Drove about 75 miles in a northwesterly direction to my
hotel. Good stay in Dublin…always
wonderful to pick up a hidden gem (Island), and congratulation to the Golf
Course Architects survey for their inclusion of The Island Club at #78…missed
by all the others. Also thought about
three really good folks I had the chance to play with, Pat O’Leary and Humphrey
Kelleher at Island and Huntly Lauder at Portmarnock. And especially neat to meet Fergal’s dad.
Now…back to the business at hand. Looking at the weather forecast for
Saturday-Monday, it looked like I might get washed out (or blown away or both)
all three days. T’was not looking good. Figured that perhaps there will be some
breaks in the weather which with likely no-shows, might afford me the change to
get in some quick 18’s wherever possible.
Key was to stay flexible.
Saturday May 30
Rosses Point
Left hotel early Saturday morning for 50 mile drive to
Rosses Point (also know as County Sligo GC).
Weather was looking better, and due to cancellations, was able to play
at 11:30 instead of 1:10. Wind was blowing
very very hard (probably 30 mph + higher gusts) but looked like rain would hold
off for a few hours. Fabulous
surroundings. A mountain named “Table
Mountain” lies nearby and is strikingly similar in shape and size to Table
Mountain in Capetown South Africa.
Played w 2 guys from Chicago (Keith..a lawyer, and Jeff
retired businessman) who were finishing trip.
Loved this course. Very hilly in
spots and I was walking it (w caddy). Originally
designed by George Combe and opened as a 9-holer in 1894. Was stretched to 18 holes around 6 years
later by Willie Campbell, and then remodeled by Colt and Allison in 1927.
First hole is reasonably uphill and 2nd is really
really uphill and 3rd downhill (reminding me of 2nd and 3rd at Gullane #1). Started hitting ball great on front (had a
39). Loved course. It is also undergoing a bunch of renovations
led by Pat Ruddy (founder/builder/architect/Mr. Everything at The European Club
in SE Ireland…who grew up in the surrounding area and played it many times as a
kid). I very much like what Pat is doing
here…some of which is the typical and necessary pushing of back tees back, but
others are enlargements of greens, new greens, and other more sophisticated
enhancements. Looks like it had another
1-2 years to go and then this should be a true world class top 100 track (it is
close now in mu always humble opinion.
Outstanding piece of land with fairways that pitch and roll in every direction,
and some huge sand dunes. Truly
outstanding holes are par 4’s #14 and #17…14 looks fairly innocent from the tee
(which is at the base of a large dune), a burn/creek runs diagonally across the
fairway…requiring decisions of the tee regarding tee shot direction and lay up
or blow over decision (easy decision for moi L), and a green tucked
to the right behind a small dune with a false front that must be 12+ yards
deep…and from experience I can say that it does repel shots that don’t reach
the crest (and even does it 2x). Hole
reminded me of great #15 at Gozzer Ranch…which also looks innocent from the
tee. #17 is simply heroic. 457 from the back, turns slightly left, and
while only slightly uphill for tee shot, 2nd shot is a monster…way
uphill with a huge hill/dune surrounding the green on 3 sides. Tee shot must me right of second is totally
blind…blocked by another dune.
As we left the 17th green, the skies opened up
(was still blowing real hard) and but we played 18 quickly and got back to the
clubhouse without much damage. Flexibity
got me the earlier tee time and it worked.
Now the question was…what about the plans for 27 at Carne Sunday and 36
at Lahinch and Doonbeg Monday?
West to Carne and
South to Lahinch & Doonbeg Sat 5/30-Monday 6/1
Carne:
Hit the road again after 4pm for drive to northwest corner
of Ireland…a new course in Carne, called Belmullet GC, or more usually
Carne. Has 27 hours…an 18 (Hackett
Course) and a 9 holer (Kilmore). Drive
was just 85 miles but took just over two hours due to rural roads and
rainy/stormy weather. I passed by my
hotel and went straight to the club, arriving around 6:30, to find this rugged
beautiful course with rain coming down sideways and the wind blowing
fiercely. It was clear even to this
numbskull that golf was not on the schedule for that afternoon. But the weather looked to be OK (but even
windier) Sunday morning, so I got myself the first tee time and a caddy and
cart reserved. And thinks looked like
they would be OK for Doonbeg Sunday late if I could get there in time (and not
exhausted) and perhaps OK for Lahinch late on Monday (which looked to be the
worst of the 3 days). The plan was in place
and sacrificed the 9 hole Kilmore at Carne, but that was never key to my plans.
