We are planning a 3 week trip in Sept. and would like to take a few days off touring Ireland to enjoy some golf. Our handicaps are in the 20's so we don't need real challenging courses (the game is challenging enough, lol). We'd like to do something like this: tour 4-5 days and then play a round of golf, so maybe 4 rounds. We are starting in Dublin and heading south, basically following RS 3 week tour through Ireland. Are there any courses that tend to be a bit less windy? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
Posted by
Chicago
792 posts
Hopefully someone has knowledge of specific courses in Ireland for you. I have never golfed in Ireland so I am just sharing things I have learned from golfing while traveling within the US and my own research on golfing in Ireland and the UK. In general, courses by the water and Links courses will be windier. But other than that, I don't know of areas in Ireland that are consistently less/more windier than others.
If you have your itinerary set, I would recommend contacting your hotels/bed and breakfasts and get their advice on nearby courses. In addition to skill level, there are other things you will want to take into account- cost; are they walking only (can change your game significantly if you are accustomed to carts, especially if the course is hilly); do they have clubs you can rent if you don't want to bring your own; do they have a strict dress code- you might need some separate clothes unless your golf attire and travel attire are one in the same. Really popular courses may have a minimum handicap (25 is typical for men, 35 for women) and may require you to show proof of handicap.
If you are planning on bringing your own clubs, consider sharing a bag if your clubs are the same height. Bring only the clubs you use consistently. Bring a few balls but plan on just buying more there to avoid lugging around all of that weight. Take advantage of the extra luggage space since you know you have to check that bag anyway.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7034 posts
I'm not a golfer and don't know if it's private or public but there's a beautiful course at Old Head of Kinsale. You have to walk through/around the golf course to get to the lighthouse there. It's pretty famous among golfers from what I heard. All I know is that the surrounding area is gorgeous.
EDIT Here's a good website to check out as it has links to the websites for the individual courses.
http://www.golf.com/special-features/18-best-courses-ireland
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Kristen-I hadn't thought about checking with the B & B's. That's what we will do. Nancy-I saw that course online and it looks amazing.
Thanks for your help!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
135 posts
Hi
There are loads of great golf courses in Ireland (North and Republic). It's a shame you are not going north, to Donegal - there is a scenically beautiful, and truly remote 9 hole course on the tip of Cruit island, facing the North Atlantic....see Cruit Golf.
And that's just a small, local course!
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Mark,
We are actually going to tour both the republic and the north. We are also going to the UK before we head over to Ireland. We are going to London, Bath, Cotswolds, The Lake district, Scotland, and York. Any suggestions for courses on that route? We will go to St. Andrews but probably not even try to golf at the old course.
Thanks for any more suggestions!
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7034 posts
If you're going to be around Glasgow, Turnberry resort is about an hour south of there (just south of Ayr). They have 3 courses there. I only know about them because (again) you have to walk through one of the golf courses to get to the beautiful lighthouse there. My travel in Ireland and Scotland was to visit the lighthouses and I never realized they were sometimes located in or around these popular golf courses.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
To golf at St. Andrews you have to have a letter from your home club pro stating that your handicap is less than a certain number (I forget what it is, their website will tell you).
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
Here is a link to golf in the UK & Ireland. Just about every town has at least a 9 hole course. www.ukgolfguide.com
Here is a link if you are in the Edinburgh area, www.golfeastlothian.com/home.asp. I would highly recommend the Glen Club in North Berwick
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks Joel for the links and suggestion! Thanks everyone for your help!!
Posted by
12 posts
The really good courses in Ireland usually have a second or third course on the same property. With 20+ handicaps, you won't be allowed on the tough courses anyway. But here is a web site that will fill you in. But be carefull, they are not bashfull about charging and almost none will let you ride a cart (or buggies as they call them).
Have fun and embrace the wind!
Posted by
12 posts
By the way, I have played most of them and I am going back with my wife in September to play a few for the second oth third time. Feel free to reach out if you want some direct feedback on specific courses.
Posted by
1 posts
Our B&B got us on Ballybunion New Course and we were able to rent equipment easily - better clubs than we own, so I would recommend using this as a start. I wish I could remember the town course in Wicklow but it overlooked the sea and also had holes with names from famous courses; it was a beautiful walk too. They didn't have clubs available. We leave soon and have already planned to have our B and B direct us to good local courses. You will like the resources others have provided for more information.
As to St. Andrews, when we were in Scotland, we made a point of going there on Sunday when the course is closed for golfers but open for walkers. It was terrific. We have a real appreciation for the course now that we have walked it, especially the shared greens and bunkers. I highly recommend walking it. You can also take your picture on the 'famous' bridge for your future desktop!
Enjoy your trip.