Portmarnock links

I was thinking of joining too. I want to pick a club for life and it's the nearest to me and the course is fantastic. They're doing work to it at the moment, but the couple of people I've spoken to are very optimistic about what they're doing to it, as in it'll make a great course even better. I know a few members and have never heard of them giving out about getting on the timesheet.

However, I'm probably going to go elsewhere even though it's walking distance and one of my favourite courses. It's just not geared towards members. Currently they've 2 holes closed, 3 temp greens and 2 temp tee boxes. Due to be completed in may. And they raised the membership fee this year! I'd be very concerned about what that says about their attitude towards members. I'd say they wanted to do a bit of a clear out to make room on the timesheet for green fees. And it's just no way to treat members. On top of that, I'm thinking of a long term club in case my kids are interested in golf. I hear the children's membership is 850! Aside from how outrageous that is, they'll have no junior members with that rate. Which I assume is the idea.

In fairness to them, they're running a business and just trying to make as much money as they can. It's fair enough.

I was on the waiting list to join this year until I was quoted the fees. I couldn't justify the spend to play once a week and twice max during the summer

Thats mad money imo I wonder what The Old Portmarnock is? But The European club is only €1,200 a year and one of the best courses in the Country but there is a big joining fee there now.

Interesting article on Portmarnock just published yesterday for anyone interested.......

anyone know the cost of joining Baltray? I would rate it well above the links and even if it is a spin if you are close to the M1 it should be an option.

It's c.10k hello money and just over 1k subs according to a neighbour who is a member.

I think they're for 2022. I got an e-mail from them in January saying that they were expecting slots to open up in the 5 day and 7 day categories.

To be honest, I don't think there really is a comparable course to assess what the prices are like. In terms of course quality - Royal Dublin is very comparable (based on reputation, I haven't played it) and close by, but it's a members club. So in their case getting the max possible return from the club isn't the goal. In the case of the links, it pretty much is. I don't know they're annual membership rate, but I'd assume it's a lot lower.

Doonbeg is the most similar I can think of, but Portmarnock Links is in an infinitely better location. It's about 20 minutes from the airport, has a very nice hotel on site, is beside arguably the best course in the country, has Dublin city a taxi ride away, and within half an hour has Royal Dublin and the Island, Kileen Castle about 40 minutes away (I assume the Nicklaus name will be very attractive to Americans, plus it's a class course), Baltray and the European within an hour and a half too. The potential for making money must be insane from tourists. If you compare;

1. 4 mates who might be members there and play every week - the hotel will get €14k from them in membership. Maybe they'll get another thousand from each of them from bar food and drinks, proshop, etc. So about €18k per year (€346 per week). It's a decent chunk of money, but your giving up a line every Sunday morning for that. Compared to....
2. 4 Americans who come over for a golf holiday with their wives. 4 double rooms for 3 nights in June is coming in at €3,732. Add in the cost of golf, evening meals and drinks, spa treatments - it would easily be worth €5k to the hotel. And on the course you're giving up one line on the weekend.

You can scrutinise the numbers all you want - I reckon the average member probably plays less than 52 times in a year and a decent chunk of them will be at times where they wouldn't fill the timesheet anyway. But whatever way you look at it, if you were to manage the resort you would make damn sure that you have times for hotel guests and green fees willing to pay a grand for the line. €3,500 per year might seem high, but that might very well be the right price at the moment to keep the number of members that they want. And if it's not, they can raise it or drop it next year. If things change in the economy, they can do what they want with the rate and with the green fees rate, etc. I just think looking at the club now, that it's no longer what it was to Irish golfers. The GUI rate was great, the membership was expensive, but for what you got if you were getting a bit of use out of it very justifiable. It was basically very accessible. I imagine far fewer Irish golfers will be playing it over the next few years.

And this is all fair by the way. If I owned it I'd be trying to get as much money out of it as possible. Especially after the hit they must have taken during Covid.

I know golf course designers know what they are doing - but I often find holes that are proposed to be changed - are often the ones I like the most.

Another issue with Links courses is - I tend to begin to like them more and more the more I play.

But - change is part of life and has always been a feature of the top courses and even the oldest courses.

But - at the end of the day , this will be another course out of the range for the average and even passionate golfer. A list in Ireland that is sadly getting longer and longer.

Golgraffix - I'm sure it will be fab. But were there any members , going I loved X hole ?

It must be kinda sad if say a hole you had an eagle on - or even a hole in 1 - or won a match is gone.

Just a strange concept to me. A lost hole. But I guess , you make new memories.

BTW - some picture from a flight.

I agree I like quirk too, sure who said golf was suppose to be fair especially links golf!

yep the course off the back tee will be a serious test most definitely a championship caliber test, I think the new design has friendly tees for our American guests to enjoy the course and keep the pace of play relatively up come the summer when the rough will be up!

I can't wait to try it. I'll have to get on to the brother in law to take me out for a spin before number 2 arrives.