the sort of course which makes me want to play golf. Highly recommended for those seeking highly unusual ma and pa golf on the cheap. Otway is definitely not for the card and pencil type wanting to the best courses. It's far too charming a course for that scene. 15 Euros all day. Slow greens. Crazy cross over holes. Hard on the beach. For those that know and love Painswick this is your sorta place. 

[hammergolf]

I’m a little behind, well a lot behind, but as I sit in my apartment hearing the 50mph winds and rain coming down sideways now is a good time to start my trip review. I arrived in Dublin on October 6th to begin my trip. First round was at Slieve Russell. It’s a little over an hour drive from the airport.

 

The course is a tree lined hilly parkland layout that’s kept in immaculate condition. However, before we arrived Ireland has received a ton of rain so the course was absolutely saturated. The course starts out tough with 3 of the top hdcp holes in the first 6 holes. Greens are heavily tiered which makes it tough to get on the right section/part of the green. It was pretty much all carry and no roll in the fairways so it played longer than the card in addition to the elevation changes. There is a very good mix of holes with dogleg lefts and rights, long/short holes and a great collection of par 3’s. Hole #2 is a really good long dogleg left par 4 with two bunkers and a pond on the left if you want to cut the corner. If you can carry them, it sets up a shorter second to the uphill 3 tiered green. Hole #7 is a great downhill par 3 that measures 205 off the card but plays a good 20yds downhill. Made my first birdie in Ireland when I hit it to 4ft. The back nine while not as tough as the front is definitely the more visual side. The signature #13th hole plays around a lake on the left for the entire hole. It was a great course for my first round off the plane. There is also a resort attached to the course so we had a great overnight stay there and an excellent meal. It’s very reasonably priced as well. 1 round of golf, one night lodging, and breakfast was €140, so definitely worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[hammergolf]

Can’t post pics for some reason, so I’ll follow up when I get home Sunday.

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 2. Drove over in the morning from Slieve Russell to Strandhill. Had a good time playing there. Nice links layout with some fun and quirky holes. It won’t be confused with the higher rated courses in the Sligo/Mayo/Donegal area but it was fun. Layout has a mix of holes in the dunes and flatter holes. Good mix of lefts and rights, long and short. Overall it’s a little on the shorter side but being a par 70 it plays longer than on the card. Really good collection of par 3’s with the 17th playing over 200yds to the 9th playing 150yds. The greens are all well protected with bunkering, false fronts, and lots of swales and undulations. Highlights are the quirky 15th with a blind tee shot over a marker on the dune that leads to a ridiculously narrow short approach between two dunes. I walked it of at about a 12yd gap… The 7th and 8th are both really good holes with great ocean views as well. Enjoyed my round here and while there are better in the area, I would definitely play it again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[HackinNut]

Damn that's a lot of golf over the pond!  Holy .... 

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 3. Drove from our rental house to Carne Golf Links. Words can’t describe Carne. It’s like being on another planet. The size, scale, and ruggedness of the dunes and design are simply awe inspiring. Hands down my new favorite golf course in the world. We played the Wild Atlantic Dunes routing and it was AWESOME!. The only way I can describe Carne is that it’s like playing 18 holes like the back nine of Tralee or Ballybunion. I was literally in amazement on every tee and approach as the dunes revealed on each hole. The only slight drawback, and I mean slight, is that it’s not perfectly manicured like other top courses. By no means was it in bad shape, but you’ll see some bare spots, some divots, and some used athletic turf on cart paths. The highlights are basically EVERY hole on the course. If you are going to Ireland, find a way to get to Belmullet and play Carne. The most enjoyable golf experience I’ve ever had. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 4. Took the short drive from our rental house in Dromore East to Enniscrone. Another really special place. While it may not get the publicity that Lahinch, Ballybunion, or Tralee it’s definitely in the same class. It was in immaculate condition, and as good a design as anywhere. The minute I finished my round, I couldn’t wait to go back and play it again. It challenges your entire game, and although tough it’s very fair. Once again, there’s just too many great holes to pick out a highlight. Many holes with great ocean views as well. 

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 5. Drove to County Sligo Golf Club to play Rosses Point. Great links course layout. While not in the dunes like Carne and Enniscrone, there is still plenty uphill and downhill movement to the course. Tough layout that is well protected by bunkers in the fairways and greens. Really strong finish to the course, 14 - 17 may be as tough a consecutive stretch of links golf that I’ve played. The holes play 460/4, 430/4, 210/3, 470/4. What the yardage doesn’t show is the are burns running through 14 and 15, and 17 plays up a massive hill on your second. Add in the wind and it’s all the golf you want.  

