Corballis

finglashoop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666332#Comment_119666332

Reciprocal playing in elmgreen you could take advantage of for a different course

brick tamland

Any updates on the potential changes lads? Is the full 8th in play ?

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119671561#Comment_119671561

No update since, 8th is still closed as of yesterday

Seve OB

Corballis can be fun, but I wouldn't want to be a member there.

1 is a grand par 3 but there is nothing special about it.

2 is a bit of a stupid hole. sure it calls for some clever play, but that doesn't make it a good hole.

3 is quality

4 super par 3 and if you could just pull the tee box back a bit (not for every round) it would not be out of place on a British Open standard course

5 excellent hole, again though with a little more length in it, it would be as good as any links par 4

6 same as 4

7 quirky, enjoyable as the second is but a way better hole. a league below the 5th though.

8 a half decent par 4 (old one was anyway) but its not much more

9 a very good par 3

10 boring

11 stupid

12 ruined by being a little short and the cross overs

13 green ruins a good hole IMO

14 nice par 4, one of the better ones

15 & 16 horrible holes

17 ridiculous and pointless

18 as good as 14

all in all, I agree with Golfgraffix. There is a world class 9-12 hole course in there somewhere as the land is just not there to make a decent 18 hole course. As it is, there are about 4 holes that would be very welcome additions to the best links courses. the rest are a mixture of ok or poor holes

@blue note you live nearby don't you? would you consider Donabate? not played it myself in probably 10 years but always recall it a nice course and 27 holes!

FixdePitchmark

Donabate is brutal .

Beaverstown is where it is at.

But bluenote is too long for Beaverstown

The Island ..get the money and do it...

willabur

Donabate is really not a good course

Depending on how much disruption there is with corballis I would consider a change next year. I wouldn't contemplate a parkland course and the prospect of a closed season. I love that corballis is 12 months qualifying conditions

blue note

I'm in Portmarnock. I've stuck myself onto the waiting list for the links, but if I get the call in the next year or two I might be in trouble, we're doing bits in the house which I suspect my wife thinks we should prioritise financially.

Donabate is one of the few courses I've heard a few people say is bad. I've never played it and the clubhouse looks nice when passing, but I'll probably avoid.

And I'm not that long by the way! I'm longer than average, but nothing crazy. Corballis is obviously unique where you hardly get to hit the driver. I'm just tempted to move to a club where I can hit the driver in particular more often. And clubs that are more forgiving when you go off line. The rough in corballis is the toughest I know of. Even finding the ball can be a challenge. And the distance from the middle of the green to real trouble is about 10m less in corballis than most clubs. So if you go long, left or right there with your approach it can bring a scratch into the equation. Whereas on a more typical course you're probably still thinking of getting up and down for a par and not thinking of worse than a bogey.

But with all that said I still like the place and have friends there. And the fact that I haven't been able to get the better of it yet makes me both want to leave and persevere.

And seve, I'd agree with most of your assessment of the course. I don't know why people don't pick out 8 as a weak hole on the course though. I think changing it is an opportunity. 13 would be a great hole if the green just didn't slope quite as much. And 16 isn't a bad hole. It's a good approach you have to play.

slave1

I would not rate Donabate that bad, it's 27 holes and dead flat so suitable for those who want a more relaxing round on the legs or back and it's always nice to have those extra 9. If you played it day in day out your handicap would go into free fall though as it's pretty firm and GIR not a major issue.

9th is a pretty hole with approach over water, 13th is a real tempter if you have a high draw but remainder are admittedly not ones I'd want to play every day, then again I'm not a fan of playing my home club frequently, I get bored quickly, been a member of 7 clubs lol through boredom...

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119677037#Comment_119677037

There are too many good courses in North Dublin to be playing in Donabate.

You'd play Donabate as is cheap.

But you have stuff like

Beaverestown

Skerries

Forrest Little

St Margret's

Roganstown

Castleknock

Malahide

Luttrelstown

At the end of the day - you get what you pay for - and whilst there is good golf in North Dublin - the real stuff that you really would like to be a member of, are too expensive to be honest.

These are

The Island

Royal Dublin

Portmarnock

And even if you had the money - only certain people would have an inclination to want to be a member in them - even if they could get in.

