« Last post by Galway Stevie on Sep 13, 2017, 11:45:25 »
Day 4 Donegal (Murvagh)
I arrived at this course to find horizontal rain and high winds. This means that I got very wet and cold and could only manage 9 holes. This course is fairly recently updated with a new clubhouse and id just south west of Donegal town.
1. Par 5 A Gentle starting hole with a good amount of bunkering on the way to a shallow elevated green with some subtle slopes. Lots of bunkers on this course 2. Par 4 In the wind we played this was very long and with OOB right and the wind pushing the ball that way the ball had to start a long way left where it would be lost if it didn't come back. again a lot of fairway bunkering at staggered distances. The green slopes a lot and has some huge bunkers left and right. 3. Par 3 OOB is all the way down the right hand side of this par 3 and another raised green with a huge bunker short left means a straight approach is needed 4. Par 4 Tight fairway with bunkers running down the left and right of the fairway. The green is also well protected by bunkers and run off areas. Most of the greens are raised 5. Par 3 The green sits up in between the and dunes and the heavy rough on the right hand side one means you try and hit too far left sometimes. There is more room left and the ball will bounce onto the green but if it get's too hard a bounce it can easily go off the right hand side where hollows, bunker and rough await 6. Par 5 From a really elevated tee an accurate tee shot is needed to find another fairway running between dunes. Longer hitter could hit this in 2 one another day but with the wind into us it was a struggle to reach the fairway. Simple green with not bunkers runs from back to front. 7. Par 4 You can't see a lot of this hole from the tees and the fairway is more generous than it looks. The green is in a bit of a bowl past the end of the fairway and the ball feeds into the middle of it. 8. Par 5 The tee shot is played to the top of a hill where there is a choice of hitting down left with a mid to long iron and hitting a wedge into a green surrounded by trouble or you can try and fly a wood over all the heavy rough blind to said green. 9. Par 4 Back towards the clubhouse with a lot of fairway bunker and then a mid iron to a sloping green. I didn't make it that far as I lost my second shot and gave up.
Overall this course is very picturesque and has some lovely holes on the front nine that I am desperate to return and play when Noah isn't watching. The clubhouse is excellent and the shop, bar staff and membership were very welcoming.
« Last post by Galway Stevie on Sep 13, 2017, 11:23:41 »
Day 3 Bundoran
Tuesday evening was my heaviest for drinking and I was late arriving meaning I didn't experience the clubhouse or shop. This is where most of our group based ourselves so it was only a short hop from the hotel to the tee. This course is the oldest of the ones I played and is situated just in South Co. Donegal.
1. Par 4 I was told that if this is down wind then the course would play at its toughest and so it proved with a gentle hole to start with and a green that gently spooled left to right guarded by a bunker short left and mid right. 2. Par 5 Straight over the hill par 5. I found bundoran the least picturesque of the 4 courses with holes all running alongside. 3. Par 3 This was short and very downwind with a saucer green that threw the ball off if not right in the middle of the green 4. Par 4 Straight par 4 with a tight enough fairway but not a lot else to describe. bunker left and right of the green 5. Par 4 This was a go for it hole for the big hitters as it was downwind. There is a burn and wooden bank in front of the green to make this a bit tougher and the green was protected by 2 bunkers short left and right 6. Par 3 Longer par 3 that falls away to the left with a bunker short right and 2 left of the green. 7. Par 4 Uphill back towards the clubhouse with a green that slopes back to front and right to left protected by bunkers right of the green 8. Par 4 Slog over the hill with very little to say about it 9. Par 4 Runs the opposite way from 8 back down the hill very little trouble 10. Par 4 See 8 11. Par 4This one at least has a view of the rolling white horses out in the bay used by the local surfers for entertainment. A good strong hols and one of the few that have their own identity 12. Par 4 running back the opposite way from 11 with a ver severe uphill second shot 13. Par 3 Stupidest par 3 I have ever seen. 200 yards downhill with a huge slope at the front of the green renering about 30% of the green unuseable. 14. Par 4 Right to left dogleg over the hill with a blind landing area. Accurate approach needed for this one as there are several bunkers guarding the green. One of the few holes that seemed to have a design aspect to it 15. Par 4 SI 1 and another that has a bit of definition turning round to the right with well placed bunkering up the right hand side of the fairway. Was very wet up by the green and found my approach plugged at the front of the green. Tricky green to hit with a long iron/wood 16. Par 3 Straight forward 150 yard par 3 with some thicker rough guarding the front and a bunker right of the green 17. Par 5 Nicely framed tee shot towards and up over a saddle for the longer hitters. Definite chance of reaching in 2 and is a par 5 that is easier to birdie the closer you get to the green with the second shot. 18. Par 4 Strong enough finishing hole with the fairway and green having a good array of bunkering to protect them.
