South Dublin / North Wisklow Golf Club Options

newport2

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

If your budget could stretch to Druids Glen, I think that would represent the best value because you get playing rights for Druids Heath as well. The opposite is not true (joining Druids Heath does not give you any benefits for playing Druids Glen). You also get free midweek golf at Adare Manor.

Joining either of them gets you a 30% discount on Spa treatments (a great selling point for the OH ).

It also has full greens all year which is a positive. It's near the sea which should reduce the incidence of frost. Some of the courses you listed in the OP don't have this: Lisheen Springs only has 12 or 13 in the winter for example.

Driving distance has to be in the ballpark. The only traffic bottleneck is the M11 Bray bypass which can be slow heading south at rush hour, but for a sneaky 4pm bail out on a sunny day, you won't be held up and it's plain sailing all the way. It's about 28km, 22 of which are on 'motorway' .

IMO it would be between Powerscourt and Druids Glen, but DG would shade it for me because of the better winter weather. Powerscourt is over 500ft above sea level which puts it into the snow line in winter and would make it highly susceptible to frost. DG is much lower, close to the sea and a lot less hilly.

I had to make the same choice and went for Powerscourt, mainly because it has 2 courses, a driving range and short game practice areas. (I know DH has a range) It also has lots of comps, with about half of them being invitational, so you can bring friends for less than €20 a round.

That said, everything you say is true, along with the fact that DG is a far superior course - my favourite parkland. In a way I also wanted to keep playing at DG a special treat.

I also considered Edmondstown, because it has a better "club" aspect to it than either of the above. But I'm really only looking to play golf and get home, I was never going to spend much time at a club outside of playing and practicing golf.

bmay529

It should only take you about 20 mins to drive to druids glen (fine course) or heath... try it. The only problem is around 5-6pm weekdays when there can be a traffic backup for the bray exit. Powersouurt is the same if you use the N11... but you can use the back road through Enniskerry for both if stuck.

I was pleasantly surprised by Old Conna when I played it recently after a long time. It strikes me as a good members course with good facilities. I would play it and if you like it drop in and have a chat with the manager and see what happens. (ps... no involvement). Powerscourt and Druids both have fine courses but are not what I would consider as real members clubs and are run very much as a business.

CMOTDibbler

newport2 wrote: »

I had to make the same choice and went for Powerscourt, mainly because it has 2 courses, a driving range and short game practice areas. (I know DH has a range) It also has lots of comps, with about half of them being invitational, so you can bring friends for less than €20 a round.

That said, everything you say is true, along with the fact that DG is a far superior course - my favourite parkland. In a way I also wanted to keep playing at DG a special treat.

Yeah, that's why I thought it was between the two really.

Druids Glen has three practice holes in the practice area as well as the usual other practice facilities. To be clear, I would be advocating DG over DH as you then get both courses.

The only real question is whether the OP would want to go outside his budget. On that count, since he's prepared to pay up to €3,000 for a joining fee, that would represent five years of the membership sub excess.

I was actually surprised at the good value that DG represents. With no joining fee, it competes very well with a lot of courses that wouldn't be in the same league at all. Going by the (somewhat discredited) Golf Digest top 100 clubs, DG is only surpassed in the area by The European, Portmarnock (both courses), The Island and Royal Dublin.

Ronney

A question you have to ask yourself you want to be member of a Golf Course or a Golf Club?

Turn up, play go home

or Turn up play, Have food, occasionally a night out, play on teams that are well organised..etc

newport2

Ronney wrote: »

A question you have to ask yourself you want to be member of a Golf Course or a Golf Club?

Turn up, play go home

or Turn up play, Have food, occasionally a night out, play on teams that are well organised..etc

I would rephrase that as what type of club do you want to be a member of?

Turn up, play, play with some people you know some you don't, have food if you want, go home
or
Turn up, play, know everyone, have food, occasionally a night out, go home

I don't think teams are necessarily better organised at smaller clubs.

