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What courses are on your British Isles Bucket List?


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Hi All, I’d be interested to know… if you only had the opportunity to come to the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and NI) or Ireland for one trip, and one trip only, in your lifetime which courses would you want to play?

To give it some boundaries let’s say the maximum length of the trip is 2 weeks, but it can be shorter was well if you’d prefer.

It would be good to see everyone’s perception of the key courses in the UK and Ireland and compare this to the views of British and Irish golfers.

Happy planning! Guy

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I play in Ireland 15 years ago.

We traveled coast to coast, both North & South, East to West.

The only two courses which we could not fit into our schedule, were Royal Dublin and Old Head.

We played all the other top courses, my favorite was Ballybunion.

Great golf, the Irish are great host's, it's a beautiful place to visit.

One of the wonderful experience's, is the great history of golf at many of the clubs.

So much memorable trophies and old photo's of many of the great players.

Club Rat

Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

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I'm lucky, I've made a couple trips to both Scotland and Ireland.  For potential future trips, the courses I'd love to get to are:

Ireland and Northern Ireland, Ballyliffin and Royal County Down

Scotland, Cruden Bay, Prestwick, and a round with hickory-shafted clubs at Musselburgh.

From my past trips, the ones I'd try to return to every chance I get are:

Lahinch, in Ireland
Royal Dornoch, in Scotland
Both are splendid courses in really small towns  For some reason I want to try to get away from all those other people!

Dave

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Thanks for the feedback guys. All the courses that you mention are fantastic and should be on any golfer's play list.

Dave; like you I am definitely a fan of going slightly off the beaten track and playing some of the less traffic'ed courses which are equally as good, if not better than the big names or Open Rotation courses in say Ayrshire and Fife.

BTW; I am running a poll in the office to find out which are the top UK/Irish courses in the views of the Golfbreaks.com team. I will report back. It should be interesting to compare.

In the meanwhile. Please keep posting your UK/Irish picks. Thanks, Guy

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  • Moderator

I think this is an interesting topic, and I'm disappointed that we haven't heard from some of the guys who haven't made the trip to the British Isles for golf.  Could a different title bring them into the discussion, something like "What courses are on your British Isles Bucket List?"

Dave

:callaway: Rogue SubZero Driver

:titleist: 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
:ping: G5i putter, B60 version
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I think this is an interesting topic, and I'm disappointed that we haven't heard from some of the guys who haven't made the trip to the British Isles for golf.  Could a different title bring them into the discussion, something like "What courses are on your British Isles Bucket List?"

Thanks Dave. Good idea. Let's see if we can encourage some more of the guys to join in with the discussion. Guy

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Any of the courses at St. Andrews (especially the Old Course, of course, but the New Course and the Castle course are a very close second).

North Berwick.

Turnberry.

That is of the courses I have played.

Kingsbarns is on the list as well because I've heard good things about it.

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The Old Course and Carnoustie are at the top of the list. Next tier down would be Hoylake.

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Old Course along with New and Castle. - I'm pretty sure I could stay in St. Andrews and

Carnoustie

Muirfield

Ballybunion

Turnberry

kingsbarn

Royal Troon

North Berwick

Royal Lytham and St. Annes

-Jerry

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Being a high handicapper, Id love to experience links golf in Scotland

but with enjoyment and challenge for my level.

Western Scotland

Machrihanish Golf Course
Dunaverty Golf Club

Eastern Scotland
St Andrews Eden Course
Anstruther Golf Course
Gullane #3 Course

Like to find locals courses in smaller towns we visit.

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For my next trip to the UK/Ireland I would love to play Muirfield.  Our guide (Irish) in Scotland told me that if he were to pick one course in Scotland, it would be Muirfield.

I have played the Old Course and a number of other courses mentioned.  They are all worthy of any bucket list.  I have to get my butt over there again before I get too old to walk 36.

Brian Kuehn

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Indeed. Muirfield is a superb golf course, you would expect it to be having hosted The Open no less than 16 times! Also, it is surrounded by a number of other top-class links courses including Gullane & Archerfield!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all your posts everyone. Here are the results from the survey I ran in the office. I asked the team for their picks for their top 5 to 10 UK and Irish golf courses. The results were as follows.... (...actually 11 picks as we Brits love our soccer and cricket?1?)