Overall the condition of the course was in excellent cndition but I found it didn't have enough definition of the holes in the middle of the round. Would like to go back in better weather and think that the quality of the courses on Monday and Tuesday may have swayed my opinion.
« Last post by Galway Stevie on Sep 13, 2017, 10:52:42 »
Day 2 Enniscrone
Further south down the Sligo coast you will find Enniscrone and a course built into the highest dunes I have ever seen. Mountaineering equipment recommended.
1. Par 4 A left to right dogleg running alongside the clubhouse and car park where if you dare going for the right hand side of the fairway where there are large bunkers lurking the second shot is shorter. The green lies in between 2 hug dunes and slopes a bit uphill with no bail out either side 2. Par 5 A shot to a blind fairway on another left to right dogleg presents a second shot layup through a channel in the dunes followed by an approach to a green that slopes left to right. A lovely risk and reward hole if you are brave enough to try and go for it in 2 3. Par 3 Beautifully framed par 3 with a severely sloping green back to front and right to left. Although withing the course there is OOB left but only because there is about a 50ft drop over the side of the dunes. 4. Par 5 A longish hole running in between the dunes where a well placed layup is needed. Another green that slopes from back to front making it ver difficult to chip on from the back which has a large slope down into a hollow. 5. Par 4 A elevated tee look down on a fairway that gets very tight at around 250 yards with a large crass bank on the right and bunker left. A large green in 2 parts with a kind of hogs back in the middle has bunkers left and tricky to hit in the correct area. 6. Par 4 A long par 4 with trouble right and an elevated green guarded by 2 bunker short left and right. Short shots will roll back a good bit. We played into the breeze and it was very tough. 7. Par 5 Definitely a chance for the long hitters to reach this in 2 with a generous landing area for the drive. The green is well protested by dunes and a larger slope at the front meaning the more conservative amongst us are best laying up to a good yardage before taking on this slim and long green. 8. Par 3 Another well protected green with a tier on the right running down to the tier on left. Slightly downhill. 9. Par 4 one of two holes that run beside the sea and a strong straight hole. Green is protected by dunes and runs away to the left. 10. Par 4 This also runs along the coast with a tee shot to a larger fairway than it looks from the tee. The green is flanked by dunes and needs a good shot. 11. Par 3 Strong hole uphill to a green that slope back to front and has 2 tiers. This take s you bak in amongst the high dunes. 12. Par 4 Very quirky hole with a driver leaving you with in a huge hollow with a short shot straight up hill. An iron to the top of the hill leaves a short wedge in but don't be short as you will end up in the hollow. Thick rough straight over the back so that's not a option. 13. Par 4 This is similar to the 13th at Strandhill but you can see so little of the hole there are traffic lights you can see from the tee. Driver is not an option here and an iron into the middle of the fairway leaves a shortish iron to a green that slopes from left to right amongst the dunes 14. Par 5 A drive in between 2 large dunes leads to a fairway that has more room right than it looks and a shot that looks safe left may end up on the dune on the left in thickish rough. The hole turns a bit left before turning right down to another heavily sloped green with 2 tiers sloping left to right and back to front 15. Par 4 A straight away drive between the dunes to a reasonably tight fairway leads to a green set of to the left surrounded by dunes and heavy rough. An accurate approach is required here or the ball can end up in all sorts of strange lies. 16. Par 5 A downhill tee shot here can run out of fairway on the left. Can be got in 2 by the longer hitter but the tendancy to protect the green here means another accurate approach is required. 17. Par 3 Down hill par three with heavy rough left and a hollow off the the right. The ball can run 20 yards off the side of the green even if the ball lands on the green and bounces right. 18. Par 4 This hole turns gently right to left with fairway bunkers and dunes protecting the hole form the tee and on the green.
Overall this is a stunning looking course with each hole framed against the dunes and ocean. Very new feel to the clubhouse with a friendly reception in the bar and shop. Great practice facilities and a second course that seemed to be less of a challenge. Very tiring course to walk with some long walks between green and tee. A bit of local knowledge would also help I feel in taking on some of the holes
« Last post by Galway Stevie on Sep 13, 2017, 10:08:02 »
Day 1 Strandhill.
On the coast (funnily enough) just north west of Sligo this was the most undulating links course I have ever played with some stunning views and great, challenging and interesting holes.