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 6, Drove to Donegal Golf Club to play Murvagh Links. Traditional links course that is very well bunkered. A nice mix of flatter and dune holes. The par 3 5th hole may be as good a short hole as there is. Not that 200yds uphill is short with a  HUGE drop off short and right of the green. ANYTHING short or right leaves you 30ft lower than the putting surface with a very long bunker shot or pitch. I thinned a hybrid that hit on the fringe and rolled all the way back down the hill into the bunker. Hit my best shot of the trip with a 30yd bunker shot to 6ft and rolled in the putt. The 8th is a really cool par 5 that stair steps down hill giving you an interesting decision for your 2nd shot. You can play left and safe but that leaves a blind 3rd, or take on the dune to the right with a longer club to give yourself an open look at the pin. Really fun course to play.

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by hammergolf

[hammergolf]

Ireland Day 7 drove to Narin & Portnoo. Was really surprised by this course because I had heard so many conflicting reports about the course. I thought it was great. For me it’s on the same level as Enniscrone. It was in immaculate condition and I liked the design work that was done. The only negative mark I could give is that there are 2 very short par 3 holes (105, and 115) on the back. Not sure if that was intentional due to dune or land constraints, or Gil Hanse trying to be unique. The course has phenomenal design and views. The stretch from 5-10 are very good, and the holes on the peninsula and ocean are great views as well. They did say that the designers were coming in to redo some shaping on a couple fwys and add some new tees. Hopefully they address the short par 3s on the back. All in all, a fantastic day and looking forward to see what changes are made. It doesn’t need much to be in the elite class in Ireland.

[hammergolf]

Took a couple days off then played my 10th round at Royal Portrush. Obviously an incredible place with very challenging green complexes and bunkering and very long. I didn’t find it too tough off the tee, (I did drive it very well the entire trip) but the length of the course and challenging approaches are where the course shows it’s teeth. Lots of uphill and downhill, but not many holes in the dunes. Obviously 17 gets your attention, but 4 and 13 were my favs. Looking forward to see The Open there in 2025 now that I’ve played it.

[hammergolf]

Ireland Round 11 Portstewart. Wow! Right up there with Carne and Enniscrone to me. Really strong start into the dunes with great design and views. Hard to pick out a favorite hole because there were so many good ones. The only negative is that #18 is just an ok hole, but apparently the DP Tour is sending a group there soon to look at changing it in hopes of making it a stronger finish and bring the Irish Open back there soon. For me personally, I preferred it to Portrush but understand that may be blasphemy to some. Such a fun round of golf and definitely in the top 3 this trip!

 

[hammergolf]

Ireland Round 12 Castlerock Golf Club. Lots of fun on this hilly links. Very playable and some really cool holes. Although I didn’t have the time, I was told the Bann 9 hole course might be the best 9 there…

[hammergolf]

Ireland round 13 Ardglass Golf Club, unfortunately didn’t happen. Horrible wind and weather made the course unplayable. Disappointed because I was really looking forward to playing here. In fact, I even tried to reschedule to another day, but got the same weather that day as well. 

[hammergolf]

Ireland round 14 The Island. Very playable design that has some fun holes. Really liked the blind par 4 6th and par 3 16th. Was my last round of the trip and had almost no wind and warmer temps, so nice way to end my trip.

[ajgoodal.704]

Awesome write-up!!  I'm glad you had a good day to play Carne.  It was my Ardglass.  How good is Carne, Enniscrone and County Sligo for a base 3?  Throw in Strandhill, which is a really fun first links round of a trip and you are set.  

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, ajgoodal.704 said:

Awesome write-up!!  I'm glad you had a good day to play Carne.  It was my Ardglass.  How good is Carne, Enniscrone and County Sligo for a base 3?  Throw in Strandhill, which is a really fun first links round of a trip and you are set.  

In my opinion, it’s a must! I would put the rotation of Carne, Enniscrone with anything over there. Not to mention it’s about half the price and they definitely “appreciate” you being there more than the famous courses down South. We rented a house in Dromore West which was really convenient to the courses. Next trip I’ll play Carne, Enniscrone, and Rosses twice each. 

[ajgoodal.704]

5 hours ago, hammergolf said:

In my opinion, it’s a must! I would put the rotation of Carne, Enniscrone with anything over there. Not to mention it’s about half the price and they definitely “appreciate” you being there more than the famous courses down South. We rented a house in Dromore West which was really convenient to the courses. Next trip I’ll play Carne, Enniscrone, and Rosses twice each. 

I have a few other trips I want to make, but when my sons are old enough, I'll take them to do the same.  I'd love a second pop on Enniscrone.  Some of those holes you have to play a few times to really get it.  The flat part of the course seems like a reprieve, but those greens were tricky.  I still remember 6 & 7 being really tricky if you were out of place coming into them.  I'll never forget the 18th hole.  Hit a 350 yard pop right down the centerline.  Left my easy approach short of the green.  Chipped in for birdie!  Donegal sounds like another one that I need to play when I'm back in that area.