The Links seems an excellent option - but isn't cheap at this stage.

Bluenote - look at your scoring at away courses. Your not really playing a course that suits your game - or your course management is terrible at Corballis specifically.

dubber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119677932#Comment_119677932

What's the damage at The Links ... sent them a mail, but haven't heard back?

Golfgraffix

The Links is €2500 per year but there is at least a 2 year waiting list.

CSWS101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119676216#Comment_119676216

Bit over the top some of the criticism there especially on 16 & 17. 17 with the pin on the top tier is as good as any of the par 3s on the course.

willabur

I think corballis is a fine place to be a member off if it suits you.

Its largely a car park golf club so there isn't a great deal of socialization that happens off the course. Most people rock up, register for their round, play, put in their score and off they go. Not much hanging around. That would appeal to alot of people.

Relatively speaking its a short round of golf. Can be slow some days but for the most part I find its pretty quick (due to length mostly)

The interclubs part of it seems to be improving year after year. We won first trophy in clubs history last year and are in the final of two more comps this year. Its still a bit to 'who you know' when it comes to getting on the teams.

The course is qualifying 12 months of the year. The greens are usually in top notch condition. That said the fairways are in a state that hitting them doesn't necessarily give you the advantage you would normally expect.

The membership I have found to be super friendly. I joined on my own and have gotten to know a few folk in my time but I still regard myself as a single golfer there who is happy enough to join any line that will have me (only had one stinker of an experience and that was my first round in the place)

Lastly its relatively cheap for dublin. Bare metal golf club membership, alot to be said for it

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119679568#Comment_119679568

Everyone has different opinions.

maybe 16 not that bad a hole, but the design with 15th beside it, road crossing it makes it is way to tight and dangerous so therefore it gets marked down. The 2 together are easily my least favourite holes on the course.

folllowed closely by the absolutely daft/stupid/ridiculous green on the 17th

blue note

The 17th green is stupid. When the green is at it's fastest if you're on the top and the pin is front right you can't putt close to the hole. Your options are leaving yourself a long long putt for par or putting off the green altogether. I believe wherever you are on the green a two putt should be possible.

13 is similar, there are days where the putt is so fast you can run 20 feet by the hole and not have been able to leave it any closer.

If the greens were a little more manageable 17 could be a very nice hole and 13 better again.

CSWS101

Going on the top tier when the pin is lower is a bad shot and deserves to be punished. See no problem with it personally

blue note

I think whs has helped with our interclub comps. That was the opinion of a committee member I played with recently anyway.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119679801#Comment_119679801

It should. But the punishment should be fair. A punishment of a difficult 2 putt would be fair. A punishment of needing to hole a 15 or 20 footer for par is not.

CSWS101

Same as short siding yourself on the side of green, you're gonna struggle to get it up and down. Makes no odds if it's on the green or not

blue note

It's not. You're on the green. There's something hard to accept about hitting a green and practically ruling out a par.

brick tamland

The Biggest calamitys Ive seen on 17 have all been the other way around. Pin on top level and ball on bottom or off the side of the green. Lads taking 4 or 5 to get it up the hill :-)

CSWS101

Look at the punishment for being above the hole on 16th at Pasatiempo, 17th (IIRC) on Tobacco Road and also one on Sandy Hills Rosapenna I think 12. Best case scenario you hold up on the fringe on some of those, can also go down the run off 20/30 yards from the green. You may be on the green but you're in a terrible spot and punished. Understand why they are considered too harsh but enjoy them personally

FixdePitchmark

I love 17...the challenge of hitting the right level is all part of the fun.

It is stupid...but I love it..

I sometimes love stupid things...

PARlance

I often wonder if the 17th would be seen "a real challenge or a quirk of links golf" on a more prestigious course as opposed to it being "a bit daft" on Corballis.

Sometimes the more prestigious courses tend to get away with these things a little more given the overall quality of the rest of the course. Understandable I suppose.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119680079#Comment_119680079

I'd have less sympathy for them. They can get down in 2!

Corballis = Marmite

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119680143#Comment_119680143

This is interesting...If some of the holes were in say Kerry ..there would be a story of a dead horse , a stolen field and the way the ball falls.

