Royal County Down

DuckHook

Gonna play the Heart of Down this summer which includes downpatrick, ardglas as and Royal County Down over three days. played it about ten years back and its a great comp and playing RCD at the end of three days golf was class.

m r c

ForeRight wrote: »

Played up there today. I was worried going up over the frost but when we arrived all was good and it turned out to be an absolutely glorious day in t shirts!!!

Not a hint of wind and smashing when the sun came through the few clouds that were up there. We were off the whites but they were pushed forward a fair bit. Holes were playing about 400 or so for par 4's on average.

I'd never played before up there so I was studying the stroke saver over every shot.
Place was in amazing condition and the ground was like the middle of summer with lightening fast greens. The lads I was with knocked putts off the green a couple of times.
A tight short game is essential up there with the roll offs on the greens.

Very enjoyable day topped off with a delicious 34 points for myself and a good pressure par putt on the last to win the little match play game between us 1up.

I'm playing up here on this day week, just reading your post here and was wondering the story with the stroke saver? I've never used or bought one before. Are they for sale in the proshop? How much? And reading your post I presume you'd recommend someone playing for the first time to buy one. Thanks.

FixdePitchmark

m r c wrote: »

I'm playing up here on this day week, just reading your post here and was wondering the story with the stroke saver? I've never used or bought one before. Are they for sale in the proshop? How much? And reading your post I presume you'd recommend someone playing for the first time to buy one. Thanks.

mrc,

if you pm me - i'll post it to you.

Ronney

m r c wrote: »

I'm playing up here on this day week, just reading your post here and was wondering the story with the stroke saver? I've never used or bought one before. Are they for sale in the proshop? How much? And reading your post I presume you'd recommend someone playing for the first time to buy one. Thanks.

Stroke saver well worth picking up for RCD. Mainly due to the number of blind tee shots.

A Rangefinder/GPS will give you your yardages for approaches but its handy to have a picture of the hole to see where the danger lies off the tee.

You can pick one up in the pro shop, cant remember the exact price but a tenner should do it (most places charge around a fiver but RCD is more priced towards the yanks)

Pretty much what the stroke saver contains is on their site here http://www.royalcountydown.org/championship-links-hole1.aspx

m r c

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

mrc,

if you pm me - i'll post it to you.

Thanks for the offer I've sent you a pm.

dar_cool

Are you playing in a competition up there or just green fees? It's a course I'd love to play.I was up in Newcastle last weekend and had a little walk in around the golf club. Course looks in super condition. Enjoy!!

m r c

dar_cool wrote: »

Are you playing in a competition up there or just green fees? It's a course I'd love to play.I was up in Newcastle last weekend and had a little walk in around the golf club. Course looks in super condition. Enjoy!!

Just paying green fees tbh, I'd been meaning to play here for the last couple if years and never got around to it. So playing baltray on Wednesday and RCD on Thursday. We'll squeeze in a few pints between the rounds too :-)

ForeRight

The stroke saver was 5pounds in the pro shop.
I still have it actually.

Where do you live? Pm me and if we are close I'll meet you and give it to you. If not Fix will post you his as he offered above.

m r c

Me and two mates have finally got around to playing here this week.
I've been looking forward to it for months tbh
Baltray tomorrow and Royal Co Down on Thursday.
I have played other Irish top 10 courses before but something about this place has been drawing me over now for a couple of years.
I'll probably not break 100 but I could care less, totally psyched :-)

So two posts up I said almost the exact same thing 5 days ago
You probably figured out that I'm looking forward to playing here now :-)

Telecaster58

Hardest course I've ever played. It didnt help that I played it in the middle of the worst Irish summer ever (that's any summer excluding last year since 1995). Driving wind and rain, in August! Scored 21 points and left nothing on the course!!We had played Ardglass the day before ( a hidden gem that was described, not too fancifully as Ireland's Pebble Beach) but play was abandoned after an hour, again because of horrendous weather

m r c

Wow..............It's just perfect.
I'm not the most poetic of people so I'll not do it justice with this post but after playing here every other course I've played has to be viewed in a different, more pale light.
Very fair off the tee, very tough greens.