I think it's a bit like living in a town Vs living in a city. Pros and cons to both. I certainly liked some aspects to being a member in smaller clubs, but not all of them. Comparing being a member of a larger club just being member of a course is a bit harsh IMO. It's down to ordinary people being members at the end of the day, irregardless of the business model of the club.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote:

I was actually surprised at the good value that DG represents. With no joining fee, it competes very well with a lot of courses that wouldn't be in the same league at all. Going by the (somewhat discredited) Golf Digest top 100 clubs, DG is only surpassed in the area by The European, Portmarnock (both courses), The Island and Royal Dublin.

Would agree. DG is a superb course. However DH is vastly inferior with some awful holes and no really good ones.

First Up

bmay529 wrote:

I was pleasantly surprised by Old Conna when I played it recently after a long time. It strikes me as a good members course with good facilities. I would play it and if you like it drop in and have a chat with the manager and see what happens. (ps... no involvement). Powerscourt and Druids both have fine courses but are not what I would consider as real members clubs and are run very much as a business.

Yes; always enjoyed it and it has a good feel to it - proper "club".
There are better courses around but the overall package - course, club, location, cost - is good.

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

Would agree. DG is a superb course. However DH is vastly inferior with some awful holes and no really good ones.

I've heard that from a member who's played both regularly. A great place to lose balls he called it

And yet it's listed at number 78 in the GD Top 100 :rolleyes:

I suppose though if you've joined DG, you can always play DH for a bit of variety or if DG is too busy. The main selling points for me with DG is what a beautiful course it is and the fact that it's one of the top courses in the country for a very reasonable price.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote:

And yet it's listed at number 78 in the GD Top 100

That baffles me.

mike12

Of the 400 odd courses in the country there are 50 odd 9 hole courses so they are out of the running. Then u have maybe more than 200 of the bog standard old parkland course, the likes of Forrest little, donabate, tuam, claremorris to name a few none of them ever breaking into the top 100.
Then take out the public courses and the ones that are horrible and u have the 120 or 30 courses in the list moving around every year.
We only have a handful of really good parkland courses none of which are really world class but we are blessed with 20 odd world class links courses.

54and56

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

IMO it would be between Powerscourt and Druids Glen, but DG would shade it for me because of the better winter weather. Powerscourt is over 500ft above sea level which puts it into the snow line in winter and would make it highly susceptible to frost. DG is much lower, close to the sea and a lot less hilly.

Pretty good summary right there CMOT. I'll have a good think about it over the weekend.

54and56

Ronney wrote: »

A question you have to ask yourself you want to be member of a Golf Course or a Golf Club?

Turn up, play go home

or Turn up play, Have food, occasionally a night out, play on teams that are well organised..etc

Primarily the former. I'm already a member of a "members" type club (which I won't mention) and despite it being available to me I've never been interested in team golf and apart from the odd meal or pint (of half strength Bulmers) after a round I haven't ever gotten into the evening social scene. Can't see that changing really. I enjoy playing in competitions, meeting new people and maybe having a coffee or a pint afterwards but that's about it.

CMOTDibbler

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Pretty good summary right there CMOT. I'll have a good think about it over the weekend.

Well good luck with the decision whichever way it goes. And whatever you pick, please let us know and keep us updated on how it works out.

Dr_Colossus

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Druids Glen has three practice holes in the practice area as well as the usual other practice facilities. To be clear, I would be advocating DG over DH as you then get both courses.

Interesting, where are these three practice holes located and what sort of length are they? Are they similar in style to the 3 practice holes on offer in Luttrellstown. Have only played DG twice but never noticed the practice holes, just the enomorous putting green behind the club house. Pity the range isn't onsite also as it's a bit of a spin to DH but otherwise it's such a class resort and a treat to experience/play.

First Up wrote: »

Would agree. DG is a superb course. However DH is vastly inferior with some awful holes and no really good ones.

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

I've heard that from a member who's played both regularly. A great place to lose balls he called it

And yet it's listed at number 78 in the GD Top 100 :rolleyes:

First Up wrote: »

That baffles me.

