The Links Thread

The Big Easy

blue note wrote: »

Has anyone heard of any GUI rates or opens for the Island? I remember hearing that they were considering a Friday open when the lockdown ends. Has anyone heard anything about it since?

Oh, take me to the Island.....

I hope so, it's a cracking course and I'd be on the M50 straight away

bailey99

ChippingSodbury wrote: »

As for someone complaining about an increase to €55 for Enniscrone, come one lads! That's still great value compared to golf further south. If you're willing to travel that far, €15 surely isn't going to put you off.

I wasn't complaining. I just said there opens went from 40 to 55. We are playing there regardless. Still fair value in June. Life member in carne so I'll always favour there. Terrain like something from another planet.

I always thought enniscrone was a better track than co Sligo.

ChippingSodbury

bailey99 wrote: »

I wasn't complaining. I just said there opens went from 40 to 55. We are playing there regardless. Still fair value in June. Life member in carne so I'll always favour there. Terrain like something from another planet.

I always thought enniscrone was a better track than co Sligo.

Good that you're not complaining:)! Seriously though, the value on offer along the coast from Carne all the way up to Ballyliffin is second to none.

Each to their own re Enniscrone/ Rosses Point. I rather the Point but I'm biased! Enniscrone 14th hole to 16th is hard to beat in terms of hole quality.
This year:
Point has had 3rd green re-laid and slightly adjusted in slope: it's mature local greens grass so is playing perfectly. 15th hole changes completed (new green complex last year, Left 1/2 of fairway & rough lifted and new mounding / bunker added, all definitely improving the hole) so course is getting better all the time.
Loads of the rough has also been cut back so it'll be easier to find your ball. This will grow back but more wispy than thick & clumpy so should still be penal, just a bit more hacking instead of ball-losing!

Silver-Tiger

etxp wrote: »

I would much prefer to go play somewhere like Dooks over Hogs Head, i don't see the attraction to the place.

I understand the disdain over private clubs in Ireland. But they can do what they like.

Staying in Waterville and would like as little travel as possible.

I've seen people sh!t on the course too but looks excellent from what i've seen. Am i way off?

Kiith

I've not played Hogs Head yet, but it looks fantastic. I can literally see one of the greens from my bedroom window...tempting me!

Its €275 for a round, and have to get a caddy (another €100) from what i've been told though.

slave1

Kiith wrote: »

I've not played Hogs Head yet, but it looks fantastic. I can literally see one of the greens from my bedroom window...tempting me!

Its €275 for a round, and have to get a caddy (another €100) from what i've been told though.

Good luck to them but it's not a course I'd want to play, I played its predecessor in the last week it was open, the pro was telling me the new owners have zero interest in green fees or if the course wasn't played on all week.
All about the exclusivity of members from the States who can boast they are members on this Oirish course (near Waterville/Tralee etc.).
€375 lol

DuckSlice

slave1 wrote: »

Good luck to them but it's not a course I'd want to play, I played its predecessor in the last week it was open, the pro was telling me the new owners have zero interest in green fees or if the course wasn't played on all week.
All about the exclusivity of members from the States who can boast they are members on this Oirish course (near Waterville/Tralee etc.).
€375 lol

I emailed them last year, in a normal year they reserve i think they said 10% of tee times for visitors the rest is for members.

A side from the fact its a fancy members course, the pictures of the course just dont do it for me the same as Tralee/Waterville or Ballybunion would.

blue note

Kiith wrote: »

I've not played Hogs Head yet, but it looks fantastic. I can literally see one of the greens from my bedroom window...tempting me!

Its €275 for a round, and have to get a caddy (another €100) from what i've been told though.

Resist! That's just extortion, you shouldn't pay that. I think that's more expensive than Portmarnock / RCD.

DuckSlice

blue note wrote: »

Resist! That's just extortion, you shouldn't pay that. I think that's more expensive than Portmarnock / RCD.

Playing RCD in July for £90 GI rate, needs to be after 4pm tee time though.

Edit - also Portmarnock the day before is €150.

Always said id never pay more than €100 to play a course, but that has now changed to £/€150.

blue note

etxp wrote: »

Playing RCD in July for £90 GI rate, needs to be after 4pm tee time though.

Edit - also Portmarnock the day before is €150.

Always said id never pay more than €100 to play a course, but that has now changed to £/€150.

I asked in Portmarnock links about a twilight rate / 9 hole rate or the like last week. I was thinking I might be able to pop down for the odd (partial) round at half seven / 8 for a couple of months over the summer if they had a decent rate. I sent a mail and the guy in the shop wouldn't answer directly. As in I asked if they offered a twilight rate or a 9 hole rate and he said their GUI rate is 80 weekdays and 100 weekends. It's a pet peeve of mine when you asked a clear question and someone avoids answering it!

It's a pity they don't offer a twilight rate too. No chance I'm paying €80 to get a partial round in.

willabur

80 quid is okay (ish) for a full round. I am in the neighbourhood myself, if they had a knockdown price for 9 holes I would definitely be interested but I guess they don't want the traffic that that would bring to the course perhaps

blue note

It's fair enough, it would just have been a nice occasional treat for me. €80 for that course is very reasonable.