Up early, stuff in the car and over to course (5 minute
drive) before 8am. Winds are a good 40
mpg in exposed areas…course sits on top of a hill with nothing within miles to
dampen the winds. Was about 50 degrees
but felt much much colder in that wind.
I went out wearing 5 layers!!
Caddy was a 14 year old kid named Cormac…who was super and worked his
tail off. Hit the ball very well again,
but even the slightest error with a wind against of across ended with
disaster. And this place has lots of
disasters lurking. Lots of 12-18” high
thick rough…but fairly generous fairways.
Truth of the matter, even though I hit it well, I went without a single par through 17…but did pull off a birdie on the par 5 18th to finish
with a smooth 48-45=93 (and that is for handicap purposes…limit of double bogey
per hole). Wind was simply brutal and it
was tough keeping hands warm enough to play. Rained only for about two 5-minute stretches so it could have been far far worse. Finished feeling like I had just been through
a prize fight (and lost). Frankly, the
conditions were so bad, it is hard to evaluate the course itself. It is very very dramatic and I think would be
fun to play in 15 mph winds…question is, how often is it that calm there. Hard to reach a final conclusion based on a
visit of about 18 hours, but frankly, an important question.
To the car!!! We’ve got 160 miles and 4 hours to get to
Doonbeg. Drive took every minute of the
forecast time and maybe a couple more.
Doonbeg:
Arrived Doonbeg around 4pm.
Very busy and very very windy…but party cloudy bright skies. Donald Trump (that other guy from Jamaica,
Queens, NY who has done OK) bought this pace last year and has been very busy
transforming it. Course was originally
done by Greg Norman. Opened in
2002. Norman, who is not known for
creating easy tracks certainly was not looking to change that philosophy
here. It is built amongst and near some
terrific dunes hard on the Atlantic, and its most famous hole was the very shot
(about 100-110 yard) par 3 14th, where the green say near the top of
a large dune right above the beach. I
use the past tense here because the dune was very much affected by a massive
storm a couple of years ago, and the 14the green had to be closed down, as it
was structurally unstable. The Donald
had fought to restore it but has been stopped (at least to date) from using the
buffering technique previously used with much success at other Ireland west
coast locations. For now, the old 14th
remains closed and a new one had been built…very good but not nearly as
dramatic. Time will tell on this one.
They have built a beautiful clubhouse and hotel (I did not
stay there). Thus far, about 8 holes
have been renovated…and done very well…rest to be done next year. Too early to tell how this place will play
after it is all done, since more renovations to come. Also, the new greens are very slow as the
grass is being kept long while they grow in and get their strength. So greens are very very slow but that is
clearly a necessary temporary situation.
Afternoon was extremely windy…probably 40-45 mph. Best hole I saw was #4…a 656 yd par 5 from
the tips, with a huge yawning fairway bunker ( since it is the dead middle of
the fairway that name fits perfectly) that requires about 310 yds from the tips
to carry. I just missed carrying it in
2.
The staff was super.
The head pro, Brian Shaw really knows his stuff, knows everyone there
(members and staff), and is very focused.
Really good guy and could not have been more accommodating to me.
As I said earlier, it is too early to tell, but early signs
are good. Several of The Donald’s key folks have assured me that Doonbeg (and
Trump Aberdeen) will come in with sandy colored grass. Here’s hoping so…it would make for some
terrific places. Overall setting is
outstanding
For now, I will wait and see what happens.
Lahinch
After my second 18 of the day at Doonbeg, it was a 45 minute
drive to Ennis, to what turned out to be a very funky “hippy-skippy” hotel. But the room was nice and I needed some
sleep…it was along day and I was very very lucky. Got about 10 minutes of hard arin at Carne,
and the same at Doonbeg. Winds were very
difficult, but somehow got in all 36.