Bit unfair on DH, played it for the first time this summer and wasn't quite sure what to expect from "The Beast of Wicklow" given the mixed reviews but I enjoyed it and the course itself surpassed my expectations. A tough course no doubt given it's length (admittedly I only played from the white tees), rough, bunkers and complex greens but I found the course to flow well with an interesting mix of holes. Would certainly return and could well imagine being a member doing wonders for your game overall.

CMOTDibbler

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Interesting, where are these three practice holes located and what sort of length are they? Are they similar in style to the 3 practice holes on offer in Luttrellstown. Have only played DG twice but never noticed the practice holes, just the enomorous putting green behind the club house. Pity the range isn't onsite also as it's a bit of a spin to DH but otherwise it's such a class resort and a treat to experience/play.

I actually don't know where they are, saw them mentioned somewhere but assumed they were a new development as the last time I played there (almost five years ago) I didn't see them.

Edit: It's mentioned on their website on the membership page.

Dtoffee

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

I actually don't know where they are, saw them mentioned somewhere but assumed they were a new development as the last time I played there (almost five years ago) I didn't see them.

Edit: It's mentioned on their website on the membership page.

How many of the opinions on his threat are from actual members of the clubs they are talking about ? we have all played courses and formed opinions based on the day/days we played, but members who play week in week out have the bigger picture. It sounds like the OP wants to play 2/3 times per week (weekday and the option of twice at weekends), the question is which of the clubs discussed can offer him that and possibly the option of playing a few holes of the evening in the summer without the need to pre-book.... this is where travel time kicks in.

I would also consider the degree of difficulty, its easy to say X is the best course ... but if its too tough, then it quickly becomes a pain and you lose the enjoyment.

54and56

Dtoffee wrote: »

It sounds like the OP wants to play 2/3 times per week (weekday and the option of twice at weekends), the question is which of the clubs discussed can offer him that and possibly the option of playing a few holes of the evening in the summer without the need to pre-book.... this is where travel time kicks in.

I would also consider the degree of difficulty, its easy to say X is the best course ... but if its too tough, then it quickly becomes a pain and you lose the enjoyment.

Spot on Dtoffee, as a guy who's handicap fluctuates between 16 and 18 it's important the course isn't too technically challenging. My peak usage for about 10 weeks in summer would be Wed evening, Saturday comp and Sunday comp but with family holidays etc the reality is I only play three times a week 6-8 times a year but twice a week is certainly my ambition from April to Sept so an interesting course and/or a bit of variety plus easy access both in terms of timesheet availability and office/home to the course are all critical to getting this decision right.

BTW, thank you all for your feedback and guidance.

CMOTDibbler

Dtoffee wrote: »

How many of the opinions on his threat are from actual members of the clubs they are talking about ? we have all played courses and formed opinions based on the day/days we played, but members who play week in week out have the bigger picture. It sounds like the OP wants to play 2/3 times per week (weekday and the option of twice at weekends), the question is which of the clubs discussed can offer him that and possibly the option of playing a few holes of the evening in the summer without the need to pre-book.... this is where travel time kicks in.

To be fair, the OP set the criteria for his choice and people answered based on those criteria. Some of the advice was based on membership or past membership, but it's going to be hard to get members of every one of the clubs mentioned on here. The advice given early in the thread was to make a shortlist and play those courses over the next six to eight weeks to see the courses at their worst. It would also give an opportunity to talk to members and get a better feel for the course concerned.

Dtoffee wrote: »

I would also consider the degree of difficulty, its easy to say X is the best course ... but if its too tough, then it quickly becomes a pain and you lose the enjoyment.

Degree of difficulty works both ways imo. On the one hand, you can lose enjoyment if it's too difficult, but on the other hand, a challenging course can keep you engaged for a long time and will push you to become a better golfer. You're going to be playing it for a fair few years, so it needs to be a course that won't bore you.

