Ireland Trip

[phan52]

Heading for a quick trip to Northern Ireland on Saturday, as a replacement with a group that has had it planned for a while. Flying to Belfast overnight and driving down to Ardglass Golf Club on arrival. Staying in Newcastle that night and playing Royal County Down the next morning. We then drive to the East coast and play Sligo Golf Club the next day. We spend the next two days touring in Donegal and then drive over and play Portrush on our last day. Royal County Down and Portrush have always been on my golf bucket list so this will be a treat. Money will be a hassle as we will need both pounds and euros becasue we will be crossing back and forth between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

[DaveP043]

32 minutes ago, phan52 said:

Heading for a quick trip to Northern Ireland on Saturday, as a replacement with a group that has had it planned for a while. Flying to Belfast overnight and driving down to Ardglass Golf Club on arrival. Staying in Newcastle that night and playing Royal County Down the next morning. We then drive to the East coast and play Sligo Golf Club the next day. We spend the next two days touring in Donegal and then drive over and play Portrush on our last day. Royal County Down and Portrush have always been on my golf bucket list so this will be a treat. Money will be a hassle as we will need both pounds and euros becasue we will be crossing back and forth between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

One minor correction, Sligo is on the west side, not the east.  I spent two weeks in Ireland in June, including Ballyliffin in County Donegal, and Ennsicrone in County Sligo.  Have a great time, its a great part of the world, and the golf will be amazing!  Oh, money isn't a big deal, use your ATM card to get cash where you need it.  Make sure to tell your credit card company you'll be out of country.  and if you travel enough that you know that already, I apologize.

Again, have a brilliant time.

[phan52]

18 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

One minor correction, Sligo is on the west side, not the east.  I spent two weeks in Ireland in June, including Ballyliffin in County Donegal, and Ennsicrone in County Sligo.  Have a great time, its a great part of the world, and the golf will be amazing!  Oh, money isn't a big deal, use your ATM card to get cash where you need it.  Make sure to tell your credit card company you'll be out of country.  and if you travel enough that you know that already, I apologize.

Again, have a brilliant time.

I get east and west mixed up all the time when I travel. It's called dyslexia and I have to spell check everything that I write as well.

[DaveP043]

Just now, phan52 said:

I get east and west mixed up all the time when I travel. It's called dyslexia and I have to spell check everything that I write as well.

As long as you're not driving, it won't make a difference.  Even if you are, the signposts indicate the next town in a specific direction, not east and west, so its no problem.

Of course, they also spell some of the place names in Gaelic Irish, but you'll figure that out.

[phan52]

Ardglas

Royal County Down

County Sligo (Ross's Point)

Rossapenna

Royal Portrush

Great trip, great weather. Sideways rain washed out our last two holes at Ardglas, but that was it. Temp was never under 62 an it hit 70 at Portrush. A lot of travel but that became necessary because of accommodating our tee time at County Down, which we didn't get until late in making our plans.

Edited September 6, 2016 by phan52

[shortstop20]

Sounds like a great trip, the golf in Ireland is incredible. I would like to go again. 

[bkuehn1952]

10 hours ago, phan52 said:

Great trip, great weather. 

If you have a couple photos, we'd like to see them.  Also, jealous of your adventure!

[phan52]

6 hours ago, bkuehn1952 said:

If you have a couple photos, we'd like to see them.  Also, jealous of your adventure!

Ardglas was our first stop, drove down right off the plane. Parts of their clubhouse dates to the 1400 so they can make the claim of the oldest clubhouse in the world. Hard by the Irish Sea, it is a great little links course. The mountains you can see in the distance in the third picture is the Mourne Mountains that is the encompassing background to our destination the next day, Royal County Down.

[bkuehn1952]

Nice!  Thanks.

 

p.s. looks a bit chilly

[phan52]

11 minutes ago, bkuehn1952 said:

Nice!  Thanks.

 

p.s. looks a bit chilly

The first day was a bit chilly, around 55-60, and I had a top on but I wore shorts every day. The rest of the days were anywhere from 60-70 with little wind. Little wind was something we never expected. My caddie at Portrush said it was the nicest day of the year that day.

[iacas]

8 hours ago, phan52 said:

I always loved how the courses over there seem to have about 30 pull carts missing the top piece or the handle (which you get when you pay the rental fee).

[phan52]

10 hours ago, iacas said:

I always loved how the courses over there seem to have about 30 pull carts missing the top piece or the handle (which you get when you pay the rental fee).

We used caddies everywhere we went and, in five rounds, only one guy had my bag on his shoulder. The rest had their own electric pull buggies that they all use when they play. The caddies were always members of the clubs we played as well, in fact, at County Sligo they came into the clubhouse and had lunch with us. Pretty nice to pay 1,000 pounds and have playing privileges at Royal County Down. They love the Yanks who come over and pay huge fees so they can keep their dues down.  

Caddies were essential at County Down and Portrush. County Down has a decent number of blind shots and Portrush had a number of tees where you really didn't know which direction the next hole went. Rossapenna was the only place where the caddies weren't a positive part of the experience; two of them, including mine, had a rough night the night before and really didn't want to be there. Never kept up and had to wait for them on almost every shot. Paid the fee with no tip, something I have never done in my life.

