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The Links Thread
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Was in Corballis today, was stunning out there. Greens a bit hard - but a great escape from it all. Even from other golfers is needed sometimes.
Corballis Season End
The winter on way - season end
Gold sand, blue flag, calm sea sound
Old and young, skilled and not
A par at the devil 3, is never forgot
Hidden in deep dunes, silence sounds
A bell on the hill - the blind green found
A silence is broken an unfriendly bark
The evening is closing - from summer to dark
Memories of shots, of friends all around
Bad bounces and spins, out of bounds
The horrible 13 - the unfriendly 17
A two putt from the top - is rarely seen
Rain will now fall, soft greens will be back
Ready for the year round golfer, back pin attack
2015, a full season not to forget
Tide retreats - we will return yet.
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FixdePitchmark wrote: »Was in Corballis today, was stunning out there. Greens a bit hard - but a great escape from it all. Even from other golfers is needed sometimes.
Corballis Season End
The winter on way - season end
Gold sand, blue flag, calm sea sound
Old and young, skilled and not
A par at the devil 3, is never forgot
Hidden in deep dunes, silence sounds
A bell on the hill - the blind green found
A silence is broken an unfriendly bark
The evening is closing - from summer to dark
Memories of shots, of friends all around
Bad bounces and spins, out of bounds
The horrible 13 - the unfriendly 17
A two putt from the top - is rarely seen
Rain will now fall, soft greens will be back
Ready for the year round golfer, back pin attack
2015, a full season not to forget
Tide retreats - we will return yet.
I'm a local and I don't play this place often enough, it is a gem though, and, when one is out there with no-one about it can be bliss0 -
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Played Portmarnock Links again today - played it twice this year. You can see that certain courses in Dublin and hopefully the rest of the country are on an upward trend.
In fact, great to see some courses investing in the actual course after a few years of uncertainty - I know there is another debate about NAMA etc........
But it looks like Portmarnock Links is going to now target the upper level green fee. I think we forgot how lucky we were to have a few years of very very cheap golf for top level stuff - has been a strange few years.
I'll be honest - loved playing all the different course at great rates. I think most of us knew that , the top ones would go back up at some stage or close.
So is going to be a major adjustment for local Irish golfers, to start going up in green fees - substantially on some courses.
(not talking about Portmarnock Links here)
But, It is a bit of a Bee in my Bonnet that some of the top links are very hard to play at a decent rate - you are stuck into the winter - no opens etc.
You can play them , but very specific weeks and events, team events etc.
Another one - is opens for seniors only - Why , why and why again.
It is a handicapped sport - most guys over 50 have more money than younger guys and get unreal deals in events, that you are barred from
Anyway - more expensive golf on the way on some courses.
But - Portmarnock Links is a brilliant course. As flat links courses go, it is one of my favourites on East Coast.
Fantastic mix of holes and I have found it very very hard in the past.
The rough is cut back a good bit, I could see that in still conditions it is a bit easier , I guess I know course better and am a bit of a better player now.
Had a 78 and wasn't putting great. So the course is manageable if you are good off the tee.
Many greens are hard to hold - and never a harm hitting that extra lofted club on many of the holes.
The greens sometimes look a bit off colour there - but the ball roles beautifully.
The one criticism is maybe the par 5s are a little on the easy side. The new green on 13 will improve this.
The outward nine has many holes that are very straight and in a way similar - but the holes on the east side of course have great features , doglegs and deeper dunes.
So I seen it can be played today - in wind it would be another story .
I love going away and playing the championship courses now and again.
But every day, as your real golf course , no thanks.
You would need to be very very good - have plenty of time and plenty of money.
So - I'll be a tourist still.0 -
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FixdePitchmark wrote: »Was very enjoyable Dan - thanks to you and your brother - who is a fine golfer.
He will be a low golfer at some time. Fair play to you sticking it out , made of tough stuff.
We ere blessed with great weather - everyone knows I love a round in Corballis , I know it is not a real golf course, but quick and the perfect introduction to links.
The views there are as good as anything.
The next step up in links are
two nice nine hole courses that are links are Rush and Sutton - these are on the easier side and short - but still real links in parts.
The next step ups are.
Arklow - About 25 , may get it a little cheaper
Laytown - will get out for 30 euro
St Annes - I'll get you out here cheap, but about 25 to 40.
Seapoint - about 35 euro.
Of all them I would recommend Laytown the most (for you as near) - a great course.
After that group of links , things get a bit crazy to be honest. In fact they get outrageous.