Russman

IMHO it sounds like the Op should lean slightly more towards a "traditional" (is there even such a thing ?) members type club/course as opposed to a more marquee development. I'm guessing that purely from the requirement to play 2/3 times per week for the bulk of the season. If that's the case and I could easily to be wrong ! then I'd suggest tee time availability is as big a criteria as the course itself. Not much point in being a member of a great course if you can't get out. Some courses put green fee & society income far ahead of members' wants.
A friend of mine left our place to join elsewhere, paying big money about 3 years ago, but finds he can't play in the evening time after work as its always booked. He was only telling me at the weekend that on a random Thursday or whatever in the summertime if he was to just arrive up at say 7pm for a few holes its a non runner as a) you need to book and b) there could be 20 people on the tee ahead of you. As it happens he's rejoined our club purely so that he can play some "last minute decision" midweek evening golf in the summertime without needing to book or be under pressure.

That being said, the Op is already a member elsewhere so maybe that's not an issue.

I don't think any of the courses mentioned are a perfect fit, truth be told there probably isn't one, there's going to have to be some (hopefully) small compromise, be it on price, driving time, tee times, whatever.

Also agree on the degree of difficulty issue. I can think of a number of courses I love playing 2 or 3 times per year, but would I want to be a member and play them 3 times a week ? No way ! Some of the big developments just beat you up. Most club golfers don't realise just how long and difficult 7,000 yards actually is in reality. I love a good golf course, but I'd also have to think of partial rounds, ie can you play 6 or 9 holes and easily jump off if it gets dark ?

First Up

Dtoffee wrote: »

How many of the opinions on his threat are from actual members of the clubs they are talking about ? we have all played courses and formed opinions based on the day/days we played, but members who play week in week out have the bigger picture.

I think you get more reliable assessments from people who are (a) non members and (b) have played a wide enough variety of courses to be able to make a valid comparison.

Many of the "opinions" of courses/clubs offered by club members on Boards are no more than promos - intended to either recruit new members or justify their own decision to join. They remind me of the sort of reviews you see on Tripadvisor that have obviously been posted by the owners or their friends.

Members rarely say even the slightest negative thing about their own club and some of the stuff I've seen on Boards is patently ridiculous. People are entitled to want to feel good about their own club but they shouldn't pretend they are offering an objective opinion.

newport2

First Up wrote: »

I think you get more reliable assessments from people who are (a) non members and (b) have played a wide enough variety of courses to be able to make a valid comparison.

Many of the "opinions" of courses/clubs offered by club members on Boards are no more than promos - intended to either recruit new members or justify their own decision to join. They remind me of the sort of reviews you see on Tripadvisor that have obviously been posted by the owners or their friends.

Members rarely say even the slightest negative thing about their own club and some of the stuff I've seen on Boards is patently ridiculous. People are entitled to want to feel good about their own club but they shouldn't pretend they are offering an objective opinion.

Very true, but I think a balance between members and non-members gives a better picture. There's golf clubs around that I love, but as a non-member I'm looking from the outside in and haven't a clue on the key factors of the club that a potential member should be considering. Very easy for me to play a course once or twice a year and walk away 100% satisfied.

OP, instead of asking for peoples opinions, which as FirstUp correctly says will be biased, make a check list of exactly what you want from to get from the club and maybe take the approach asking the exact same specific questions of each course. Yes/no answers. Then weigh that up along with your gut-feeling I guess. Enjoy the process and get some good free rounds out of it too! Good luck in your choice.

First Up

newport2 wrote:

Very true, but I think a balance between members and non-members gives a better picture. There's golf clubs around that I love, but as a non-member I'm looking from the outside in and haven't a clue on the key factors of the club that a potential member should be considering. Very easy for me to play a course once or twice a year and walk away 100% satisfied.

Members can give an insight into things like how busy the timesheet gets, what competitions are run, inter-club teams etc. But as regards the course, you need to find out for yourself and that includes trying it out in winter to see how it handles rain, wind and frost.

Intangibles like the "atmosphere" and "friendliness" are pretty meaningless in my view but it stands to reason that the older, traditional clubs may be harder to break into from a social perspective.

