The Links Thread

I was just walking up to this club house the other day and was thinking to myself that the place is the most majestic golf clubhouse I've ever seen (close run thing with Sawgrass). But you can see and feel the history of this place which gives it the edge. The red tiles on the roof the beautiful gardens, the glorious shrubs, everything manicured to perfection.

I only went in as far as the pro shop so didn't get to have a good nose around but it really feels like a special place.

This picture doesn't do it justice, it's way better when you are standing there

I paid EUR 90 to play 27 holes there a few weeks ago. Was booked a few months ago now. GUI rate

Back from a lap of Sligo over the weekend. Did a similar trip 8-9 years ago so it was nice to refresh the brain, especially in what was quite gentle playing conditions.

Rosses Point was incredible, indeed better than I remembered it. It’s a longer walk than I thought, but every hole from 3-17 is a gem in its own right, and the conditioning, while not quite RCD / Portrush levels, was exemplary. The new 3rd hole is a brilliant excuse to let rip at the sea, and the par 3s are each wonderful visual delights. It’s quirky enough in places but always felt fair. 

Enniscrone beat me up something rotten. I lost my swing for a few holes, and when I recovered things, it just seemed to fuel bad bounces and punitive lies throughout the back 9. So it’s pretty much the same impression I had from before, that’s it’s a treat to play such a an unusual layout, but it’s simply too unforgiving, dare I say traumatic, to be a course that I’d wish to return to more than once a decade. The thought of a monthly medal there makes me shudder. The queues around holes 12 and 13 would surely stretch to days.The conditioning was a clear step below Co Sligo; Enniscrone just looks and feels like it endures more traffic.

We concluded at Strandhill, which is just an absolute pleasure and among my most favourite courses on the island. The middle of each nine delivers some of the most fun golf imaginable. This was my first time playing off the (full length) white tees and it is more challenging - the 3rd, 6th and 18th holes in particular have a completely different feel with those extra 50-60 yards to contend with. The 6th retains its spot among the best holes I’ve played…. even though it robbed me off a ball today. 

West of Ireland folk are just the nicest people. So welcoming.

Final observation. Rosses Point is pretty forgiving off the tee and would be a second shot course. Strandhill to me is mostly about what you do off the tee, whether it’s navigating doglegs, missing bunkers, avoiding heavy stuff. Do that and the majority of greens are large and inviting; to the point that I putted from 80 yards and 70 yards today. For Enniscrone though, on a large number of holes, the first shot has to be both long and and on target (and sometimes lucky too) to have any chance of taking on the green. And even if you manage that, the bunkers, plateaus, dunes and false fronts mean you’ll rarely have a clear line for a ground game with your second. It’s just a much tougher test. Yet the yellow tees on it, at 6,500 yards, is rated 117, whilst the white courses on the other pair are rated 122. Whoever came up with that variance needs punished. They need to play Enniscrone 12 and 13 in a medal lol.

It's interesting, and completely alien to me, but I golf with a few low single digit golfers and when they're striking it well, they'll generally score better around Enniscrone than Rosses Point.

For me, Enniscrone is much much more likely to beat me up but for those guys, who play it fairly regularly, they find themselves with a fair few more birdie opportunities / find it a bit easier to save pars... once they're striking it well that is. I've seen them play very well around Rosses and just struggle to score.

Played the Island today. Lovely sunny day with a steady breeze. It's a great course but I found it very tough. Struggled to keep the ball on the fairway on a few holes but chipping and putting really hard to get the pace right.

5 hours for our fourball without anyone holding us up. Don't think I'd like links golf as my regular Sunday game throughout the year.

That’s pretty much how I felt Billy.

i thought the course was extraordinary, a true visual delight. Reaching the plateau after hole 1 and seeing what’s coming ahead was a proper sensory overload.

But it’s cruel to good shots and thoroughly unforgiving of poor ones. I just don’t have the technique or control to put myself through that test of golf on even a semi regular basis.

First time playing Old Head on Tuesday. We lucked out so good with the weather. Some day. 

Any good deals to be had down there?

Played it about two years ago in similar weather. They were doing a discounted rate at the tail end of Covid.

Loved everything about the course, it was brilliant. One of my favourite courses.

Internet points if you guess the course

Not sure I'd have heard of it but based on the Pics and a bit of Dective work I'd say Mulranny

(Flag was the best Clue)

What did you think of it Dan? A course I've played an awful lot.