Caddie story at Portrush. Portrush, BTW, was my favorite by far. They will play the 2019 Open Championship there and the R&A, thinking that their 17 and 18 weren't up to the standards of the rest of the course, has paid to build two new holes. They weren't open for play yet but the looked spectacular. Anyway, play was a bit slow and when we got to the par 3 14th (called Calamity for good reason) the group behind caught up while we still waited on the tee. Turns out there was a caddie in the group behind us who won the British Amateur in 2012, name of Allen Dunbar. He played in the Masters in 2013 and turned professional and has struggled to make it on the Challenge Tour, so he is caddying at Portrush to make ends meet. Tough world out there at the top.

That par 3 hole, which will be #16 when they play the Open, will cost somebody the Open IMO, especially if the wind is blowing, which it invariably does in Ireland. The most intimidating par 3 tee box I have ever stood on, We played it at 200 yards and they have a tee box that can stretch it to 235. The safe shot is to aim for the 15th tee as the wind usually is left to right. One of our guys almost clipped the group in front on that tee but he is the only one who had a decent look for his second shot. The gorge front right of green is 60 feet down and if you go down the gorge long right, re-tee.

 

Edited September 7, 2016 by phan52

[GolfLug]

9 minutes ago, phan52 said:

We used caddies everywhere we went and, in five rounds, only one guy had my bag on his shoulder. The rest had their own electric pull buggies that they all use when they play. The caddies were always members of the clubs we played as well, in fact, at County Sligo they came into the clubhouse and had lunch with us. Pretty nice to pay 1,000 pounds and have playing privileges at Royal County Down. They love the Yanks who come over and pay huge fees so they can keep their dues down.  

Caddies were essential at County Down and Portrush. County Down has a decent number of blind shots and Portrush had a number of tees where you really didn't know which direction the next hole went. Rossapenna was the only place where the caddies weren't a positive part of the experience; two of them, including mine, had a rough night the night before and really didn't want to be there. Never kept up and had to wait for them on almost every shot. Paid the fee with no tip, something I have never done in my life.

Caddie story at Portrush. Portrush, BTW, was my favorite by far. They will play the 2019 Open Championship there and the R&A, thinking that their 17 and 18 weren't up to the standards of the rest of the course, has paid to build two new holes. They weren't open for play yet but the looked spectacular. Anyway, play was a bit slow and when we got to the par 3 14th (called Calamity for good reason) the group behind caught up while we still waited on the tee. Turns out there was a caddie in the group behind us who won the British Amateur in 2012, name of Allen Dunbar. He played in the Masters in 2013 and turned professional and has struggled to make it on the Challenge Tour, so he is caddying at Portrush to make ends meet. Tough world out there at the top.

That par 3 hole, which will be #16 when they play the Open, will cost somebody the Open IMO, especially if the wind is blowing, which it invariably does in Ireland. The most intimidating par 3 tee box I have ever stood on, We played it at 200 yards and they have a tee box that can stretch it to 235. The safe shot is to aim for the 15th tee as the wind usually is left to right. One of our guys almost clipped the group in front on that tee but he is the only one who had a decent look for his second shot. The gorge front right of green is 60 feet down and if you go down the gorge long right, re-tee.

 

How did the caddie say they play it? Aim left edge of green and draw it further left, hoping wind will push it back towards green?

[phan52]

1 minute ago, GolfLug said:

How did the caddie say they play it? Aim left edge of green and draw it further left, hoping wind will push it back towards green?

The wind was light that day, and a bit left to right. My caddie told me to aim at the left edge of the green, as I have a natural slight fade. Double crossed myself and pulled it into the deep stuff back left, made a 5. He told me if the wind was strong he would tell players to aim at the 15th tee, visible on the far left of the picture. The hole is very playable from those little hollows on the left of the green, so that is the play, even if the wind doesn't blow it onto the green.

[GolfLug]

3 minutes ago, phan52 said:

The wind was light that day, and a bit left to right. My caddie told me to aim at the left edge of the green, as I have a natural slight fade. Double crossed myself and pulled it into the deep stuff back left, made a 5. He told me if the wind was strong he would tell players to aim at the 15th tee, visible on the far left of the picture. The hole is very playable from those little hollows on the left of the green, so that is the play, even if the wind doesn't blow it onto the green.

And you putt from the hallows or do you take as many breaks out as possible by pitching?

I am not sure how true but I have heard caddies and locals roll their eyes when an American pulls out a wedge for around the green shots... i.e., putting is usually the proper play.  

[phan52]

30 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

And you putt from the hallows or do you take as many breaks out as possible by pitching?

I am not sure how true but I have heard caddies and locals roll their eyes when an American pulls out a wedge for around the green shots... i.e., putting is usually the proper play.  

Putting is absolutely the play. The fescue fairways are as hard as a tabletop and it is easy to bounce a wedge. One caddie told me that he wasn't going to let me use my 58 unless I was in a bunker.

 

Royal County Down

In the dunes by the Irish Sea

Second tee. This is an example of the blind shots. The caddie in the distance is giving us the preferred line to the fairway.

#4, the signature hole. Long par 3, with a spectacular view of the Mourne Mountains.

A lot of Game of Thrones is filmed in the Mourne Mountains. That is #9, heading back toward the clubhouse.

View of Newcastle, by the Irish Sea.

Edited September 7, 2016 by phan52

[GolfLug]

Great views man! You've lived a good life so far it seems...

[bkuehn1952]

Brings back some really nice memories.  Putting on the rock hard fairways, aiming at your caddie standing on a dune, having your caddie aim you off into who knows where when the wind is up.

I have to get back soon.   Thanks for the stories and pics.