Dtoffee

Another thing is take into account is the type of regular competitions in the the clubs, how often are fourballs played etc etc.

I would also consider how often the course is played off the back tees .... some courses play their opens off forward tees and when you join you find that every comp is off the back tees (on some courses this can make a big difference if theres water or hills concerned).

CMOTDibbler

Just one other piece of advice and it's quite simple to do. Just do a search on this forum for the course you're interested in and you should get a fair few results going back over the years. Most of them will be accounts of what people thought of that particular course, but they'll generally be unbiased and will give you a general picture.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote:

Just one other piece of advice and it's quite simple to do. Just do a search on this forum for the course you're interested in and you should get a fair few results going back over the years. Most of them will be accounts of what people thought of that particular course, but they'll generally be unbiased and will give you a general picture.

I think you need a good sized sample of reviews to be able to draw conclusions. Too many are influenced by how the writer played on the day. No substitute for personal experience.
But if using reviews, I'd explore the various golf sites - not just Boards.

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

I think you need a good sized sample of reviews to be able to draw conclusions. Too many are influenced by how the writer played on the day. No substitute for personal experience.
But if using reviews, I'd explore the various golf sites - not just Boards.

I agree, but you'll get stuff like the length of time to play or the condition of the course etc.

Even tips on how to play the course can be helpful. I've often searched here for that purpose and it's proved very useful.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

I agree, but you'll get stuff like the length of time to play or the condition of the course etc.

Even tips on how to play the course can be helpful. I've often searched here for that purpose and it's proved very useful.

For tips about a particular course - sure. But as a means of comparing courses, I wouldn't put a lot of store in it.

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

For tips about a particular course - sure. But as a means of comparing courses, I wouldn't put a lot of store in it.

Just as an example I searched for Druids Glen on the forum and came up with these most recent quotes as a sample:

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Best day was a casual round played in Druids Glen with my brother, don't often get to play a round with him and he'd never played the course (my favourite) before. Course was in spectacular condition and very quiet, weather conditions were perfect and we both played decent golf making for a very enjoyable day.
Worst was never getting a score going in any of the medals or majors in my home club, all very disappointing rounds never getting near being in contention of a prize

mister gullible wrote: »

1st in Druid's Glen, nice straightforward hole from a good teebox and the anticipation of 17 more good ones ahead.

Seve OB wrote: »

Anyway, I really don't know what the problem is. Golf is not long enough. I played 36 on Saturday, left the house at 8:40, Druids Glen first tee @10... 4 hours later. game over... lunch.... dropped down to say hello to the sister, spin up to Greystones to tee off at 3:42, was home with the feet up before half 8.... to watch the golf on the tele.......kids already tucked up in bed.

Carlsberg don't do Saturdays, but if they did, I'd be having this every week

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

As for some of those old parklands vs the likes of Mt J and The Heritage - totally agree... but hands off Druid's Glen. A cut above.

I tried to find a negative one, but the only one was a complaint about the weather!

The above give an indication of how people liked the course and whether it was a long haul or not. Also Seve OB's post is a good indication of how long a round could take and I couldn't find any complaining of delays or slow rounds. I just went back a year to get the most up to date ideas.

btw, my favourite course in the area is actually Macreddin but it's too far for the OP.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote:

The above give an indication of how people liked the course and whether it was a long haul or not. Also Seve OB's post is a good indication of how long a round could take and I couldn't find any complaining of delays or slow rounds. I just went back a year to get the most up to date ideas.

Fair enough, although you hardly need reviews to know that Druids Glen is one of the best courses in the country.

What about reviews of lesser or more obscure places?

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

Fair enough, although you hardly need reviews to know that Druids Glen is one of the best courses in the country.

What about reviews of lesser or more obscure places?

I'm not that bored

And you're right, there wouldn't be many. But then again, the OP has a very particular set of criteria (I almost did a Liam Neeson impression there ) and there aren't that many courses left on his shortlist.

You mightn't get recent posts about more obscure courses around the country, but you'll always find a couple.