I got a voucher for there for Christmas too. I think their vouchers have a monetary value instead of being "1 twoball for GUI members" or the like. They have a waiting list for membership, so I'd say they could be stretched in terms of capacity. I wonder when the yanks start coming back what way their GUI rate will go. At the moment I think I'll have to add €20 to it to play at a weekend, but I wonder next year could they do away with the rate altogether. I might request a different course for future vouchers and just pay the GUI rate if it's still the same and I want to play there.

DuckSlice

What time does the twilight rate start? Is the reason its cheaper is because of the risk you wont finish the round?

blue note

Different clubs will do it at different times. I remember playing Grange a few times under a twilight rate. I think I used to pay about €20 and could get most of a round in sometimes. And Castleknock during the recession I used to play for about €15. That was ridiculous value.

I'd say you're usually looking at after 7pm for those sorts of rates. But clubs sometimes do reduced fees after 4pm or the like.

callaway92

etxp wrote: »

What time does the twilight rate start? Is the reason its cheaper is because of the risk you wont finish the round?

The reason it's cheaper is mostly down to it being off-peak hours where there's more chance they won't have people paying full whack at those hours so it's a way to try and entice people to still pay.

In particular when playing in Spain, Twilight or Early-Bird is nice anyway since they'd be at times where you aren't out in the dead-heat for 4+ hours during the height of the day.

bailey99

blue note wrote: »

It's a pet peeve of mine when you asked a clear question and someone avoids answering it!

It maybe that he doesn't want to put it in writing perhaps. I always find there's no flexibility when you email in a query or request a price. If you are local, you should call in for a chat and see what's what. You will get more joy in a casual chat and the pro might say, look tomorrow or Friday or whatever is quiet enough, come down and I'll let you out for €X euros.

If you aren't local, then phone instead of emailing. Verbals is the way to go when you are looking for something at a discount. And if you are going to be doing it a good few times over the next few months, it'd be worth your while building up a bit of a relationship with the guys in the proshop. It sure as hell ain't going to do you any harm at the end of the day. Do you get me?

RoadRunner

blue note wrote: »

No chance I'm paying €80 to get a partial round in.

There's no good way to get a partial round in there. After you leave the first tee you won't be near the clubhouse again until the 18th green. If you were to finish after 9 you'd be disturbing other groups while trying to get back.

IAmTitleist

Royal Portrush doing a Golf Ireland 4 ball rate of £500

blue note

I was talking about a partial round to light.

It's fine that they don't have the option. Whether it's because they don't want the wear and tear on the course for low revenue, or they want to keep the course free for their members or they don't want to make their product available for that sort of rate in order to preserve the sense of it being a premium product or for whatever reason doesn't really matter. I just asked because it could have been a handy option if they did offer it.

My only gripe was the pet peeve of asking a clear question and getting an answer to a different one. I think it's sales training to be honest - always tell the customer what you can do sort of thing. You might ring a shop and ask if they have product A in stock and they say they have product B. Presumably they don't have product A in stock, but I'd much rather they say that and then mention product B.

As I say, it's a pet peeve, a minor gripe. Not something I've lost sleep over yet.

DuckSlice

IAmTitleist wrote: »

Royal Portrush doing a Golf Ireland 4 ball rate of £500

Thats a class deal! played one of their open comps last year. if it wasnt for the 4/5 hour drive i would be going again this year.

slave1

IAmTitleist wrote: »

Royal Portrush doing a Golf Ireland 4 ball rate of £500

Best course in Ireland, hands down, make sure you stay and play as their second course is excellent.
Pray for decent weather too, played their second course after driving up and it was windy as bejazuz, played the main course next morning and it was perfect weather

Ronney

ACT FAST!!!!!!!!

Open in Royal Portrush Dunluce Champ Course, 27/06 Sunday

For RNLI only £55 each

jarrieta

Ronney wrote: »

ACT FAST!!!!!!!!

Open in Royal Portrush Dunluce Champ Course, 27/06 Sunday

For RNLI only £55 each

All gone now, I had one locked but was too slow filling the form :mad:

redhill

Ronney wrote: »

ACT FAST!!!!!!!!

Open in Royal Portrush Dunluce Champ Course, 27/06 Sunday

For RNLI only £55 each

Got an afternoon time, looking forward already

IAmTitleist

Wow would love to be in the know with the RNLI.

No advertising whatsoever and all spaces gone already.

Ronney

IAmTitleist wrote: »

Wow would love to be in the know with the RNLI.

No advertising whatsoever and all spaces gone already.

It was up on their website about a week before in the Open comps section I came across it after seeing the £500 fourball offer here. A bit selfishly (apologies) I did wait till I booked a line before posting here but it defiantly felt like the bargain of the century for a weekend slot.

I don't think they would need to do too much advertising for that in Fairness

mighty magpie

Ronney wrote: »

ACT FAST!!!!!!!!

Open in Royal Portrush Dunluce Champ Course, 27/06 Sunday

For RNLI only £55 each

Nice one, played this two years ago for £50 and managed to book 3 lines.

Gutted to miss out.

fungie

mighty magpie wrote: »

Nice one, played this two years ago for £50 and managed to book 3 lines.

Gutted to miss out.

They have another open day now but much more expensive. Probably still cheaper than greenfee

DuckSlice

fungie wrote: »

They have another open day now but much more expensive. Probably still cheaper than greenfee

That's "The Open" open, so you have the final day pin placements from The open, a goodie bag and a few other things. 4 of us played it last year, found it great. Was level par for the first 7 holes, then it went downhill

pinkdoubleeagle

Trip down on Sunday to play the wonderful Rosses Point