Every other course gets measured against RCD. I'm pretty none measure up.

ForeRight

m r c wrote: »

Wow..............It's just perfect.
I'm not the most poetic of people so I'll not do it justice with this post but after playing here every other course I've played has to be viewed in a different, more pale light.
Very fair off the tee, very tough greens.

Every other course gets measured against RCD. I'm pretty none measure up.

I've played a couple that measure up IMO.
I liked RCD a lot but I prefer Waterville and the European.

FixdePitchmark

Mrc . I need course guide. Joking. Lol.

funny the way things pan out.
Up to play it in morning. A few days in hotel there.
Only decided today.

Was totally intimidated last time 2 years ago. 95 strokes. Lol.

so a better golfer now. Hope to break 90 and not be as freaked out.

can't wait.

anybody any feel for how long round will take if going ok and if slow ?

m r c

Enjoy it. I'd love to be going back.

It took us 4.07 and the round flowed lovely. We weren't held until late in the round the drive able par 4 which is where you might expect to anyway.

FixdePitchmark

m r c wrote: »

Enjoy it. I'd love to be going back.

It took us 4.07 and the round flowed lovely. We weren't held until late in the round the drive able par 4 which is where you might expect to anyway.

Class - don't have time for a 5 hour round.

Dealerz

Hey fix- Rory is up there today (via twitter) was this a pre arranged practice session?

FixdePitchmark

Well - In my poor sleep last night - I had ideas about how RCD was not going to do my head in this time. Sub 90 the plan - a poor target - but it was 95 the last time.

I'm not going to let this place freak me out - "I'm not".

Then you just see the pure quality of craftsmanship - the finish on the corner stone of the building - when things were made to last. And how they lasted.

First tee - Theo - Welcome "mister Fix;)" - as if he knew me for life.
I asked if Rory was a member - no. but he was here this morning. Nerves back

I ended up playing on my own - another life lesson - never play RCD on your own - you need a local or a caddy or a ball watcher or ball finder.
I asked Theo for my options, a 4 ball from Sweden or the Uk - a bad start. Not a choice on the course.

Theo - was nervous enough to see a lad head out, a bit headless - probing questions, that only golfers can pass the test. I passed

I will not let RCD freak me out -

First ball OOB - (lol) - OTT , "has a chance" - a charitable friendly caddy awaiting the swedes on their 2nd round of the day. .
Provisional - then left - Theo " One right , one solid ball left " - he has seen too many poor drives in his life

So 45 on the front - Don't turn up to RCD with a cold putter and spraying balls alone. Don't do it.

I had a good chat with myself after a good par on 9 - then 3 putted 10.

I had another chat and said - come on, at least sub 90 is on.

The course is just class - greens not perfec, due to winter and heavy winter traffic - but they are solid , true old old - links greens.

I'm not a fan of bunkers with extras and the heather / long grass at edges is just too cruel - a ball floating in the air between 3 strands of links grass, is unplayable (as happened on 15) - perhaps you should learn to take an unplayable - As a Board's lad said to me wisely recently. You live , you see, you learn (slowly) .

So a couple of big scores - 7 on 1 - a 5 on an easy par 3 (7 plugged) - an 8 on 15.
Many shots lost by lack of knowledge, one inch here and there, bad choices. Inexperienced choices.

So - with all great links - you have to take time, you have to learn what is over the hill, you have to know the real line, you have to know each tee box - and how the stone is for the Blues. It is not a one night stand , it is a long term relationship. The best ones end up being your wife.

And - playing from - alternate tees , is not the way to play RCD- the lines are wrong, the holes are wrong, the shape is wrong.
It seems like too much effort and time and money to play the wrong tees.

For example 12 - A drive and 9 iron to a par 5 - was still happy to have an eagle.
A 5 iron to a par 4 - 16 - daft, (256 yards)
A drive and 6 iron onto last, a par 5.