Here's a snippet from one on Athlone Golf Club.

Rikand wrote: »

Athlone is an excellent parkland course on the shores of lough ree with views of the lake from most of the holes! The course itself is built on a peninsula and is surrounded by the lake on 3 sides. As For Paws said, there's a great variety in the holes.

First Up

So how does that review of Athlone help you decide if its worth playing - never mind joining?

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

So how does that review of Athlone help you decide if its worth playing - never mind joining?

I was thinking more from a joining pov since that was the context. So it told me the price, that it was open all year round except for frost and was a friendly place. Also gave me a boardsie's name who's a member I could contact for a round to try it out.

newport2

First Up wrote: »

So how does that review of Athlone help you decide if its worth playing - never mind joining?

I don't think anyone's suggesting that you should join a club based on reviews alone and without trying it out first. Seriously, is anyone going to do that? Try it out for sure yourself, numerous times. But no harm to take everything into perspective, which includes reviews and other peoples view on the place. You might learn something.

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

I was thinking more from a joining pov since that was the context. So it told me the price, that it was open all year round except for frost and was a friendly place. Also gave me a boardsie's name who's a member I could contact for a round to try it out.

Well all the the extract you quoted said was that it has nice views and a variety of holes.

CMOTDibbler

First Up wrote: »

Well all the the extract you quoted said was that it has nice views and a variety of holes.

Sorry about that but it was a long post and I didn't want to clutter up the thread.

It was linked though

First Up

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Sorry about that but it was a long post and I didn't want to clutter up the thread.

It was linked though

Not on my screen it wasn't.

CMOTDibbler

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Pretty good summary right there CMOT. I'll have a good think about it over the weekend.

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm moving club. On golfnet I still log in using the GUI number I received when I joined my old club and I've successfully completed the club transfer process on Golfnet but instead of my GUI number transferring to my new club I received a new GUI number from my new club which apparently I use for reserving tee times on the BRS system.

So where did you end up joining?

54and56

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

So where did you end up joining?

Powerscourt. Was also considering Druids Glen but it's another 10km which I feel would make it a lot more difficult to play mid week and at short notice on weekends plus I have a good friend in Powerscourt who I'm looking forward to playing with and I really like the two courses there.

CMOTDibbler

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Powerscourt. Was also considering Druids Glen but it's another 10km which I feel would make it a lot more difficult to play mid week and at short notice on weekends plus I have a good friend in Powerscourt who I'm looking forward to playing with and I really like the two courses there.

It makes sense if you like it and have a playing partner. It's a bit cheaper than DG afair, so you'd certainly save a few bob.

Only issue would be winter weather, but we're certainly not getting any of that at the moment.

Good luck and enjoy the new club. Where were you before if you don't mind my asking?

54and56

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Where were you before if you don't mind my asking?

I'll keep that info to myself. I wouldn't want my departure to be misconstrued as a negative against my former club as my reasons for switching are personal, not a reflection or commentary on course or it's members etc.

CMOTDibbler

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

I'll keep that info to myself. I wouldn't want my departure to be misconstrued as a negative against my former club as my reasons for switching are personal, not a reflection or commentary on course or it's members etc.

Well you've never said anything negative about them on this thread and I'm not bored enough to go running around to see if you said something elsewhere

But clearly your reasons are mainly to do with accessibility, so your old club couldn't fault you for that surely?

Seve OB

Only spotting this thread now. Obviously to late for the OP, but I'll stick in my own tupence for anyone else browsing.

I was obviously in position to give some advise from my own club, but I am also quite familiar with some of the other clubs. From what I read, I think you have made the right decision (well almost) the key for me being that you are joining the course and not the club, but I would have gone with DG if I were you, as the course is far superior IMO, and the extra distance is negligible.