The legend would add to the imaginative brilliance

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119680245#Comment_119680245

Finn McCool was playing a Thursday open in Corballis fado fado, in a fit of rage after shanking a short iron, he stomped on the 17th green leaving generations of golfers with ridiculous 2 putts ever since.

I do think the more prestigious courses get away with things more, understandable enough, as the overall quality can make you forget about any flaws. For example, if the 4th tee in Ballybunnion (where you have to hit over the 3rd green) was in Corballis, then you would have lots and lots of complaints about it imo. Maybe the 2nd green/approach there might be seen as a bit daft as well.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119679801#Comment_119679801

Daft. Even low handicap amateurs will often find it hard to hit the right part of a green. 🤷‍♂️

Seve OB

I think if the green was a bit bigger the split level wouldn’t be so bad. But it’s like a step, it’s to severe and coming off the top level doesn’t give you much room to stop the ball before it heads off the green (which is pretty damn hard, even for the better putters). a bit of a more subtle slope between the different levels would make it a bit fairer

Felexicon

People who can't make a 2 putt from upper to lower level haven't got the imagination for Links golf.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681046#Comment_119681046

Imagination is one thing. Skill level and execution is different 🤦‍♂️

Rikand

I really must get up for a game in Corballis sometime

blue note

It's a width of about 10 or 11 meters to land the ball. It's about 130m from the tee but considering it's uphill and often into the wind, it could be playing more like 160-170. If you fade the ball you can't land it too close to the right either, so that 10-11 metres narrows. That's too narrow.

If the slope was just less serve it could be fine. But I've chipped onto the green, not gotten fully up the slope and had the ball run back off the green. If the ball doesn't even need the full slope to build up enough speed to run off the green it would be literally impossible to putt from the top tier down to a front right flag. You'd have to go middle / back and try your luck with a 15 to 20 foot putt for par.

It's not fair to the golfer. And golf shouldn't always be fair to the golfer. But in this case it should be more fair than it is!

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681046#Comment_119681046

It's not imagination needed to leave it close to the hole. There's nowhere to putt that would leave you a putt you'd have a 50% chance of making.

A lob wedge would make it possible, but that's frowned upon.

willabur

I disagree completely, I love 17. I love how hard it is, especially with the flag at the top and the wind howling in from the sea. If you miss right then the chip up demands skill but it is doable. If you miss left then 4 is the best you are going to do and to be honest you deserve as much. And a 4 is the right punishment for putting the ball in the wrong place even if that means you are on the top level when the pin is on the bottom level (thats a bad shot, you should not expect a par unless you play and exceptional shot and nail what is a long putt)

Ken Kearney the golf architect listed it as his favourite green on the course... says alot about architects :) Slightly less sadistic than the green keeper when he puts the hole right at the bottom of the hill at the steepest part of the green

callaway92

Lads I’ve never played there, but if the hole is Index 10 (which should be calculated over X period of time), surely difficulty can’t be complained about too much, as scoring isn’t too bad on it?

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681580#Comment_119681580

the index is more than fair

here is a nice picture of it with the pin in the difficult position. The slope doesn't look so bad here but it is quite severe, especially on the lhs as you look at it. Anything played to the right of the green or the low side makes for a handy enough par and a decent birdie attempt. When the flag is up top then its a very tough tee shot to land it on the upper deck and keep it there

willabur

what an absolute beaut of a course corballis is scenery wise, don't think anyone can deny that! There are a few spots that never fail to take my breath away. Fairway on 2nd, the teebox on 4 (though breath is gone due to that pox of a hill to get there), tee box on 6, the 13 th and 17th green... really all just super spots to find yourself on a summers evening or a cold windy winters sunday morning

blue note

I played three rounds in three weeks so won't mention golf in the house for about a month. I'll stick it up here though next time weekend I'm going to play though in case any boardsies would fancy some devisive golf in beautiful surroundings.

FixdePitchmark

The stuff from Willabur is it for me - ultimately we live in a city, that is expanding and still has chronic infrastructural and social issues. The ability to escape to a place like that is becoming increasingly difficult. To be able to have a part of the coast to yourself - literally yourself , is a pure joy and privilege to play golf - a thing we love. I'm a bit of a champagne socialist - and loved when it was still a public facility. The only thing they still have not got right are the divots. But that is due to design and size of course too.