SO get a fire deal on one of the websites Golf Now or Tee times. Open would also be a little cheaper about 20 to 25 - some will do a deal for your brother.
To be honest - you couldn't go wrong with any of the 4 above , some people say Seapoint is not links enough, but sure that may make it more enjoyable for you starting out. A course a bit too far that I rate very highly in the same league is Rosslare.
But the best value , best links going, are North and West - but that is for another day
By the way if anyone wants to go up to Laytown let us know, would love another game there.
Thanks for putting up with me, made it a very long round at times and I was regretting it in work this morning
His putting is usually better but he was playing quite well, on a good day we're even enough but lately he's been keeping ahead of me. He's playing alot better with the new clubs aswell.
The problem with Rush and Sutton are the big drive to play nine holes, that and I always feel like I didn't play much golf even if I go around twice on 9's. Odd but I can't help it
Love the look of Arklow,seapoint and St. Anne's. Drive past Laytown often, looks quite cramped ?
I usually check teetimes to see if I can get a deal so ill keep an eye on it.
Thanks for the reply, the offer and the game0 -
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Thanks for putting up with me, made it a very long round at times and I was regretting it in work this morning
His putting is usually better but he was playing quite well, on a good day we're even enough but lately he's been keeping ahead of me. He's playing alot better with the new clubs aswell.
The problem with Rush and Sutton are the big drive to play nine holes, that and I always feel like I didn't play much golf even if I go around twice on 9's. Odd but I can't help it
Love the look of Arklow,seapoint and St. Anne's. Drive past Laytown often, looks quite cramped ?
I usually check teetimes to see if I can get a deal so ill keep an eye on it.
Thanks for the reply, the offer and the game
To be honest dan - nothing is ever as cramped as Corballis , Laytown is a great intro to the next step.
The 4 - 18 hole courses above are very very similar- they are basically flat links courses - I would rather have been introduced to links on the flat links first - because if you play a big championship links and love Links golf, it can be hard to fall in love with flat links courses.
But with time , the flat courses have grown on me. I see a charm to them now, the wind is even more of a hazard and you can be clever with drains and many of them are very good with bunker protection.
Another practical reality of the flat links courses is the speed of play and they are easier - being easier for just going for your normal game of golf makes sense.
The championship links courses in Ireland with big dunes are a joy - but torture , a hard walk , and bloody hard courses. Even finding your ball is not pleasant if you are not hitting it very straight and know course well.
I've often considered joining a big links, but the more I play them , the more I see how they are not really places you run down play 6 and head home in an hour.
Anyway _ I digress - hit one of the 4 above. I'll pm you if something comes up.0 -
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Portmarnock Links is a brilliant course, in that it has a brilliant mix of Links golf holes.
It is on the flat side for 75 % of the course - but uses the Dunes on the east side (sea front side) , with Germanically (not VW) like efficiency.
So yes - It is flat - it doesn't have the dramatic holes over or in dunnes.
The 3rd hole in corballis would be typical of the big dune courses - also the 5th.
The only courses on the east coast with big dunes are
The Island
The European Club in parts
The courses with bigger dunes are few on the east coast - in fact you have to go all the way to Royal County Down and North to get them.
By big dunes I mean this in Enniscrone.
Or this is Carne
Look - as someone said on here before, no two links are the same, in theory they are randomly shaped by time.
So you sort of have to play them all many many times, I only get to know a links after, about 20 games on it. Maybe more.
So - hit Laytown dan , and forget all that other stuff (lol)0 -
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Thats something I'll have to find out, so far I've only played Corballis and Portmarnock Links in the outing. Would Portmarnock be be considered flat?
Ah, we have plenty of hills in parkland :pac:
On links, I find, it's not the hills that make them special - it's the contours.
Portmarnock is flat, Laytown/Bettystown is flat relative to a lot of parkland courses but the fairways are contoured by nature (and feckin' rabbits:mad:) and that can make all the difference. Wind, rain (and water runoff) often dictate why a particular fairway is shaped the way it is.
Put it this way, if I slap a good drive down the middle of any decent parkland course fairway I'm pretty much guaranteed a decent lie when I get to the ball - on a links the same drive could end up on a slight up or down slope; on top of a low rise; in the bottom of low hollow; slightly above your feet or slightly below your feet; or it could end up just right. It can be a bit of a lottery and some people think that's a bit unfair, but it's one of the reasons I like links golf.
Just as an aside, I once asked in a links club I was visiting "Who designed the course?" the reply came back "God. We just polished it a bit."0 -
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