Never expected that at the start of the day. Forecast looked terrible for Monday morning,
but indicated it might stop raining by 3pm Monday on the west coast…which would
be fabulous.
Next morning, forecast looked the same. Figured member-member event at Lahinch might
have been cancelled and perhaps I could play earlier than planned if the
forecast happened. Drove to Lahinch and
hung around waiting on the 2nd floor of the clubhouse…while heavy
rain simply pelted the place…coming down sideways. About no one was playing (memb-memb
cancelled) and then rain finally stopped around 3:30. I got out around 4pm. Had pre booked a caddy and a cart both of
which seemed necessary given the elements.
T’was a wise choice. Had not
played Lahinch since about 1997 and literally forgot how good it is. It is a rare combination of a true
championship test, and a fun, exciting track to play. It is hard enough to create a course with one
of these two attributes…to create one with both is simply amazing. Lahinch, like many great tracks, gets off to
a somewhat slow start on #1 & 2, but then quickly starts roaring on the 3rd
and continues on a great roll on holes #4 and #5 (The Dell). It is in wonderful condition and was a joy to
play despite winds that made it, at times, almost unplayable. If you haven’t been there (or if you haven’t
been there for w while), it is a must see and must play.
I left Lahinch thinking how lucky I had been weather
wise…since on Saturday morning it looked like no golf Saturday through Monday,
and I ended up getting all four courses in.
Very fortunate.
Old Head
After the round, drove about 80 miles south to a hotel on
the way down to Old Head…leaving a 50 mile drive to Tuesday morning. Arrived at Old Head around 9:30 for my 10:30
game…and it was blowing harder than what I had played in the prior three days
(not surprising given how exposed Old Head is…sitting on top of a headland
extending 2 miles from the southern edge of Ireland. The golf course is unlike what it looks like
in any pictures I had seen…it is very hilly, and the pictures, usually taken
from a helicopter make it look very flat.
So my decision to walk it with a caddy (rather than taking a cart) was
at times one that I somewhat regretted, but in the end, I felt fine after the round. A few comments on the course…it is as
dramatic a setting as I can remember…and it is a reasonably well designed
course. It is NOT, however a “links”
track…the fairways and think and lush like a typical US course and the greens,
while firm, are very receptive to a well hit shot. Since links courses were at one time covered
with glaciers and/or sea water, it would be hard to imagine sea water rising to
the level of this headland (in places about 300’…these are cliffs that make the
8th of Pebble feel like it is just above sea level), although I am
sure Al Gore is forecasting it to happen within the next 10 years. And, in reasonable weather conditions
(<15mph), the course would be very playable.
The wind was incredible.
At exposed areas, it was difficult maintaining your balance at address,
often the wind would “grab” the club during a backswing, and the ball
oscillated on both the greens and on tees.
All things considered, my 45-40=85 felt pretty good.
Ireland Summary
A superb and fortunate 6 days…playing 8 courses many in the
midst of a major Atlantic storm hitting Ireland’s west coast. Met some interesting and wonderful people,
played some of the world’s great courses again (Lahinch and Portmarnock) and saw
for the first time several very special tracks including Island and Rosses
Point. Picking favorites in this type of
crowd is always difficult but here goes, in order:
1. Lahinch
2. Portmarnock (also best championship venue among the 8)
3. Island Club (one of those rare “hidden gems” golf architecture
nuts love to find)
4. Rosses Point (also higher potential w Pat Ruddy’s work
proceding)
5. Doonbeg (too early
to really tell…will it be green or brown?...how will other changes come
out,,,also has great potential if it lives up to its promise)
6. Carne
7. Old Head
8. K Club (a distant
8th)
Seven interesting and wonderful; tracks. More to explore (hopefully) on a return visit
with Pat. Ireland is a very special
place.
But now…time to move on to England, Scotland, the Continent,
and Wales. And I need to get less
verbose…falling way behind on this reporting (it is now the morning of June 11,
and I have played and need to report on another 12 courses already!!).
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