1 Par 5 Quite a gentle start to the course with a downhill par 5 that would be reachable in 2 for most. Had a reasonable right to left breeze helping you keep the ball on the fairway that slopes slightly left to right. A feature of this course was the deep rough just off the fairway although the fairways were wide enough. 2 Par 3 A good dunt into the wind downhill to this one with severe sloping from left to right. Bunkers at the front mean you have to carry it all the way. 3 Par 4 Pretty straight forward par 4 running along the bay with a huge beach left if you are very wild with the tee shot. Not a hole and reasonably straight forward 4 Par 4 running along the same line as the 3rd an around the same length with a elevated green that make the second shot interesting. 5 Par 5 A very elevated tee with a bit of discussion by our group on exactly where the line is. around 100-150 metre carry over thick rough and gorse bushes to a fairway that runs away to the left uphill to the green. If you are brave enough to take the line farthest left then a mid to long iron can get you to the green in 2. A mishit drive is lost and going right is safe but a long way from the green. 6 Par 4 a Blind tee shot up up and over to a generous enough fairway and then a second shot down towards the altantic ocean with a good few bunkers guarding the green left and right. 7 Par 4 Runs along the Altantic facing coast starting from another elevated tee down to the fairway. Not the longest or most difficult of par 4's but one to enjoy the view. 8 Par 4 Another reasonably short par 4 up and back over heading back in land. Not one I remember a lot about. 9 Par 3 Running alongside some newly built houses with a big wire fence protesting them taking away what might have been a nice view at some point. Relatively short with a good number of bunkers protesting the green. 10. Par 4 A tee shot uphill to a generous enough fairway that looks tighter from the tee. a burn and road running up the left hand side and thick rough right. Aproach is still uphill to a green running from right to left at a bit of an angle to the approach. 11 Par 4 running the other was down the hill and the sandwich in an up and down stretch of three holes just after the turn. ou can run out of fairway right or left here and the approach to the green is very trick with bunkers short and not a lot of room to land the ball in a shallow green. 12 Par 4 Very similar to 10 with deep rough replacing the road and burn left. Green is guarded by some very deep bunkers right. 13 Par 4 the only part of this hole you can see from the tee is a white stone and what looks like a circle about 10 yards square. Choosing an iron lands down in this area and keeping it right half wil leave around 150 metres into green completely immersed in between sand dunes (no bail out). There is a bit of fairway if you are brave enough to set a driver over the dunes right of the tee and some of the longer hitter would get close to the green cutting the corner. Stunning golf hole this one. 14 Par 3 this part of the course uses the dunes to frame the holes and this par 3 has a green that has no bail out and need a precise approach. 15 Par 4 This hole goes back towards the clubhouse and is not long but tricky enough. The widest part of the fairway lends itself to an iron off the tee but will require a mid iron all uphill to a green that if short the ball will roll back a good 30 yards. The very tight part of the fairway ends at around 200 metres from the tee but a short wedge in is left to a flat green. Not my favourite hole on the course. 16 Par 4 a longer hole with a serious step in the green up to the back tier. The hole runs downhill and slopes from right to left and hitting a mid to long iron in requires landing short right and running on. huge bunker short and left. 17 Par 3 A downhill par 3 that requires the ball dropped short and right half as it will bounce on down to the green. reasonably plain hole but still needs an accurate approach. 18 Par 4 A tee shot left of the greenkeepers hut where the hole turns sharply right and uphill to the left of the clubhouse. The green is long and slopes from right to left meaning a shot to the right half of the green is require.
Overall this is a lovely golf course in superb condition with a good mix of holes and stunning views out to sea. A lack of any kind of practice area barring a 100 metre strip, chipping and putting green are the only minuses. The clubhouse is light and the staff in the bar and shop were very friendly.
« Last post by Galway Stevie on Sep 13, 2017, 08:52:36 »
I signed up for this a few months ago and thought I better report on what is a really well run and enjoyable event. There was a good mix of Irish (North and South), English and Scottish competitors with entries Individually like myself or in a team of three. The format is 72 holes stableford over 4 days and this years courses were Strandhill, Enniscrone, Bundoran and Donegal(Murvagh).
I was placed in a team with 2 lads from Lurgan who like me were out to enjoy the days of golf and nights of pints so all good. There are those who enter hoping for a serious cut at winning as individuals and teams. The 240 competitors and 80 teams and split among the courses and play in an order determined by the draw. Each team is then put into a group of 9 with three tee times at each course. You never play with your own team and play with each of the guys from the other 2 teams for the first three days and with the same 2 you played the first day with on the fourth day.
I also stayed for 2 night in the same hotel in Bundoran with 15 guys from Silverwood GC in Armagh and the 2 lads in my team. This made organising pints easy. The other team in my 9 was from Glasgow with three member who used to play at Windyhills in Bearsden. They rented a house in bundoran between them.
Cost was 130 early or 145 late for the golf Deals can be had for the hotel for 189 euro for 5 nights DBB if you are playing in the West Coast Challenge The Scots guys rented a house for 450 euro for the week in Bundoran.
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Sep 21, 2017, 04:22:33
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