It is an amazing course - BUT - It needs to be played in the full.

So - I'll be back - 8 shots off last score - 80 is do-able , but an 8 is around every bad bounce on the course. One inch from a par to a quad - too cruel - or brilliant.

I'll be back - maybe very very soon . I know I let myself down again - a little less.

But - I have the feeling this is the start of a beautiful relationship.


It was a bit pathetic to have an eagle with a drive and a 9 iron - but did Rory have one :P

m r c

You know Fix, I put my first oob too and enjoyed my chat with Theo.

BUT I didn't come within a roar of drive and six iron on the last :-) I seem to remember hitting a chippy hybrid to the green from ~170

FixdePitchmark

m r c wrote: »

You know Fix, I put my first oob too and enjoyed my chat with Theo.

BUT I didn't come within a roar of drive and six iron on the last :-) I seem to remember hitting a chippy hybrid to the green from ~170

Your 2nd Mrc to 18 ?

ForeRight

Did you try drive the 16th fix?

m r c

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Your 2nd Mrc to 18 ?

Nah 3rd it was wind into but still......
Played my 2nd between the two bunkers and was 170 to the pin.

FixdePitchmark

ForeRight wrote: »

Did you try driveWhite 16th fix?

Hit 5 iron onto and went into right bunker.
You can't be going to RCD and playing an iron to a par 4.(imo)

Still had a bad score. But in mid April you expect the course to be coming around to full play.
Yes It is only 32 yards longer from Red to White.
But the real issue is there is a right to left swing on tee boxes.
The hole is not the same hole from left tee.
The trouble and dogleg is gone on many holes . The hazards from the men's tees are not the hazards from the red tees - on some holes it puts you out of trouble - on other is brings you to an area you should not be.

Maybe a bit harsh - but the place is expensive - the place is top 10 in the world.

hrigsby2

I had a similar experience at Baltray this past week. I hate how "high season" is run on dates rather than on the shape of the course. They had two temporary greens in play that were the typical shave a circle in the fairway and stick a flag in it. Since it is April though, it is high season and therefore they charge top rates...

I think high season should be when the course is played as it was intended and is in its best shape, not when a predetermined date passes. Nit-picky, but just my two cents. RCD was in superb shape when I played it in February, so I can hardly complain about the small alterations to the course since I paid 45 quid for my round there.

slave1

Well gentlemen, I have no intention of paying up in current weather but the week after next is supposed to bring in some milder conditions.
Just wondering is anyone heading up for a Feb round?

ForeRight

slave1 wrote: »

Well gentlemen, I have no intention of paying up in current weather but the week after next is supposed to bring in some milder conditions.
Just wondering is anyone heading up for a Feb round?

It's all off matts up there as far as I know. Usually it's full playing conditions but the irish open being there may be the reason for the matts.

slave1

I'll skip it so, no interest in playing off mats anywhere, I'll wait until it's back properly whenever that is...

benny79

next year mate wanted to play it myself this year but off mats due to irish open. Would ruin the experience Imo..

pcasso

The Down summer Trophy, a gui open competition, will have RCD as the host for the last days play and sounds like really good value. £130 for three rounds of golf in the height of summer.
I was planning and registering for the spring trophy but unfortunately RCD is not on the roster this year because it is hosting the Irish open,

fearruanua

Does anyone know if the mourne golf club will have an open week this year where you can play the champ course at RCD??I played in it two years ago
for 40/50 pounds i think) and after being there last friday for the irish open i'm mad to have another go.
Might give them a ring in the morning if no one on here has any info about it.

Beaulieu

fearruanua wrote: »

Does anyone know if the mourne golf club will have an open week this year where you can play the champ course at RCD??I played in it two years ago
for 40/50 pounds i think) and after being there last friday for the irish open i'm mad to have another go.
Might give them a ring in the morning if no one on here has any info about it.

I played in this too a few years ago & enquired about it in the pro shop. The guy there said it would be on in "Mid July" (his words) this year.