However, I would say what was the right decision for you, may not have been for others. For me, Druids is my favourite course, but as a club I would not join it (unless I was filthy rich and it was a second club). I know people there and while they are trying to build the club element, it will always be a big attraction to the yanks etc. So that means members don't always come first when it comes to time on the course. Powerscourt is a bit similar, but probably not on as big a scale. What I like about Greystones as a club is that it doesn't open it's doors as such and welcome everybody in. What that means, is unless you are a member, you will not play there at the weekend.. ever. Not even with a member, unless you play summer evenings or no more than a handful of open / semi open comps, and what that means to member is there is a comp all day every Saturday and another one every Sunday, and unlike DG for eg, it is not restricted to a comp on a Saturday morning.... which is no good if you want to play in the afternoon. Greystones has midweek comps or Tuesdays during Summer, Wednesday semi opens all year round, generally alternating fourball one week and singles following week. Ladies day on Thursdays. Mondays / Tuesdays & Fridays can have comps run on an ad hoc basis and are much more frequent now than in the past, but those days are also open to Societies and green fees.

Personally, I would always want to join a club like this rather than a club with restrictive times. A reason why I won't join my second club (Castleknock) as a full member.

Only join a club, that you have played the course a few times and one that you like.

Lots of teams if you want to get into that kind of thing and if you have kids into golf, there is possibly one of the best kids set ups in the country, which now has it's very own superstar, but there are an awful lot more like Paul in the club. Kids fees are cheap, not sure exactly, but maybe only about 200.

Regarding joining, it's essentially free, but you don't become a full member. if you want to become a full member, it's 5k. No big deal really as all this means is you don't get a vote at the AGM, you get full playing rights. If you want to join as a full member after you have been there for a year, you can for 4k, and 3k after 2 years etc... so you can become a full full member after 5 years for nothing at all. annual sub is 1750 including bar gui ins etc and has been the same for as long as I can remember. it came down a few years ago, but it was only a reduction in the bar levy you had to pay (250 to 150), so technically not really a reduction.

You can book a full line, so can book your mates in. I think you might even be able to book two lines at certain times

Greystones is a difficult track though, it is tight and not long. What I have noticed though, a 13 handicapper like myself in Greystones might be more like a 10 or 11 in other places... so it possibly can give an advantage in a way, but it is also a thinking mans course, and clever play is what is required. Condition wise, I play a lot of courses around the country, and genuinely not saying the because I am a member, it is one of the best. Full greens all year round and a few mats (pretty decent ones) on some of the par 3's in winter.

eoghan104

Agree with all that has been said above about Greystones. Very good place to join if you are looking for a long term membership rather than just play your golf and go home.

I am a member in Bray and feel we are similar. You will find better courses around but the club aspect is important for a lot of people and you wont beat the more established places like Bray and Greystones for that.

eoghan104

Agree with all that has been said above about Greystones. Very good place to join if you are looking for a long term membership rather than just play your golf and go home.

I am a member in Bray and feel we are similar. You will find better courses around but the club aspect is important for a lot of people and you wont beat the more established places like Bray and Greystones for that.

54and56

Thanks for the info Seve, appreciate it.

I accept that DG is a better course than either of the Powerscourt courses but Powerscourt ticked more boxes for me, particularly travelling time and cost. I know it's only an extra 10km to DG but 20 minutes to Powerscourt Vs 30 minutes to DG does mean a lot to me, particularly if my kids join in future and are looking for drop off's and pick ups etc. With DG my concern was I'd end up paying more and playing less.

I also like the vibe in Powerscourt and the fact it has two courses adds a nice bit of variability. They swap the "live" course every Saturday at midnight so the idea of playing a comp on the East course on a Sat and then having a totally different challenge on Sunday afternoon is appealing to me.

Powerscourt also has invitational rather than open comps during the week and (I believe) on Sundays which I personally prefer in principle. My previous club had open comps during the week and at the weekend resulting in a load of blow in's some of whom didn't give a toss about the course and wouldn't repair pitch marks etc and others who went out in fourballs more akin to a stag party than a round of golf. It also resulted in some members deciding to leave, become members of flag of convenience clubs down the country for €200 a year or whatever and then continue playing all their golf in their old club but only the opens during the good summer months. This could save them hundreds of Euro a year and really pi$$ed me off. You're either a member or you're not. At least with invitational's members get to bring out friends/colleagues, it's not a cheap free for all.