1. Kingsbarns

2. Royal Dornoch

3. Royal Portrush

4. Turnberry - Ailsa Course

5. Old Course - St Andrews

6. Old Head of Kinsale

7. Ballyliffin

8. Royal County Down

9. Gullane No.1

=10 Waterville

=10 Doonbeg

It's an interesting selection and maybe not what you might expect. However the choices were influenced by the actual courses that people have played (or been lucky enough to play...).

Other contenders included: Balllybunion, Portmarnock, Carnoustie, Royal St Georges, Royal Liverpool, Royal Troon, North Berwick - West, Machrihanish - Championship, Royal Porthcawl, Gleneagles - Kings, Druids Glen, European, Trump International (Aberdeen), and Hindhead (Surrey, England).

What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Or what have we shamelessly left out (or over promoted..)!!

I personally have a soft spot for Trevose - Championship in Cornwall (SW England)... but that is partly because I am also a water sports addict and the course overlooks Constantine Bay, one of the best surf breaks in England!  Guy

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I'm happy to see my personal favorite, Royal Dornoch, very near the top of the list.  I'm also happy to see that Ballyliffin, one of my potential plays next year, is on the list. As a visitor from the States, my general preference is for the historic over the newer.  I thought Kingsbarns and Doonbeg were outstanding golf courses, but I'd choose their neighbors, The Old Course at St. Andrews and Lahinch, for both the history AND the significantly lower price tag.  I did think Doonbeg had a couple of contrived holes, especially the hole with the bunker in the middle of the green.  But opinions are just that, and polls are great fuel for discussion., this is a good one.

Dave

:callaway: Rogue SubZero Driver

:titleist: 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
:ping: G5i putter, B60 version
 :ping:Hoofer Bag, complete with Newport Cup logo
:footjoy::true_linkswear:, and Ashworth shoes

the only thing wrong with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

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Hi All - new boy to TST! Like most of you out there I've been lucky enough to go on quite a lot of golf tours with friends over the years and my most recent was to St Andrews and Kingsbarns. I won't pretend for one minute to be able to adequately describe The Old Course save to say it has a magical feel about it and, as the fourth course we'd played in 2 days, something in its spirit gave my sore muscles the strength to play well! Kingsbarns is sensationally beautiful and we were blessed with the hottest days I've ever known in Scotland. It's tough but aren't they all and I can easily see why it came out top of the list. I imagine it's seriously heavy going in the rain / bad weather but on a hot day it was a little like the Caribbean in certain parts, with a shimmering sea and lush, fertile woodland!

I love the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) Old Course in Surrey. Not championship as such but nestles in mature parkland, great views across the Surrey Hills and is generally stunning.

I know this is a UK topic but could I just say that northern France - Brittany region - has so many beautiful courses. The French have really got it right over the past 10 years or so and their courses are exquisite. Check out Val Andre, Saint Laurent and especially Chateau des Ormes with its original 18th Century chateau. Obviously they're not hugely famous as such but they're still challenging and a joy to play, set as they are in such beautiful countryside. And of course Le Golf National, just outside Paris, is tremendous; well tough and the 2018 Ryder Cup venue

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Think Sunningdale (Old) belongs on any UK and Ireland bucket list, although probably a bit biased as I live nearby. Royal St. George's is a gem, too.

Stretch.

"In the process of trial and error, our failed attempts are meant to destroy arrogance and provoke humility." -- Master Jin Kwon

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Royal St George's is a great shout... with so much great links golf in the Southport area of England - plus all over Scotland and Ireland - the Kent area often gets overlooked. I think it should definitely be on people's bucket list.

Obviously RSG is a the real star - it's a brutal links on some of the finest linksland you'll ever find. Hard to choose between that and Birkdale for title of England's No.1. Right next door is Prince's which is a lovely 27-hole links (hosted the 1932 Open won by Gene Sarazen) that's a great place to spend a day - huge amounts have been spent in recent years and it really is back to its former glory now. The onsite lodges are brand new and overlook by both Princes and RSG.. what a view that is to wake up to.

On the other side of RSG is Royal Cinque Ports, a two-time Open venue. It's a brilliant course.. a proper out and back links with some amazing fairways that modern designers need bulldozers to create. The back nine, usually played into the teeth of the wind is possibly the toughest in the UK (discuss!). I used to be a member at RCP so am a bit biased but I think it's as good as anything you'll play elsewhere in the UK!

Both Sandwich (for RSG) and Deal (for RCP) are quaint little seaside towns with plenty going on and lots of pubs/restaurants... and all less than a couple of hours from London!

Richard

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