If SKRATCH golf was there as mentioned - the idea of it and Ireland hidden gems like Donegal are sadly well and truly over.

For a while and I've mentioned it here a bit, the actual ability to play Links course in Ireland is becoming increasingly difficult , expensive - and actually just hard to get a tee time. We had a great run - but it is a bit disappointing where we are now. But I guess these things are cyclical too - and the economy is the ultimate driver of this stuff - the inability to get out on top links and the cost , is probably a positive in the bigger picture.

I always feel that Corballis will be my mini escape and it is a small version of most of the golf holes types you see on Links. You jump on - no bushtit - very fast - and it does something to the soul that you can't understand.

IAmTitleist

Played Corballis for the first time eve there on Saturday.

Shot +4 for 38 points which i was very happy with. Couldn't really have got a better day in November to be fair, sunny mild and little wind.

The guy behind the desk said it'll be the most fun you ever have on the golf course, i wouldn't quite go that far but i did enjoy it. Perfect for a winter round when my home course is a bog but wouldn't fancy it as a permanent home for summer golf.

Plenty of quirky holes and some ridiculous. But some great holes. 3, 4, 5, 9, 14 spring to mind immediately as good holes. 15 & 16 are fairly horrible, although the approach/green complex at 16 isnt too bad.

I would go back but probably only for winter golf when qualifying has ended at my own course.

Having said that it took us 5 hours for 18 holes which was an absolute endurance test. Constant waiting on the back 9, sometimes with 3 groups waiting on a tee. Absolutely brutal and would put me off returning for sure. We teed off at 11.30. Anyone teeing off after midday would have had no chance of getting 18 in before sundown.

gypsy79

Thats what happens with the societies Carr let out

Same in Elmgreen, never go out after a society

It is under 4 hours when members comps during the week

blue note

Well done IAmTitleist, that's a great round! You were very unlucky with the length of the round. I'm a member and have never had a 5 hour round there. I usually defend the course when people are annoyed at the length of the round because they seem to think it should be 3 hours 30 fourballs due to the length of the course, whereas there's more than length that adds time to a round. But 5 hours is ridiculous. There was a group or two somewhere taking the p1ss. 4 hours is about normal for a 4ball for me there. If it's a slow day it would be 4 and a half.

PARlance

Has there been any mention of when to expect something from Erik Anders Lang's visit among the club/memberd? Think he was there in late September, remember seeing the club out up a picture of him on the Facebook page. Dying to see what he thought of the place. I have a feeling it would be right up his street.

These guys probably have months and months of videos in production at any one time so we might be waiting a while for it.

charlieIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681259#Comment_119681259

Give me a shout and we’ll go up some Saturday, I want to go back and play it again. Haven’t been there in years.

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119848371#Comment_119848371

He played the first 7 holes and then had to go. Definitely seen the best part of the course so his view point will definitely be a bit skewed. Cookiejar podcast dedicated a full episode to the course recently also. Its all going to make saturdays busier and busier

My concern for the course in the long term is the standoff with the people who own caravan/housing around the perimeter of the course

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119849101#Comment_119849101

Cheers, will continue to keep an eye out for it.

Is that not down to just one hole or is there more at play? Maybe it has been asked/mentioned before, but was the course there before the caravan park?

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119849226#Comment_119849226

golf has been played there for 100 years. I am not sure that counts for much tho

The caravans are in play and probably more in danger of a stray golf ball on the 11th hole also. The hole is a dog leg right but being a par 4, someone who doesn't know the layout is prone to taking the big stick out and going straight.

The houses built on the sides of 15 and 16 constantly get peppered with golf balls, especially the new ones that are beach side of 15. There is no way in hell I would sit out the front of that house knowing how many golf balls get lobbed in there

brick tamland

Played Corballis a few weeks ago fo the 1st time in a good while

That temp green on 8 really isnt good is it, let alone turning the index 3 into a very driveable par 4. Hopefully the situation get resolved shortly.

Overall though the course was in great condition