Rant over!!!

Seve OB

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Thanks for the info Seve, appreciate it.

I accept that DG is a better course than either of the Powerscourt courses but Powerscourt ticked more boxes for me, particularly travelling time and cost. I know it's only an extra 10km to DG but 20 minutes to Powerscourt Vs 30 minutes to DG does mean a lot to me, particularly if my kids join in future and are looking for drop off's and pick ups etc. With DG my concern was I'd end up paying more and playing less.

I also like the vibe in Powerscourt and the fact it has two courses adds a nice bit of variability. They swap the "live" course every Saturday at midnight so the idea of playing a comp on the East course on a Sat and then having a totally different challenge on Sunday afternoon is appealing to me.

Powerscourt also has invitational rather than open comps during the week and (I believe) on Sundays which I personally prefer in principle. My previous club had open comps during the week and at the weekend resulting in a load of blow in's some of whom didn't give a toss about the course and wouldn't repair pitch marks etc and others who went out in fourballs more akin to a stag party than a round of golf. It also resulted in some members deciding to leave, become members of flag of convenience clubs down the country for €200 a year or whatever and then continue playing all their golf in their old club but only the opens during the good summer months. This could save them hundreds of Euro a year and really pi$$ed me off. You're either a member or you're not. At least with invitational's members get to bring out friends/colleagues, it's not a cheap free for all.

Rant over!!!

Understand your decision and ultimately that is the key. It was your decision and it has to suit you and tick your defined boxes. Enjoy Powerscourt.

Couldn't agree more with your rant

I also had to laugh at some of the suggestions on this thread for you to join this that and the other club. You quite clearly stated you were willing to pay a premium rate, to join an elite club/course. But yet people still think the likes of a cheap and inferior options such as Citywest, Killeen etc were real alternatives! :eek::cool::rolleyes::D


PS. Let me know later in the year if you fancy a midweek game in Greystones. I'd be happy to bring you out.

CMOTDibbler

Seve OB wrote: »

Understand your decision and ultimately that is the key. It was your decision and it has to suit you and tick your defined boxes. Enjoy Powerscourt.

Couldn't agree more with your rant

I also had to laugh at some of the suggestions on this thread for you to join this that and the other club. You quite clearly stated you were willing to pay a premium rate, to join an elite club/course. But yet people still think the likes of a cheap and inferior options such as Citywest, Killeen etc were real alternatives! :eek::cool::rolleyes::D


PS. Let me know later in the year if you fancy a midweek game in Greystones. I'd be happy to bring you out.

Ah here!

I suggested Citywest purely on the basis of distance and clearly stated I had no knowledge of it. I also suggested DG which was a very good option as you said yourself.

And price is no indicator of quality. A lot of very good courses can be joined quite cheaply, especially ones that are a bit outside the pale. Some spectacularly good courses in Wicklow for under €1,000.

54and56

Seve OB wrote: »

PS. Let me know later in the year if you fancy a midweek game in Greystones. I'd be happy to bring you out.

Thanks Seve, I might just take you up on that. I've heard very good things about it.

HighLine

Seve OB wrote: »

I also had to laugh at some of the suggestions on this thread for you to join this that and the other club. You quite clearly stated you were willing to pay a premium rate, to join an elite club/course. But yet people still think the likes of a cheap and inferior options such as Citywest, Killeen etc were real alternatives! :eek::cool::rolleyes::D

Let me preempt this by saying I haven't played Greystones yet (it's on the to-do list) but what, other than its sub price tag, qualifies Greystones as an elite course? I don't think I have ever seen it on any of the Ireland's top 100 lists.

I see the sub prices and wonder what justifies the price...It seems very Celtic Tigerish.

First Up

HighLine wrote:

I see the sub prices and wonder what justifies the price...It seems very Celtic Tigerish.

Location. Nothing else.